Grade my 1913 Quarter Eagle

[Mark T]

This 1913 Quarter Eagle was purchased raw from a reputable Indian Gold seller on E Bay . I had stopped buying raw coins after receiving some over graded stuff in prior auctions. However with this seller I was really curious because they had a perfect rating and a nice selection of coins. Their description of this coin really pumped it up however they do not assign a grade to any of the coins the auction. The picture they used made the coin look almost perfect. The picture of the coin here is almost as good as the coin looks in hand even though it is a little blury. The picture the seller used made the coin look better then it really was. I had it submitted to PCGS on Friday 7/11. It will probably take 3 or 4 weeks to get back because the TPG’s are going to be busy with The Baltimore show at the end of July.

One note on this coin, the cheek of the Indian looks like it has rub – it does not . The scanner picked this up but under magnification it does not show up. I find that scanners can amplify very minor imperfections. My dealer said that there may have been contact on the cheek but it did not break through the luster of the coin. So when grading you need to take that into consideration. The surfaces of the coin are very nice; the only issue are some very small marks on the reverse near the Eagles head. They are very small minor scratches. How would you grade this coin ??

[JKK]

63. Bag marks low on the obverse, not severe and not very distracting but also not hard to spot. Of course, the coin image is blown up quite a bit (which makes sense here), so those marks might be less noticeable looking at the actual piece itself. Pretty coin.

[fishfinder]

63 Nice strikes,good hue, little distractions, no wear, luster?. I like it!

BTW...good luck

[Mark T]

It is hard to pick up a coins luster with a scanner. I would say the luster of this coin in hand is just average. It is a honey orange gold color.

[Oldtrader3]

Scuffy on headress and feathers. Some rub between stars on left obverse field. Plus scratches on reverse. I think that it will net grade at AU50 because of scratches. Let me know what it grades.

[Mark T]

Hi Old Trader,

 

I was waiting for your opinion on this . :-} Check out the PM I sent you.

The scan of the coin brings up stuff that is not on the coin. When I received the coin the first thing I did was to bring it into a local dealer who I trust. His opinion was that is was MS 61 – Ms 62. He said chances of a MS 63 were slim and it would depend on what PCGS thought about the light scratches on the back as well as the minimal contact on the cheek.

The price I paid was for an MS 62. If it grades Au no big deal and only a minimal loss.

 

 

[Oldtrader3]

Mark, I PM'ed you on your earlier message before I read this response.

 

Just for comparison sake, here is a MS62, 1910-P quarter eagle. The scan is small and is therefore kind of hard to compare. However, note the feathery knobs on the head-dress and the feather definition, plus the area below the neck on the 1910 coin and compare it to yours, in hand. The only thing that might concern me right at this moment about grading your coin is that the TPG's are grading really tightly now. This may pull your coin down to a AU58, instead of MS61, but most people will pay MS61 money for a nice AU58 anyhow, so, no harm no foul.

 

 

I sent in a several Peace and a Morgan dollar, all MS63, and they came back MS62 because the TPG's are grading tightly. This may affect your results also.

[Mark T]

We can thank CAC for the tight grading standards. :-}

[Mark T]

 

PCGS gave this coin an MS 64 !!!! One note about this coin that you can not see in the scans is that the surface of the coin is pristine, other then some small marks on the reverse. I also must assume that the luster of the coin was better then average, the scanner could not pick that up either. The small marks on the reverse did not lower the grade. I purchased the coin from Saratoga Springs Coins on E Bay , price paid $ 411 !!! I was very lucky with this buy as the bidding on this coin was light and it went for a very low price.

 

[prudden]

Congrats!!!Fine catch. That's why I don't like scans.

I think NGC is tougher lately than PCGS. I' like to send some thing to PCGS but I can't afford the entrance fee. So, off to NGC they must go.

[Mark T]

I always thought PCGS was a tougher grader. Most PCGS coins have been getting higher resale values. Either way both are class A grading companies. I did get very lucky with this coin .

[Oldtrader3]

Nice catch, Mark and good grade. MS64 Indians are hard to come by.

[Mark T]

The dealer who submitted the coin to PCGS called me today and asked how I was doing. I said I was doing ok. He said well I have news for you that will make you feel a lot better , your Quarter Eagle got a four !! Like I said in my first post a MS 63 was the highest grade we expected for it. I can use that saying from the Forrest Gump movie. Sending a coin to a TGP is like a box of chocolates, you never know what grade you will get :-}

I was looking at some MS64 Quarter Eagle Indians last week from the Baltimore show , instead I picked up a 1911 Indian Half Eagle and a 1827 Bust Half.

 

 

[Mark T]

I forgot to post this one in the PCGS holder :-}