Well preserved Morgan dollars are leaders in demand. Some of the major qualities are preservation, scarcity, and denomination. Step 4: Special Qualities | Recognizing a Collectible CoinĬoins with special qualities add to collector appeal, market acceptance, and value. 🔎Value charts above link to each series and how to grade the specific coin. A conservative approach helps narrow value range. Details are imaged and described on each series page. Important: Grading condition is unique to each series. Major design elements are in outline form. Date and lettering are visible and bold however, an overall flatness describes the condition. Good Grade: The 1888 Indian penny is very worn. Defining the grade is moderate wear overall, small details faded and missing. Once small strands of hair above her forehead, have worn smooth and blended. Each series have points to judge when determining the difference between grades.įine Grade: Looking at the Morgan dollar, notice Liberty's hair detail. Next: Extremely Fine Grade: With a light amount of wear visible, a coin is no longer Mint State, the Grade is now defined as Extremely Fine. A coin remaining in the condition it left the mint. Images are used to compare your coin to grade examples helping judge condition and assign a grade.įirst coin, a 1937 Buffalo nickel, is in Mint State grade. Meeting certain metrics measuring the amount of wear puts coins in different classifications - grades. Grades define the condition of your coins. 🔎Value charts above link to each series identifying mintmarks and locations on coins. mint did not use mintmarks until 1980, now placing a 'P' mintmark on coinage. 'S' for San Francisco, 'CC' used by the Carson City mint, and an 'O' indicates the New Orleans mint struck the coin. Denver uses a 'D' mintmark, and on the Mercury dime, is placed on the reverse along the rim. Each branch mint is identified by their mintmark found within the design. Mintmarks indicate the mint striking the coin. A 'D' mintmark on a 1921 dime is even higher value. Low mintages indicates an elusive year of dime production. The 1921 Mercury dime is a scarce and desirable coin in any grade. Differences reflected on value charts indicates availability. Not all years of Mercury dimes saw ample mintages, elusive years are 19.

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