And I give in to a good strike and luster.

A couple of years ago; I purchased a 1947 P Walker coin in NGC MS 66+ that I really liked and that is fully original. I also liked the 1947 P coin, because it gave me just a few more Registry points for my Date Set than it's Denver brother, and I got it for a lot less than I had thought that I would have to pay.

Anyway, my plan was always to make it a matched set by finding a nice 1947 D coin in NGC MS 66+ to go along with it. I had the opportunity to do just that on two separate occasions. The first time was through a major auction, which failed miserably due to the fact that their faulty bidding software would not accept my strong online bid. The second time was through an online sale, in which the coin was priced very reasonably. Foolishly, I passed on that second coin, too----this time it was totally MY fault. Other MS 66+ Denver coins had appeared but they looked to me to have very dull surfaces, poorer strikes and they were priced rather unrealistically, IMHO. They also have a real LOW Census......around 12 for each mint marked issue the last time that I checked, so they don't show up too often. I think that this number will increase in the future, though.

So, I thought to myself---'WHY NOT just purchase a nice MS 66, if one happens to come along, and even save a little bit of money?' A PCGS MS 66 1947 D example that had a VERY sharp strike came up but, again, I failed to pull the trigger! Then, I saw this NGC 66 example. The strike is almost as good as the PCGS coin, as I think that this NGC example has good split separations on all of the branch stem lines and the thumb is well above average with just some softness on the index finger. The surfaces and luster on this piece are even BETTER than the PCGS coin, too. So, I purchased this one for a really FAIR price.....it was an effortless transaction and gave me quite a thrill on a boring Sunday afternoon. Low risk and a lot of FUN.

The 1947 P and D coins are NOT strike rarities, when considered in the broader range of the series, but sharp, nearly fully-struck examples almost never surface from my own experiences.

This one fills the slot for me and gets the job done. It puts me just past the halfway completion mark on my Walker Short Set, also. Plus, it gives me an unintended yet nicely matched pair of 1947 coins. There were no San Francisco coins minted in that last year, either, there are just those two---the Philly and Denver issues.

I am not about 'ga-ga' grades and completion is my primary goal and gives me more satisfaction, now, as I can always upgrade later, if I wish, although I probably won't, as I am very satisfied with what I have. Besides, I don't want to overpay for a coin that has been maxed out through the grading process but is not technically 'all there' in it's tomb. I am seeing this more than ever these days and the end results can be quite costly. This is certainly NOT to say that many coins don't, in fact, deserve an upgrade---they certainly do but just not all. Besides, I have always been about quality and not just the number on the slab. I'd rather buy under-graded coins for less money and then have them re-graded, myself, although I do feel that this particular coin is properly graded at MS 66 and should not upgrade and should be left alone. The only reason that I point this out is that I am still satisfied with a MS 66 rather than a MS 66+ or MS 67.

So, I'm very pleased, as I continue to move forward.

Good Luck to all of my friends out there, as it certainly DOESN'T get any easier!

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