Coinbuf

Are you serious that you do not know who Abraham Lincoln is?

Not a huge thing but this is not a PCGS OGH holder, that is the generation 1.2 Rattler holder. The rattler holder was the first holder used by PCGS when the firm started operations in 1986 thru 1989. There was one generation prior to this one used for the first month or so of operations, same holder but the label was slightly different. The OGH holder is the type of holder that PCGS used after the rattler was discontinued. It is of course your choice but there is still some bit of premium that the rattler holder can see in the market. Rattlers are rather common so that premium is not huge, just want to see if you were aware of this. As Hog wrote I suspect that many of those scratches can be removed with a bit of elbow grease, again your choice.

As someone that is new to the hobby do you think you can identify "wear" correctly? I'm not asking that to be snarky but because it is a very valid question and a skill that many people new to the hobby cannot do although they often think they can. As Eagle said it is possible even likely for very newly minted coins found in circulation to grade as uncirculated if they are pulled from circulation before those coins are slid across the counter too many times. However, many coins that may look unc to someone new may have significant friction on the high points if viewed under a proper light source and angle. I put together my state quarter collection completely from circulation, and many of those coins look like gem uncs, until tilted and viewed correctly to discover the rub.

I am not sad, it is sad that you are so misinformed and getting taken by buying such common coins in less than desirable condition. It is unfortunate that there are collectors like yourself that get taken in the world of numismatics buying this type of inferior coin. People come here to learn, and the misinformation you are spreading with this thread is not helpful to anyone that is here to learn. You have made assertions and voiced your personal opinions about value and rarity as if those were facts. But the real facts are that the coins you like are inferior to the vast majority of collectors. The market prices for these coins tells us that these are inferior to true two sided cameo and DCAM coins. Trust me nobody is losing sleep over how you spend your money, but when you spread misinformation by implying that your opinion is fact like you are, we are going to call you out on it.

Yes I already knew the point, the sad part is that you do not.

I would call that inferior, however by your own admission beauty or inferiority is in the eye of the beholder. As such your assertion/opinion is no more correct or right than mine, thus you may beg all you want but my opinion is correct to me as yours is to you.

You can soak it in acetone, that is completely safe and will not harm the metal. May take some time to soften and loosen that heavy a build up, and you may not like the look of the coin once that is done if the gunk has started to eat into the metal. Just curious why would you want to clean/save such a common coin in that condition? It is clearly circulated and has no value over the face value.

Just a worthless troll back under a different name.

I am uncertain from the photos if that is raised or incuse (impressed into the surface of the coin). If it is raised then as GS said most likely a die chip, if incuse then it could be a strikethrough which would be considered an error.

Looks like a very fine example, the obv hit is unfortunate but still a nice find and addition.

I have no clue what you are trying to say here.

Welcome to the forum, yes in general and all else equal, the PL will be worth more than a non PL coin. However there are always exceptions, it all hinges on how each coin looks to the prospective buyer.

Sorry to rain on your parade but my bet is on a Zinc coin as well, as @Greenstang noted you can see plating bubbles especially on the rev.

You will not be disappointed if you do get one.

The print is 19 X 13 suitable for framing, I'll be hanging mine on my office wall. No double eagles for this limited special, but I'm sure that if you contact Robert he would be able to do one for you. If I recall correctly his normal price is $95, and he has done many different coins for other collectors in the past.

Over on the PCGS forum there is a member who does some very impressive artwork of coins. His normal price for this work is not outrageous but not inexpensive either. However, he is running a Christmas special of $35 per print and has several to choose from. Naturally I went with the Lincoln cent for my print. Here is a link to his BST ad on the forum ATS if anyone is interested in looking into one. Artwork

In the future weigh the coin, a coin missing a clad layer will be much lighter than a normal clad coin. Easy way to answer your question yourself.

Makes sense, you can make a polishing paste from many household items.

Take a before and after photo if possible, the results may be surprising for some.

5 steps is all PCGS requires to give the FS designation, NGC will make the distinction between 5 or 6 full steps. And I have seen many coins with the FS designation with disruptions on the steps, conversely coins with pristine steps not noted. It is a very subjective designation.

I cannot tell from the photos if any of the coins are FS or not, we would need to see close up photos of the steps to make that call. From what I can see I do not think it makes financial sense to have any of these graded and slabbed. I can say for sure that the 38-S has been in circulation and would be a very poor choice to have graded and slabbed for any financial reasons. It may be worth the cost to grade and slab if you have a strong sentimental attachment to the coins, although, even then I would still recommend not submitting the 38-S as that coin has seen some circulation.

Plastix works great on minor scuffs and lite scratches. I use a dremel with a soft cloth buffing wheel, takes some time but the results are always really good. You could use a rag or old sock and do the polishing by hand, but the dremel is much faster and easier on the arms. Deep scratches require a bit more work, start with a fine grit sandpaper, say 1000, and work to a 3000 grit sandpaper, then finish with the Plastix. I would suggest practicing the sandpaper method on a scrap slab, one that is so bad you are need a reholder to fix it, or if you have the remains of a cracked slab.