See if you agree with me on this one!

For much of my collecting life my focus has been on coinage issues of the 19th century. I so loved the various renditions of Liberty on 19th century coins that I often neglected those of the 20th century. That was until I started a 20th century typeset in the registry last summer. This is when I discovered anew the artistry, beauty, and symbolism of the ?American Renaissance coins? issued early in the century. Indeed, there are no coins like them anywhere, proved by the reuse of the Buffalo nickel, Walking Liberty half, and St. Gaudens double eagle designs on today?s coins.

The coins of the early 20th century that I especially like are the Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, and Walking Liberty half. I have found few coins that are more beautiful than are these when they are in MS condition.

Of those three, I have a newfound fondness for the Standing Liberty quarter. Perhaps the reason I am only now discovering this coin, is that in conditions less than MS this coin becomes somewhat ugly as do each of the afore mentioned coins. However, in MS condition the features and boldness of the design are nothing less than stunning.

With an eye to upgrading less than MS coins in my collection, I periodically peruse EBay listings for upgrade candidates to my collection. Already owning a 1917 AU-58 ?Type 1? Standing Liberty quarter, I found a stunning MS-64 ?full head? example that so took me, it fell into that must have category. When listing on EBay, never under estimate the power of good photographs to improve your chances for a better sale. I have rarely seen photographs in a listing that are better than the ones in this listing. Because the coin looked under graded with lots of eye appeal, I paid more than the fair market value to acquire it with an eye to possibly submitting it for re-evaluation.

Having just received the coin yesterday, I am posting my own photographs of it. On the obverse of the coin, notice the sharpness and detail of design in the head, robe, and shield; observe the clarity in the lines and stars on the wall. On the reverse, I have rarely seen better definition in the eagle?s breast feathers than on this coin. What do you think a candidate for MS-65? I hope you agree with me that this coin is stunning and a candidate for MS-65. Happy New Year to all and happy collecting!

Gary