Sandon

1929-D "Mercury" dime, ANACS graded MS 62FB in old small holder:

1856-O Liberty Seated dime, PCGS graded XF 40 and, in my opinion, nice for the grade. F-104 die variety with slanted and repunched date.

VarietyPlus is described as "a comprehensive guide of NGC recognized varieties". NGC will attribute "all varieties listed in the VarietyPlus catalog", which includes "most Cherrypicker varieties by FS numbers". Variety vs. Mint Error | NGC (ngccoin.com). As this "Speared Eagle" variety is listed on VarietyPlus, NGC will attribute it as "Speared Eagle". In my experience, the label would also include the FS number, but if this is very important to you, you may want to check with NGC Customer Service or on the "Ask NGC/NCS forum.

I've never heard of "die pooling" or "pooling of die" either. Where in numismatic literature did you see these terms? What do they mean?

You will never "strike it rich" by looking through pocket change! I've been checking my and sometimes other people's change for as long as I've been collecting and studying U.S. coins--nearly 53 years now--and have never found any coin worth more than a few dollars that way. I know only one collector who ever found a significant mint error in change. Some print and online resources from which you should be learning are described in the following forum topics:

Welcome to the NGC chat board. The rough surfaces and weak details identify these pieces as crude replicas (fakes) of the sort sold in souvenir shops for decades. See Continental Dollars | Coin Explorer | NGC (ngccoin.com) for photos of rare, genuine pieces.

You may find the following resources helpful: Double Dies vs. Machine Doubling | NGC (ngccoin.com) https://www.doubleddie.com/144801.html and links therein on mechanical doubling (a.k.a. strike or machine doubling), die deterioration doubling, and abrasion doubling.

There are slots in NGC Registry proof type sets for SMS coins, although they aren't true proofs. That's just the way that NGC decided to categorize them, while also giving them an "MS" instead of "PF" prefix. PCGS gives SMS coins an "SP" ("Specimen") prefix on its holders.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. There is no such thing as a proof 1966 quarter, only circulation strikes and the usually somewhat prooflike coins included in Special Mint Sets. NGC uses the "MS" designation for both circulation strikes and Special Mint Set coins but identifies the latter as "SMS". I checked your coin on NGC Certificate Verification, and it consistently identifies your coin as a "1966 SMS 25C" graded "MS 68". Verify NGC Certification | NGC (ngccoin.com). Where does it "show up as a proof"?

You may find the following resources useful: Double Dies vs. Machine Doubling | NGC (ngccoin.com) https://www.doubleddie.com/144801.html and links therein on mechanical doubling, die deterioration doubling, and abrasion doubling. Variety vs. Mint Error | NGC (ngccoin.com)

As I understand it, the specialty labels signed by coin designers, mint officials, dealers, authors and other notables are only available for bulk submissions by prior arrangement with NGC. See NGC Special Labels | NGC (ngccoin.com). I don't think that you can't submit your own coins and request these labels. You would have to obtain coins already certified with such labels from the bulk submitters or others who advertise them or in the "aftermarket". Where on the NGC site did you think you could obtain coins with such labels? This might be a better topic for the "Ask NGC/NCS" forum.

@Coinbuf--A quarter eagle contains only 0.12904 oz. of gold and if whole contains $266.96 in gold at today's closing price. See U.S. Gold Coin Melt Values | Gold Coin Prices | NGC Coin Melt Value. Yesterday it would have been worth about $262 as I recall, so $260 wouldn't be "significantly under spot." Many common date gold coins that are "ex-jewelry" are so severely damaged (not just "cleaned" or lightly scratched) that in my experience they are of no interest to collectors and are only saleable as scrap or for further jewelry use. I am not currently able to assess the authenticity or condition of the OP's coin.

I take this to mean that this quarter eagle, whose current bullion value is approximately $260, wouldn't be worth more than that unless it graded at least MS 64. I disagreed because an unimpaired AU currently retails above $500. However, a substantially impaired piece, such as one removed from jewelry, might not sell for much more than the bullion value.

Never wipe or rub a coin with anything, no matter how soft! This may leave numerous hairline scratches on the coin, which may cause the coin to be regarded as "cleaned". If you touched the surfaces other than the edges of the coins recently, you might want to rinse them with water (preferably distilled but in my experience tap water will do) and pat (don't rub) them dry with a clean tissue. Flips aren't bags. They are flexible holders for individual coins, usually 2- or 2.5-inch size. If there isn't a coin dealer in your area who has such supplies (try Find Coin Shops & Dealers | Coin Dealer Locator | NGC (ngccoin.com)), you can likely find them online through amosadvantage.com, whitman.com, or Wizard Coin Supply. The Deluxe Edition ("Mega Red") Redbook for $20 is likely an older edition--they usually cost $50 new-- but is alright if you want to do some in-depth, more advanced level reading. You should review my "Resources for New Collectors" initial post, where I explain the need for a current standard edition as a quick overall reference, as well as a grading guide and a subscription to a current price guide.

I use a digital microscope that plugs into my computer to image coins (also not the best images) and can't give you advice on how to use a smartphone, but some of the other forum members may be able to help you. (You might want to post future topics on the Newbie Coin Collecting Questions forum.) The photos of your 1925-D quarter eagle are too small and too grainy to see much detail. I was unable to enlarge them much and really can't see much about the coin. (It wouldn't be possible to definitely authenticate or grade the coin from even the best photos.) For comparison, here are (1) photos that I took of a genuine 1925-D quarter eagle graded MS 62 (Uncirculated) by PCGS and (2) photos taken professionally by Stacks Bowers, a major numismatic auction house, of a genuine 1911 quarter eagle graded MS 63 (Choice Uncirculated) by NGC. An "ex-jewelry" or otherwise impaired coin is undesirable to collectors and would sell at a discount, perhaps a substantial one from a coin in otherwise equivalent grade. I respectfully disagree with @Coinbuf about your coin because the gold value of a quarter eagle is currently around $260, while an unimpaired AU 1925-D lists over $500.

Please see the following topics for essential print and online resources from which you may learn U.S. coins. A current or recent edition of the "Redbook" (2025 edition likely to be published within the next month) and a grading guide are essential. While coins of any value should not be stored unprotected and in contact with each other in a jar, if these are very common coins such as circulated common date wheat cents or "junk" silver coins, it is acceptable to store them in this manner or in tubes. The folders you remember are bad because the coins are open to the air on one side and subject to being touched by bare hands, which you also shouldn't do. While I can't go into depth about storage at this time, for any coins with collector value of a few dollars or more, you should obtain mylar (not vinyl) coin flips, hard plastic holders or capsules, or if you want to collect a series by date and mint, albums such as those made by Whitman or Dansco. If you keep coins in albums, be careful to seat the coins well in the album before you move the top slide to prevent the coin from acquiring slide marks. Proper holders and albums should be obtainable from your local coin dealer or from some of the sources mentioned in the first posted topic. Regarding the photos, those of the Morgan dollar were adequate but should be taken with the camera directly above the coin and not at an angle. They could also be better cropped to eliminate the surrounding surface. It is never possible to evaluate a coin fully without in-person examination.

This coin is a 1925-D $2.50 gold piece, also known as a quarter eagle, of the Indian Head design minted from 1908-1915 and 1925-1929. Unfortunately, coins of this type have been extensively counterfeited, with the 1925-D listed ninth on NGC's list of fifty most frequently counterfeited U.S. coins. See 9. 1925-D Indian $2.50 | NGC (ngccoin.com) for diagnostics of some known counterfeits. Coins of this type have also been used in jewelry and become impaired (damaged) from this use. Your photos are too low in resolution to give me any basis for an opinion as to whether the coin is genuine or whether it is unimpaired or to get a firm idea of its grade, which could be About Uncirculated. The ring around the edge could have resulted from use in jewelry. (In any event, it is nothing that would add value to the coin.) A genuine, unimpaired coin in About Uncirculated condition would have a current retail value of approximately $525.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. Based on the photos, this 1921 Morgan dollar is in approximately About Uncirculated condition (AU 50-55). Coin World lists its retail value at $33-$34. This is the most common of all Morgan dollars. There are no Morgan dollars dated after 1921. Silver dollars dated 1922-28 and 1934-35 (and some 1921s) are of a different design and known as Peace dollars. Are you interested in becoming a collector, or are you just curious about the values of some coins you happen to own?

1942, 2 over 1 "Mercury" dime, ANACS graded XF 45 in old small holder:

There is no way to know what is in these rolls without opening them. They may have all come from a mint bulk bag of uncirculated coins, or they may be a mixture of coins. I suggest that you open them and, if they are solid date, "new" coins, you transfer them to plastic coin tubes. If you don't want to save all of them, you can "cherrypick" those that are the best quality in terms of surface preservation, strike and luster and spend the rest. Regarding the original topic, on April 3 a Stacks Bowers session includes two lots of single 1950 boxed proof sets and group lots of 1952, 53, and 54 boxed sets. All of these sets have been opened. Here is the auction photo of one of the 1950 sets, showing how rust from the staple has discolored the cellophane. The nickel shows some green discoloration (possibly corrosion), possibly related to moisture where the set was stored that likely caused the staple to rust.

Unfortunately, the term "rare coin" has been used to refer to a variety of coins ranging from pieces such as 1913 Liberty nickels and 1894-S dimes, of which very few actually exist, to 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cents and 1916-D "Mercury" dimes, of which tens of thousands exist, and even to any coin that one could no longer expect to find in circulation, such as any Morgan or Peace dollar. Almost any coin made for circulation to which a third-party grading service has awarded a high enough grade is also now referred to as "rare", even if it is a modern coin with a mintage of billions. The pricing of coins is based on demand, as well as supply, and a coin of which only a few dozen exist but for which there are relatively few customers, such as the pattern coin described in the initial post, may sell for far less than a coin in equivalent grade of which thousands exist but is much more popular. The definition of "truly rare" is relative and not subject to objective determination. I've never heard of a "CFR" scale before, but the scale usually used for earlier U.S. coins by date or die variety runs from R1 (more than 1,250) to R8 (2-3 known) or R9 (unique) and was developed by Dr. William Sheldon of early large cent reference and Sheldon Grading Scale fame but who was posthumously exposed as a coin thief. Under this scale, most "rare" coins, such as the aforementioned 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cents and 1916-D dimes, would be classified as R1 along with coins existing by the millions. A "Rarity 2" would have an estimated population of only 501-1250 and to most collectors of popular series by date and mint would be considered very rare indeed. Q. David Bowers proposed a "Universal Rarity Scale" in which an issue or variety that is "URS-1" is unique, "URS-2" means 2 known, "URS-3" means 3 or 4 known, and the estimated population doubles for every next number, so that, for example, "URS-20" means an estimated population of 250,001 to 500,000. This scale has been adopted by the authors of the Cherrypickers' Guide and may be more practical for more popularly collected issues and varieties. Just how many coins of a particular issue or variety actually exist is generally unknowable. Only one 1873-CC "No Arrows" Liberty Seated dime is publicly known to exist, with no others reported, but it is always possible, no matter how unlikely, that one or more others will be found in some forgotten collection or accumulation.

Thank you for the better photos, which reaffirm my conclusion that the coin is scratched. There are ridges of displaced metal on each side of the depression. I don't know what sort of "drag marks" would be left by a sharp point or blade. The usual mint caused reason for a narrow, long depression on a coin would be that the coin was struck through an object, such as a piece of wire, that was lying on the die or planchet (coin blank) when the coin was struck. Such a "strikethrough" would not show displaced metal at its sides, and the inside of the depression would likely be bright. A die crack is a common cause of a raised line on a coin, but there would be no depression. Here is a photo of the obverse of an 1806 half dollar described by PCGS, a major grading service, as "scratched". Note the similar ridges of raised metal at the sides of the deeper scratches. It's possible that some other forum members will have different opinions, but I've been collecting and studying U.S. coins for over fifty years, and although I'll never know everything, I think I know what a coin that has been scratched looks like.

I assume that by this you mean that you intend to submit these coins to a third-party grading service such as NGC. Unless you have adequate knowledge of and experience with grading yourself to determine that the coins you wish to submit are likely to achieve grades that would give them market values of at least several hundred dollars apiece, it makes no sense to submit them. It is extremely unlikely that you have a 1955 or 1967 Lincoln cent (with or without "cuds") that would be worth the grading (minimum $23 per coin), error attribution ($18 per coin), processing ($10 per order) and return shipping (minimum $28 per order) fees, plus your cost of shipping the coins to NGC.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. Please note that the NGC Registry forum is for topics pertaining to the certified coin registry, not for questions like yours, which for best attention should be posted on the "Newbie Coin Collecting Questions" forum. The Administrator will likely move this topic to that form next week. Additionally, when you post photos of coins, please crop them so that they show only the coin and not the surrounding surface, and make sure that the photos are properly and evenly lit. Based on what I can see from the photos you submitted, the reverse of your 2021-P "Crossing the Delaware" quarter has simply been damaged by being scratched by a sharp metal object such as a knife or a nail. I observe metal displaced by such an object at the sides of the depression. This is one of the many forms of damage that may befall a coin after it leaves the mint.

1836 Reeded Edge Capped Bust half dollar, NGC graded AU 53, one of my rarest coins: Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.