Owner Comments:
Wow, what a tough issue! Most MS survivors are poorly struck or dull and muted in luster. This coin is pearly & silver with great cartwheel luster and frostiness. Needle-sharp strike on the thumb, fingers, knuckles and with fully delineated branch stems. The skirtlines are 99% full and each and every one is individually delineated with just some overall softness apparent---this is really the best that you will normally ever hope for with this issue! Full head, breast feathers and trailing leg on the reverse. No friction ANYWHERE or any marks on the obverse right facing breast of Miss Liberty. Also, the right facing field above the motto is VERY creamy and unblemished and there are NO hairlines, whatsoever. PQ Walker all the way with just a touch of magenta red on the reverse.
The S mint mark was placed on the obverse in the first part of the production year and later moved to the reverse as with the 1917-D issues. Luster is the same type of satin finish found on the 1916 issues. Common areas of weakness are Liberty’s hand and the eagle’s breast. Sliders are prevalent and are sometimes sold as mint state. Investors and beginning numismatists should verify grading and authentication through a knowledgeable source. MANY fakes are also known, usually by adding an S to a 1917 P coin. By 1947, at the conclusion on the Walker series production run, this issue was known as the 'King' of mint state Walkers. At the time, it was worth twice as much as the then next rarest date--the 1919-S.
Some pieces are known to have a wider than average rim. This was believed to have occurred during the first strikes on some dies and is considered a diagnostic for very early strikes.
Important varieties:
V 101 – Die cracks from top and bottom of S
Mintage is only 952,000 pieces. Population at NGC-73/29 & at PCGS-97/31. 170 total MS 64 survivors with just 60 higher graded examples. Today it is ranked 6th in overall MS rarity and is VERY RARE in grades above MS 63.