Oregon trail, any attempt to grade this ?

[leprecoin]

hi,

Im not familiar with this coin at all and "took the word" of the seller to be 65+

any advise before i submit this ?

 

 

[TomB]

This is based completely on your images, and the lighting, focus and depth of field play important roles in how I see this coin. Having said that, I don't think the coin is an MS65.

 

The Native American seems to have a potentially flattened area above his right quadriceps muscle. He is sculpted with a very powerful quadriceps, but there should be some discontinuation in the plane above this muscle group as you travel toward the hip. On this coin, there appears to be a flattened area at that point. This may be a sign of an AU58. Also, there look to be flyspecks all over the reverse (the side with the Native American) and this would limit the grade.

[MarkFeld]

Im not familiar with this coin at all and "took the word" of the seller to be 65+

Leprecoin, unless you knew the seller well AND had good reason to trust him, your statement above contained what should have been two mutually exclusive pieces of information in it. If you were "not familiar with the coin at all", why take the word of a seller selling an uncertified coin? The odds are usually dramatically against a buyer in such situations.

 

I am unable to grade the coin based upon your images, though it does appear that there is a bit of friction on the upper right leg (to the viewer's left) of the Native American, as TomB. mentioned. While many coins of this type display flatness at that area, that, in itself, should preclude a grade higher than MS65 and it would not surprise me if the coin graded MS64 or lower.

[Bruceswar]

that is a real winner... from the pictures it seems like nice luster and minimal hits if any.... The thing I am curious about is the small spots on the front.. Also the oxen on the back.... but this is all from the pictures... and as tom mentioned mabye alittle flat on the Native american

 

Here is my 1926 in MS66

 

 

 

On the front those lines you see are not on the coin(one on the arm and one on the legs)... Not sure where they came from.... Now this picture is an ok representation but the strike is better in person.

[jom]

Leprecoin, unless you knew the seller well AND had good reason to trust him, your statement above contained what should have been two mutually exclusive pieces of information in it. If you were "not familiar with the coin at all", why take the word of a seller selling an uncertified coin?

 

Leprecoin: You should heed these words. Don't forget to listen to that little voice in your head saying "you buy this, you'll get screwed". I've ignored it too many times in the past....unfortunately.

 

I would also avoid buying coins you are "not familiar with at all". With due respect to Mark, even if the coin WERE certified that doesn't mean you got a good coin. You have to spend more TIME (rather than your hard earned MONEY) learning about the coins you buy BEFORE you buy them.

 

jom

[leprecoin]

I hear you guys,

but you know the feeling when you get hooked and the blood start rushing...

and before you know what happen, you get a bill in your email box

 

what i find funny is that its flat hand and hip was bothering me too, same as the spots without knowing a thing about this coin, also the shadow covering the face perfectlyand the guy leading the trail also some line on his chest which might be lint

they all just look "out of place"

but those weak stikes always confuse me,

I bet in the old days they would considered same as circulated but that is only assumption.

 

well, when i'll get it in my hands I'll scan and post it much bigger

[EZ_E]

re: what i find funny is that its flat hand and hip was bothering me too, same as the spots without knowing a thing about this coin, also the shadow covering the face perfectlyand the guy leading the trail also some line on his chest which might be lint

they all just look "out of place"

 

Sounds like you have good "basic instincts". Develope these and it takes most of the mystery out of grading. Compare your example with the MS 66 image posted above and go from there. This will provide a good reference point with which you may judge your own.

 

Plus, since an MS 65 specimen demands a premium, then it makes little sense for a dealer to sell this raw if he was legit.

[jom]

I hear you guys,

but you know the feeling when you get hooked and the blood start rushing...

and before you know what happen, you get a bill in your email box

 

what i find funny is that its flat hand and hip was bothering me too, same as the spots without knowing a thing about this coin, also the shadow covering the face perfectlyand the guy leading the trail also some line on his chest which might be lint

 

Yes, I do know what you are talking about. That is the classic case of money burning a hold in your pocket.

 

Try this "tact" instead. Instead of worrying about the grade of the coin ask yourself whether you LIKE the coin. Is it nice? Would you really like to own it? That, IMO, should be the FIRST thing you ask yourself. What grade it is at this point is not really relevant. I just feel that most "newbies" tend to concentrate too much on grade and forget about what they LIKE. I know I did and given how hot the topic of "grading" is at these message boards I'm pretty sure others do to.

 

Once you figure you like the coin then find out how MUCH it'll cost. That will possibly change your mind whether you "like" the coin () BUT not until after you find out how much the seller wants will you then worry about the grade. I think you will agree this is the difficult part. You have to have a lot of experience to know how the PRICE a coin (ie grading). It is something that takes a long time to learn and you need to look at a lot of coins to know what a coin should and should not look like. It's tough but after a while you'll get used to it.

 

Then you get interested in another series and you start all over again.

 

jom

[EZ_E]

Great points, Jom.

 

A great rule of thumb that I go by is the following:

 

Does the coin appeal to you during the first ten seconds that you view the coin or do you feel like you have to justify the coin to yourself. Well, it's an ok coin but... If for any reason you have to justify the buy then, most likely, you should pass because chances are you won't change your mind further on down the road.

[jom]

Does the coin appeal to you during the first ten seconds that you view the coin or do you feel like you have to justify the coin to yourself. Well, it's an ok coin but... If for any reason you have to justify the buy then, most likely, you should pass because chances are you won't change your mind further on down the road.

 

That is VERY true. But when it comes to grading if I'm at a show and a coin jumps out at me sometimes I like to step away and come back later. I find that I grade poorly when I really like a coin because I'm anxious. If I come back later I find that I'm more objective in my grading. I realize if I step away I could lose the coin but overall I do better this way. I also realize dealers can't do this but they have different things to look for in coins than collectors do. Fortunately, I'm not a dealer. heh

 

jom

[leprecoin]

 

ask yourself whether you LIKE the coin. Is it nice? Would you really like to own it?

 

heres the tail...

I loved that oregon trail since first day i looked at him in a show, but was some $500 or so,

and when i have this amount togther, i'll go $10 indian head :-)

 

this.... I loved him $180 and got it for about $155

in few minuts of blue book I figure it could be ez just $75 :-)

 

but as long as its not cleaned (which i find extreemly hard if posibille at all to figure out of scan or picture) i'll be happy with it. :-)

 

even as another reminder of what not to do :-)

[Bruceswar]

funny you should say that it would be wierd to get a ms 65 raw.... I picked up my Ms 66 raw only a few years ago... and the best deal was I got it for $100.00 nice and full of luster.... bright white as well... the coin I posted is a stunner in person... in my opinion this coin is 1 hit away from Ms 67... Strike and luster are 100% to me... This is one that I will probably never part with as it would be extreamely hard to replace...

[jom]

Bruceswar: Did your coin grade at MS65 at a TPG?

 

My best raw find was a 1918-S Merc dime I bought from Stacks at a Long Beach show in the mid 90s. It eventually graded MS65.

 

 

jom

[Bruceswar]

I bought the coin raw from an dealer.. He was an older man and had it marked CHBU... and from the second I saw the coin... I knew I had to have it... so I bought it and had ANACS grade it... and it came back MS 66... What a sweet find