Care to guess the grade: 1907 Barber Dime 0

[leeg]

[J P M]

I would say it should be at least a 66 maybe a 66+ I think the ding would keep it from being more.

[Henri Charriere]

Care to guess? Don't mind if I do. I see where a skell placed a blade to Liberty's right neck, leaving evidence he was left-handed. There is no wear in the usual sense; a suggestion of contact of some kind both above and below ONE DIME is present.  (If there are any rim dings, the holder prongs have hidden them.) Absent the injury incurred during a hold-up, I would agree with J P M: MS-66.  (I apologize for clumsily pulling the tab on the Pepsi, without turning.)  On balance, it would warm the cockles of my heart if the coin graded higher, but if and when it comes time to sell, your strong suit will be evidence of a strong strike and eye appeal.  [If you tap the obverse twice, the header will read, "Eye Appealing Coins," and "content.invisionoic.com" I've no clue what that means but what you have is evidently special.] My heart, with misgivings, says MS-66 only because there is so little tolerance for surface disturbances in finer grades. Anything less would be vindictive.

Edited February 25 by Henri Charriere
Routine die polishing.

[zadok]

...63....

[Sandon]

   Although it can be very difficult to grade uncirculated coins through photos, I would estimate the numerical grade of this 1907 Barber dime as MS 62.  I note a considerable number of hairline scratches on the obverse, possibly from the movement of an album slide.  It is possible that the graders added an additional point for the toning, but I would not.

[RonnieR131]

I say 63, which automatically means 62 or 64, 65,66. I'm never correct. 

[GoldFinger1969]

Not sure if toned is worth as much in the Barber series as it is with MSDs.....I'll go with MS-66.

[7.jaguars]

I will also bite at 63. There are die prep lines in the obverse fields and even bust but also some hits on the obverse; the reverse appears to distinctly lack lustre. There are some actual dings in key areas on the obverse such as at the base of the ear and at angle of jaw as well as the upper cheek bone to left. On a larger coin, it would IMHO ding the grade somewhat more..

[RWB]

AU-58 based on field disturbance and slight abrasion (cause is irrelevant). Also, I like the large hand-made "O" mintmark -- nice touch.

[Just Bob]

62

[ldhair]

58

[Coinbuf]

AU58, I'm waffling on a details for an obv wipe but will stick with a straight grade.

[Henri Charriere]

On 2/25/2024 at 12:05 PM, Sandon said:

.... It is possible that the graders added an additional point for the toning, but I would not.

Nyet! Nyet! Learned colleague!  Toning, per se, is not one of the five (5) variables which may lawfully be considered by any TPGS in assigning a grade.  1. STRIKE, 2. PRESERVATION, 3. LUSTER, 4. COLOR, and 5. ATTRACTIVENESS (Eye Appeal).  Full stop!   🐓 

[Rod D.]

64+
Nice coin, awesome toning. 

[Sandon]

On 2/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, Henri Charriere said:

5. ATTRACTIVENESS (Eye Appeal). 

   Toning that is considered "enhancing" or "attractive" is part of this nebulous factor as considered by the grading services, as I understand it.  

[powermad5000]

Since you asked, I'll throw my vote in the hat.

AU 55.

Edited February 25 by powermad5000

[Henri Charriere]

[ @VKurtB Et tu, Brute? ]  🤣

[VKurtB]

On 2/25/2024 at 4:12 PM, Henri Charriere said:

[ @VKurtB Et tu, Brute? ]  🤣

I am terrible at grading Barber dimes. This one has some nasty dings but the surfaces are otherwise nice. I think anyone under 60 is kidding themselves. 

[Henri Charriere]

In the future, I would like to see a distinction made between wear due to circulation -- I refuse to believe this coin has seen circulation, much less was rescued from it -- and cabinet friction due to inter-steward transfers.  The coin is over a hundred years old.  

Att:  @VKurtB :  I am curious to know what our German counterparts would use to eliminate, or otherwise abate, such toning on coins.

I cannot help but feel the OP is quite amused at finding out who the real movers and shakers in grading are on this Forum.  🤣

[VKurtB]

On 2/25/2024 at 5:58 PM, Henri Charriere said:

Att:  @VKurtB :  I am curious to know what our German counterparts would use to eliminate, or otherwise abate, such toning on coins.

There is a plethora of photo chemicals from Agfa-Gevaert of Leverkusen, Deutschland that would take down that toning. And NOT ALL OF THEM (contrary to often stated herein incorrect opinions and statements) contain harmful acids like hydrochloric. Yes, that damnable numismatic product EZest does, but people who are not limited to chemicals sold by coin dealers know there are faaaaar gentler options. Ya’ gotz ta know yo’ stuff. 
 

Traditional monochrome photography is based on silver and its compounds. 
 

Edited February 26 by VKurtB

[Henri Charriere]

I am going to guess, the OP, like me and a lot of other seasoned veterans, would not dare interfere with an aging process that has imparted to his coin, a nice bit of character.  

[powermad5000]

When do we get the grade reveal from the OP??

[GoldFinger1969]

On 2/25/2024 at 4:39 PM, Henri Charriere said:

Nyet! Nyet! Learned colleague!  Toning, per se, is not one of the five (5) variables which may lawfully be considered by any TPGS in assigning a grade.  1. STRIKE, 2. PRESERVATION, 3. LUSTER, 4. COLOR, and 5. ATTRACTIVENESS (Eye Appeal).  Full stop!   🐓 

But they all, even CAC/CACG, do take it into account via either market or net grading.  Maybe not on all coins, but on some.

[leeg]

[Henri Charriere]

On 2/25/2024 at 5:36 PM, VKurtB said:

.... I think anyone under 60 is kidding themselves. 

If anyone asks, simply tell them you meant the age of 60, not the grade. 

[Henri Charriere]

On 2/26/2024 at 6:48 AM, leeg said:

Any lower and we'd've had people say, Well, it's certainly better than an XF. RIDICULOUS!  One day, there'll be an article written about this.  I maintain the coin was never circulated.  It was simply examined (handled) by a succession of people, some of whom mishandled it. Minus the scar, none of the "aggravating" factors disqualifies the coin from Mint State consideration. "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."  

[J P M]

I thought for sure the toning was going to push this one high. Ya never know, 

[Sandon]

   This topic exemplifies why it is necessary to examine coins in-hand to grade them.  I noticed that the hair detail didn't seem quite full and there was slight flatness on the highest leaves on the reverse, but that is often the case on circulation strike Barber dimes.  It wasn't possible to determine whether the coin had actual "rub" or loss of detail from a single set of photos taken head on, and I have often seen the top-tier grading services give lower mint state grades to coins with noticeable "rub". Those who responded gave a range of grades from AU 58 to MS 66, with one suggesting that the coin had been "details" graded due to the hairlines or "slide marks" that I noted. No one got it "right."

    Here are the Stacks Bowers photos of a 1913 Barber dime in my collection that PCGS graded MS 64, with a noticeable mark or scratch and surrounding area of disturbance on Liberty's cheek. Liberty's hair doesn't seem very well defined either.  When actually viewed in hand, however, the disturbed area on the cheek is only noticeable at a certain angle and doesn't look as bad even then.  The hair has full luster with no "rub".

 

 

[RWB]

The cheek has "rub" making the coin AU.

Tilting and turning a coin to show all of its surface is a standard grading technique. That the wear is clearly visible (and photographable) at any angle proves the coin is NOT Uncirculated. (If there were real standards, grading this "MS-64" and selling it as such would be fraud. But with no standards it's just an expensive, false opinion.)

Edited February 26 by RWB

[GoldFinger1969]

Sandon, how can you tell that the Barber -- or any coin for that matter -- has FULL luster ?

I can see full luster on coins that have it...I can see NO luster...but I have trouble seeing "luster breaks."