Mercury Dime--What is the grade?

What is the grade of this raw Mercury Dime? Please vote in poll. As always, opinions about coin and grade are welcome.




Have fun!

 

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I thought I would be the first. Nice looking coin.

 

Yes nice looking dime for sure!! I voted an MS64 as I don't believe it would get an FB. just my 2 cnts. :bow:

 

Nice looking coin! There are a few too many dings (if the picture is accurate) to grade it higher than MS65. The rim and focal areas look nice, though. Personally, I would like to call it "FB", but I doubt a TPG would.

 

I said MS66FB. Looks like a beauty but I think the marks in the reverse fields would likely not allow a 67. It seems pretty straightforward that it is FB, so I don't understand those that voted no FB (maybe I'm missing something).

You starting to collect Mercury's? It seems a natural fit for you since I know there are a lot of colorful toners.

 

I don't actively collect Mercury Dimes. This coin is part of an album collection that I was putting together a few years ago by cherry picking NNC graded coins on E-Bay. NNC would over grade every coin by 3-5 points. As a result, the value of the coin in the holder was usually less than the actual value because of the severe lack of confidence in NNC's assigned grade. I tried to assemble an album short set of high grade NNC Merc's by cherry picking coins that were only overgrade by 1-2 grades. Unfortunately the project came to an end when E-Bay banned the use of TPG names in auction titles. I rarely purchase raw toned coins, so most of this collection is untoned. Here is what the collection looks like.



Most of the coins are MS65+ and many have full bands.

 

What! No toning?
Looks like FB to me, not many contact marks, beautiful luster as well.
I'm going to say 66FB

 

I voted 65 fb, nice to see I am not way under like usual.

 

Unfortunately, Lehigh, this otherwise beautiful coin is a No Grade. The counting wheel marks which are quite prominent across the obverse mean this coin is a bodybag.

 

Jason,

Where do you see counting wheel marks on this coin? And, I don't think any distraction on this coin can be qualified as prominent.

 

I said MS66FB. The coin has very few marks and appears to have a complete strike and full booming luster.

 

I agree with Jason on this so I will answer for him. The most obvious spot is in the right obverse field between the back of the cap and the T and Y of LIBERTY. However they also extend across the back of the cap and the cheek and upper neck.

At first I thought it was just evidence the coin had been wiped, but Jason's comment about the counting wheel are dead on, that is exactly what it is.

 

I'm not familiar with grading Mercs, so my guess is MS66. It looks like the bands are a little weak to get the FB, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

 

It is going to be up to Lehigh to say for sure, but those marks you are referring to I assumed and still think they are on the slab.

 

I say exactly the same thing. I'm a lousy grader of any coins but I just can't see that one being way up there with the 66 or higher.
Looks like all the ones you showed on the photos are in the MS area. Nice set.

 

I don't know what you guys are seeing, it looks like die polish to me.

 

Lehigh said in the original post that this coin is raw.

The marks I'm referring to are exactly as the Cave Troll mentions - they start about the middle of her cheek, and run almost horizontally across her ear and cap into the right field, almost to the rim. These parallel striations are common on many otherwise high grade coins. If it were a Morgan, I would give it the benefit of the doubt and say it was (mint made) roller marks, but on mid-20th century coinage, its unfortunately the telltale sign of a counting wheel.

 

I would say 66 or 67 FB. Nice coin.

 

He is what I am seeing. It correlates to where Troll described. The big splotch in the middle looks to me to be on the slab. The 2 smaller blobs normal strike marks.

 

Well, this is more than a little interesting. A number of smart people disagreeing -- I like it! I tend to agree with Lehigh, in part because I think I have seen such marks on coins graded by PCGS before. It does make me think we need someone with knowledge to start a thread on counting wheels and their marks. I did a CoinTalk search and did not come up with much.

Paul, the only good way to settle this is to send it in and get it graded (easy for me to say, I know ).