I found this. These are the sellers pictures. Once I get it here I will get some better pictures of the mint mark area. It is an 1895 barber dime worn to what i would say is poor grade. I snagged it for 26.00. Figuring it would likely be a p mint. So I got to stretching and looking at this with a loupe playing around and it looks like there is a faint mint mark barely visible. If so there are only two options for 1895. O or S. But this looks more like an o than an s. Still, I know it's heavily worn but if it is an o mint mark it's worth a lot more than 25 right? The last picture i circled the location of the tops of the ribbon and what I think is the mint mark. Thoughts? Opinions?
Sorry Derrick, but that badly worn, you needlessly took a chance on a damaged coin that is only going to be worth melt value. You may be able to see more in hand than the photos will show but check the placement of the MM with a photo or photos of a better condition coin and see what you come up with. What you have showed circled could end up being seeing what you want to see and the placements are too far apart from each other to give any real meaning. Even if it turned out to be an "S" you will still have overpaid because in good it is still a $40.00 coin and this will not even come close to a good. Without being certain about a mint mark it cannot even be used as a filler coin in an album.
I think I "might" see the tops of the two bows...and "possibly" the very faint remnants of an "O" where the mintmark should be...but maybe because I'm trying to see it.
I don't see any hint of an O or S where the MM is supposed to be. The 1895-P is actually worth more (than 1895-S) but as-is you can't tell what mint it came from. Something like Nic-A-Date might reveal more but then the coin is more damaged than it already is.
As a Metal Detectorist , Iv'e dug dozens of what is its . So, I've done my share of staring at almost blank coins. After a while you start to see what you want to . It's called Pareidolia.
I'm not worried about the 26. I was more curious to get it here and see what it looks like under a loupe. I don't believe there's an s there anyway. I know it'll need submitted for proof if it appears to be an O. But I collect coins that are circulated evenly like this one either way. I had already bought it and was looking at it later when I saw whatever it is I think I saw. Yea I have other pictures and am comparing stretching. Like I say curiosity got me.
This. It's oh-so tantalizing, and keeps you squinting... trying to make out details... but sometimes you start seeing phantoms. This is a tough one. I can't say. Even if there were some other diagnostics to pin down the mint without seeing the mintmark, I don't think it's going to fetch much premium for the better date without a more visible mintmark. But if you wanted to say you see an "O" there, to use it to fill that slot in an album... well, I guess that works. Folks might or might not agree.
Look at recent Auctions if it a Philly or an O it is a great deal. I looks too worn to see a mint mark or lack there of
I do too. There's something below, and it may very well be an indentation from circulation. Long before it was worn. Whatever the mark is is definitely worth a closer look imo. I didn't even realize when I bid it could possibly even be a key date like this. I just figured it would be a p with nothing there. I figured there would be some remnant of an o or s if there were one. I have a very good cell phone camera. I will be able to get good pictures of this area once it's here.
If there's anything showing im sending to ngc. Then we shall see what they say. I have the 16d that's in my avatar image that I want to send in to.
Nic-A-Date probably won't work but it might be worth a try since the coin is 10% copper. Nic-A-Date is ferric chloride, the same chemical used in the electronics industry to etch the copper design on printed circuit boards. Basically it dissolves the copper. That coin is already in bad enough shape so what can you lose.
I can understand that it's tantalizing. I agree that the two upper dark spots are probably the loops in the ribbon, and another upper left from there is probably the notch in the left leaf. From there though, I think it becomes "wishful thinking". There are three dark areas where you have circled what you think is an O. What are the other two? There is no detail there that would account for them. Another thing I do is rotate the image 90 and 180 degrees and decide if I see something there. When I do it to this one, I see random worn PMD. I wouldn't waste $50 on a TPG opinion myself, as I can't see how anybody would stake their guarantee on it.
The top two are the ribbon tops. The bottom circle is where there's an indentation where the o is. The indentation is very close to where the mm would be in relation to the ribbon. I bought it because I liked its look. It was after that I noticed the indentation, realized it could be a key date like this. Once it gets here if the o shows at all I'll send it in. Whether any of you would pay a premium for this coin in a slab or not doesn't matter. If that is in a slab saying is a 1895 o someone will.
This area the arrows point to. This is what I'm talking about. This area is roughly where the mark would be in relation to the depressions at the center of the ribbons. It is either so worn you can't tell. Or there's something there that would likely be an O before it is an S IF it is anything at all. I planned for it to be a P. Then I saw this. Of course it needs to be in hand to investigate proper, further.
