PCGS MS-66 FH 1919 Quarter - How'd I do?

[James_OldeTowne]

In light of recent problems with "pedigrees (wink wink), it would be easy to assume that I'm anti-PCGS these days. I'm really not. I really do believe in buying the coin, not the holder, and there are great coins in all the holders.

 

I just bought this 1919 Standing Liberty quarter in PCGS plastic:

 

JUMBO scan

 

As you probably know, I'm coming up to speed on the series, and would appreciate your opinions. Just so you know where I'm coming from on this, I thought this was a terrific coin for one huge reason (beyond the grade) - it has not been dipped. I know there are arguments on whether you can actually "tell" if a coin's been dipped or not, but I've seen enough coins from original rolls that I feel comfortable claiming that THIS coin is extremely original. It just has that perfectly unbroken "skin" that you look for on un-messed-with coins. I think the technical grade is appropriate, but I personally add strong bonus points to original coins.

 

Besides all that, it looks to me like this coin has about 98% of the head detail, and the shield appears fully struck down to every last rivet. Feathers on the eagle's breast are 100% detailed, and luster on both sides of the coins really "jumps".

 

Sorry to provide just a scanned image for now, but I'd like to know how I'm doing. Just for the record, this coin is SOLD already (lasted all of 4 days in stock), so please no accusations of freebie advertising!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

James

[1946hamm-migration]

James: Very nice coin. I have to agree on the not dipped assumption. The grade assigned looks correct. Not quite a full strike but close. I have collected standing liberty quarters for years and have seen very few fully struck type 2 quarters.

 

I'm sure that some dates were never fully struck. One thing to look for on a fully struck slq is the top of the leg where the fold goes over the thigh. Right above that are 2 sash buttons seperated by a fold line. Look on a type one in very high grade to see what I'm talking about. The type 2's also have the sash buttons and line between them but not often struck up or even there. If you find one with these buttons and line between them, you have almost a full strike or as close as possible. Full toes, full shield lines, and full head can be present and still not have the aforementioned sash buttons and line.

 

If you find one with full head, full toes, full shield lines and the sash buttons and line, you have a very special SLQ. They are few and far between.

 

As a side note, I think that some of the dies probably never had all the rivets on the shield or the striking pressure was not strong enough to bring them out. I have seen to many with all the toes and a full head and still not have all the rivets struck up. Makes one wonder if they were even on the die to start with.

 

 

[Hoot]

GREAT info 1946hamm! Thanks for your post and welcome to the boards!

 

Beautiful coin James!

 

Hoot

[Wihlborg]

Very nice coin James! It is clean and very well struck. I also agree with you about it's original unbroken "skin".

 

John

[Elcontador]

James,

 

I was looking into buying a FH 6 of this date. I chose the 19P, as it has the highest pop of the well-struck Type II, pre 1927 SLQs. Early P dates (1918-20) are often fully struck re outer shield and inner shield detail, and also have all rivets present (almost always, even on high end coins - excepting the 17P Type I - the first one below the sash is missing; often the first 3 below the sash are missing, even on supergrade coins).

 

I wound up getting a 29P in this grade for a lot less $. It's really hard to evaluate this coin from a scan (SLQs have IMO more intricate detail than any other 20th Century coin), but it seems that you're on the right track.

 

Hamm's comment re Miss Liberty's right leg is appropos; he knows his SLQs. You want to see those two buttons & gap on the upper part of Miss Liberty's right leg, see the gown fold below this area going across the leg, as well as detail on the knee. Grading services do not penalize a supergrade coin for lacking these elements, but I personally would not buy a supergrade SLQ w/o this detail.

 

You probably got this attractive coin at a reasonable discount from a FH of this date; I don't know the spread in this grade re FH & non-FH.

 

If you're looking at type, your best Type III coin strikewise is the 30P (and is also the most affordable). Re Type I, the 17P is the only one that is available at reasonable prices.

[XpipedreamR]

Wow, that's some seriously full head!