Pennies

[craigy]

what would this grade as in peoples opinions ?   is it natural colour or cleaned, hopefully you can work out what are scratches on the case and not the coin 

Edited November 1, 2017 by craigy

[UPINSMOKE]

I would say it is Almost UNC nice coin

[zookeeperz]

58 minutes ago, UPINSMOKE said:

I would say it is Almost UNC nice coin

CGS would grade it 65 no doubt 

[1949threepence]

I'd say a/UNC.

[craigy]

what about this one ?    the black lines on the obverse are not on the coin, 

[1949threepence]

EF for me, maybe GEF at a stretch. .

[craigy]

1 minute ago, 1949threepence said:

EF for me, maybe GEF at a stretch. .

 can i ask on what basis, not because i think your wrong but to help me understand grading, is it the lack of lustre ? i understand these were darkened at the mint ? 

[1949threepence]

3 hours ago, craigy said:

 can i ask on what basis, not because i think your wrong but to help me understand grading, is it the lack of lustre ? i understand these were darkened at the mint ? 

It's not so much the lack of lustre, it's actually to do with the wear. For a coin to be classed as UNC there has to be no detectable wear. In this case, there is light but obvious wear on Britannia's right leg, as well as in the topmost points of the KIng's hair. It's not much, but it is enough to take the coin down from UNC status, in my opinion. 

Compare it with your 1927, which is UNC, and you'll see the differences. 

       

[craigy]

8 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

It's not so much the lack of lustre, it's actually to do with the wear. For a coin to be classed as UNC there has to be no detectable wear. In this case, there is light but obvious wear on Britannia's right leg, as well as in the topmost points of the KIng's hair. It's not much, but it is enough to take the coin down from UNC status, in my opinion. 

Compare it with your 1927, which is UNC, and you'll see the differences. 

       

so there is such a fine line between the grades,   the busts on george V aren't that great at the best of times,    i can see the slight differences, just knowing what the starting point is

 

[secret santa]

If you haven't got it, buy "The Standard Guide To Grading British Coins" (from Predecimal). It nicely describes and illustrates the grades (states of wear) on all the major obverses and reverses. Every design has its high point of relief which shows wear first, and on George V obverses it's around the eye and top of ear which wears first, reducing it to EF as in your 1934 penny.