Grading a coin

[jimzz977]

I found my first merc ever yesterday and it's in super condition, should I have it graded

 

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[bigfoot1]

grading it will cost you many times its value.when in doubt go to ebay,look up your coin and study carefully the graded examples against yours.tiny nicks count BIG.The condition of the edge..BIG.$85 bucks is about avg.cost and will be RARELY worth it.Needs to be a real key date/mint and rare to be considered.

 

[Skippy SH13]

Just put it in a coin flip and mark it MS70. All my coins are MS70. I have an amazing collection. Some of them you really have to look close to see the detail (like some of the dates are worn away), but they're MS70 if you look close enough.

Ok... I'm just being silly. some of them are clearly MS68.

LOL

Grading is expensive, as others have noted. You've got a great coin there. personally, I'd mark that as Fine/Extra Fine Details on the Coin flip.

Cheers,

Skippy

 

[Mackaydon]

Another potential problem are what appear to be many scratch marks on the reverse, as if it had been cleaned with a Brillo pad.
Even if it were judged MS-60 (doubtful), the cost to authenticate would be greater than its value--IMO.
My comments notwithstanding, congrats on finding your first merc !!
Don..

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'd give you an EF45 with some toning and scratches on the reverse. But grading from an image is iffy and could go either way.

How To Grade Mercury Dimes Photo Grade Comparison Images

 

[jimzz977]

I cleaned it with baking soda and warm water,wrong should I left alone

 

[Mackaydon]

Yes, baking soda is probably the abrasive that created the scratch marks; best not to use it again on coins--at least not rub with it--though it can be used in an electrolysis cleaning technique.
Don.....

 

[Skippy SH13]

I cleaned it with baking soda and warm water,wrong should I left alone

Yep, at this point, if you tried to have it graded, the best you could hope for is an "improperly cleaned" with a details grading.



BUT... If you planned on keeping it anyway, who cares! Enjoy the fantastic coin. I like to look at my coins to enjoy the details under magnification. They're very cool. I've cleaned several with baking soda, because I like the white look of the silver, too. I know it destroyed the "collector" value, but I did it because it's MY coin, and that's how I wanted to enjoy it.

It's a lot like owning a car. Some people get a classic to drive, others to pamper, and others just to look at. Some folks will buy them, stick them in a warehouse and look at them every few years.

Same thing with coins. Find what YOU enjoy and love it.

I think your coin looks great after you cleaned it, and don't think you should be worried about the damage. Enjoy the great find.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

BUT... If you planned on keeping it anyway, who cares! Enjoy the fantastic coin.

What he said. I used to have a good relationship with the local coin dealer until I mentioned I used a metal detector. I might as well have told him I had the bubonic plague and was a werewolf. From that moment on all of my coins were "artificially toned" or "damaged by cleaning" whether they were from my Father's old collection or not.

Once I verify a coin is not a key date I don't hesitate to clean it . . . somewhat carefully. But if it's silver I put it in my find pouch separately and soak it before I grind it all up with my thumb looking for a date. It's like finding silver twice!

And I have not sold any of my (few) found silver coins. Maybe someday and maybe if one was a real doozy.

They are yours now. Do what pleases you. Just be aware that it only takes one rub to chop $3,000 off the value of a 1916-D Merc.


There is a better way to clean with baking soda. Mix a spoon full of baking soda, 1/4 spoon of table salt and a cup of hot water (coffee temperature). Put aluminum foil in the bottom of a bowl, add the water mixture and place the coin in for an hour. Remove the coin(s) and BLOT DRY with a clean cotton cloth - like a T-shirt.

Before the above cleaning I usually soak a coin first in water with a few drops of detergent and then CAREFULLY use a damp toothpick to remove the crud.

 

[Sandman]

We find coins for the thrill of just finding them. Doesn't matter the grade unless your doing it hoping for a profit. Course key dates are a different animal and might be worth the cost of grading, but rarely. Just enjoy the find and knowing you have it for your collection.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Here's a for instance: this coin was open to the air and in the back of a desk. When I found it had some dust and was sticky to the touch, so I used light detergent and a Q-tip. When I showed it to the dealer (not offered for sale - just for an opinion) he said "artificially toned and cleaned". Both true, I suppose, but I still think it's a neat coin (the tone has many colors in it - like an oil slick).

 

[WhiteTornado]

Here's a for instance: this coin was open to the air and in the back of a desk. When I found it had some dust and was sticky to the touch, so I used light detergent and a Q-tip. When I showed it to the dealer (not offered for sale - just for an opinion) he said "artificially toned and cleaned". Both true, I suppose, but I still think it's a neat coin (the tone has many colors in it - like an oil slick).

View attachment 1206041

Great looking Barber.

 

[blackboxdetector]

Dug coins and Grading Them

Great looking Barber.

Here is the deal about grading dug coins. PCGS just recently graded the Saddle Ridge Hoard and none were graded poorly...environmental damage, cleaned, or whatever. Now how can they grade those gold coins that came out of rusty cans with dirt in them. I have heard many people state that they submitted coins to them only to have them returned and with no grade because they were dug. Finding a dug coin is part of the circulation process because coins are dropped and retrieved by people everyday. This should be enough fuel for anyone who has submitted coins for grading and that were dug to say "you graded those coins, so why not mine", no matter how rare or not rare.