1932 S Washington Qtr help please

[jesbroken]

I need some help with this 1932 S Washington Quarter-Is this scratches made on purpose or is it die marks? The finish looks odd to me also. Please give me some opinions as to grade if not man made scratches. Thanks

 

[MikeInFL]

I can't be sure from the photo, but I suspect die polish.

 

You should be able to tell rather quickly with a loupe. Are the lines "raised" or "incuse"? If they are raised (i.e. the lines are above the surface), then it is die polish. If they are incused (i.e. the lines are into the surface), then it is likely post-mint scratches. Holding the light at a low angle to the coin will help you tell the difference.

 

Also, die polish lines often go "through" the lettering -- they dissapear when meeting lettering only to appear on the other side without the line being on the letter itself -- whereas scratches will often stop just short of the lettering/devices and often show on the lettering/devices themselves.

 

Hope this helps...Mike

[Bruceswar]

Here is the questions you need to ask yourself.

 

1. Do you like the toning as NT or AT?

2. Do the scratches or die polish lines bother you without knowing which they are?

 

I say without knowing which they are because a coin with die polish lines can be just as distracting as a coin that is scratched.

[BillJones]

I am 100% sure that the toning is artificial if the coin looks the same as it does in the photo. The toning seems to lie “on” the coin, not “in” it, and the shades of gold and especially the blue are wrong. The toning on Washington's hair is especially suspect.

 

As for the lines, the lines behind the head have the look of die polishing marks I’ve seen on 1932 Washington quarters, and they could be that. But the lines above the motto look like scratches to me. Overall I think that this coin has been fooled with, perhaps to tone down the scratches.

 

[Bruceswar]

Bill I was not gonna say it.. but you did. I too thought the coin to be AT. Without seeing the coin in hand I will not make judgement of the scratches based on those images.

[James_OldeTowne]

I cannot draw any conclusions due to the quality of the image. However, for general background information, the 1932-S does often come with plenty of die polish.

[Zoins]

a coin with die polish lines can be just as distracting as a coin that is scratched.

Very true.

[TomB]

It's tough to give any sort of definitive opinion on this coin. The lines could be excessive die polish, but they could also be scratches and the toning is likely not natural, but I cannot prove it is artificial, either. Regardless, I do not like the look of this coin and would hunt for a nicer piece.

[BillJones]

a coin with die polish lines can be just as distracting as a coin that is scratched.

Very true.

 

Most die polish marks don't bother me that much.

[jesbroken]

Thanks, Bill, Tom, Mike, Bruce and James, as I truly value your opinions I have backed out of bidding for this coin. In all honesty as stated before I also did not like the color nor the total surface-it just bothered me without being able to decide why. You all are the best and can be depended upon to give an honest, valuable assessment of a coin's character. Thanks again-Jim.

[physics-fan3.14]

It is my opinion that the lines are die polish lines, which do not bother me at all. I think they are emphasized by the picture, and would not be as bad in hand. However, the color and the look of the coin are unpleasing, and I agree with your decision to not bid jesbroken.