My Favorite Coin
1923-S

Owner Comments:

What a journey this coin has had. I bought it from Stacks in March 2012 as: "1923-S Standing Liberty Quarter. AU Details--Environmental Damage (PCGS)." I looked at the coin and said "I just don't see the damage, but I do see a full head." I bid up to $1,375.00 for this poor misunderstood and problem coin and, voila, I took it home. I then cracked the coin out of the PCGS holder and CAREFULLY conserved it. About a year later, at Long Beach I took it to PCGS and show graded it (because NGC had no at show grading). It came back in a PCGS AU-58 FH. I was quite pleased with myself but as the war between NGC and PCGS got going I decided to cross it to NGC. So, at the 2015 FUN show I decided to wait in line to "Ask the Expert" (Mark Salzberg) who opined that the coin should not be in an AU holder. I told him that a 60 something without full head was a loss to me, as I cared more about the FH designation than the grade. He said it was clearly a full head and he wrote on the holder MS-61 FH and signed his name, I asked, meekly, if the coin might still come back in a "details" or non-FH holder? Salzberg patiently explained that what he wrote would be the grade period, he is the final word a NGC. I must say he was kind and respectful and his passion care for the hobby came through clearly. So the journey for this coin has been:...Raw to PCGS AU details environmental damage... to PCGS AU-58 FH and finally thanks to Mr Salzberg... it rests for good in an NGC MS-61 FH. The pictures are here you be the judge...