Can anyone explain how to best grade Washington Quarters?

I have two series that I am woefully poor at grading. Peace Dollars and Washington Quarters. Any advice in Washington's here would be helpful. Here's one I currently have at PCGS (primarily because I only paid $16 and I figured it would help me learn). This coin is relatively mark-free, and original in appearance. But the luster is very very subdued. The toning pattern/changes give it the look at first glance of an AU58, but under closer inspection, it doesn't appear worn to me. When I rotate it, it shows unbroken luster rolling all around, but again, it is very subdued, I guess due to the toning/crusty look of it. So I settled on MS64. What do you think? Can you share your grading tips on this series? @Insider @GDJMSP

 

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Nice Coin ! I would guess but your only asking the two listed above. Good Luck .

 

I would have called it XF at best.

Look at the eagle's breast.
Virtually no feathers.
And the upper wing edges appear smoothed.
And the arrow feathers show loss of details.

The obverse has less details to show wear but the hair above the ear looks a bit flattened.

 

The approach to grading is honestly very similar to most other series. Cheek and hair over the ear on the obverse, and the eagle's breast and thighs are the high points to look for wear or hits first. Strike can often appear fairly weak.

Luster is one of the big keys of this series - in order to get a gem grade, PCGS really requires strong luster. To get a 66 or higher, it needs to really pop.

On your coin, the luster appears quite dull. I don't know if that's because the toning is hiding it in your images or not. I see some discoloration on the high points, but without moving it and see how the luster behaves I can't tell if that's just toning or actual wear. It doesn't look like wear from these images.

I don't see many major hits on your coin, but the dull luster is going to hurt it. I could see it at 63 or 64, depending on how it looks in hand.

Do you have any more specific questions?

 

The red book also provides some general guidance for grading! Or, just post them on her and learn that way!

 

I find you need to know the highest points...

On a worn coin, those are the places that show 'removed' detail. The curl in the hair and the feathers on the eagle's breast.

But notice how the feathers on the wing - lower in relief - are also indistinct? That's strike - the metal simply never flowed in to fill those highest relief spots. They're, um, blurry for want of a better word.

It's also possible and even common on circulated coins to have both.

 

About 5 years ago, I took a PCGS MS67 CAC Washington quarter that had ugly silvery-whitish-gray toning, and cracked it out. Lightly dipped it and sent it back to PCGS where it graded MS64. So I cracked it out again and gave it a full-on dip…. Resubmitted and it came back MS65. That lesson cost me about $500. But honestly what changed? Well, the eye appeal certainly didn’t, although the dip did bring out a couple light hits/marks in the hair that I never saw beneath the toning. I didn’t overdip it, so the luster wasn’t obliterated. My conclusion was that with gem-plus silver Washington’s, they have to have originality/original skin in order to grade that high. And also that deep toning hides many flaws.

 

I don't go by the grade number with Washingtons, but is the coin a Gem, or not a Gem.

 

In the original photos of the 1934, is there no evidence of wear on the obverse upper cheek (flat/darker) and the curl just above the ear...also the reverse on the eagle's legs...? In general, for me it's always been the breast feathers as a focal point for strike strength/weakness...I have mint sets and even some proofs where feathers are barely visible...and old circulated examples where feathers are still fairly strong.

 

I believe the Monitor gave you the best of his experience as to your question. Not a high grade, but your Washington is a keeper, in my opinion.

 

You what? Really.
As for the coin posted here, it is difficult to grade any coin by photos, but with that toning, it is really difficult. I see what I believe is circulation wear, especially on the eagle, so I think @kanga is correct in saying XF, but again, just from the photo. I hope we are wrong, seeings how you've already paid for TPG. Let us know the outcome.

 

Looks like a low level Mint State coin to me. I don't see any wear.

 

Here’s a PCGS XF40. (Different date) You think mine is this bad?

 

I have always liked (and refer to often) the Feigenbaum book.
DLRC used to have it free on line.
I think you would find the book a good place to start.

 

au-58 to mebee a 60

 

Nice little article in Coin World mag July 2021 issue on grading the AU58 to MS grades of this series.

 

A 53 at best, but likely a 45