NGC Gave These Three New Jersey 1/2p The Same Grade. What Would Be Your Grades?

They all look uncirculated. The center coin is ds1, the right coin is ds2+ with the reverse die deteriorating and the left coin is ds2- with both the obverse and reverse dies deteriorating. Color variation can be due to planchet composition and differing environmental exposure.

My guess is MS64 Brown is what NGC gave the coins because, the first two coins, I don't see anything but a few very light hits. The third coin has a significant hit in the shield, but since you said they were all graded the same, I am guessing that NGC gave it a 64 Brown grade. I would have graded the third one at MS 63 Brown.

An interesting thread and thought experiment. Perhaps one or both of you could talk a little bit more about how you can tell that the dies were deteriorating and therefore the central design didn't fully strike up (as opposed to this being just light circulation wear). Thx in advance!

I am not that well versed about die states, so mainly relying on page 448 of the SHI (Siboni/Howes/Ish) "New Jesrey State Coppers" book. That is where the above die state example photo is from. In the prologue of the book, they state that in most cases where it was possible they had examined the coins they used for illustration in the book.

I am assuming that these three experts considered the high points of that particular variety and made a determination that the legends and letters around the rims would have also worn if the coin was in circulation. I assume that they discovered the same wear pattern on most of the coins, since a die wear, almost like a die crack, is like a finger-print of sort. While circulation wear is more random and affects a general area without Die Deterioration which can for example affect only the horse figure which must have been raised much higher in the new/fresh die than the rim lettering/details. As the die was used the horse figure started to wear and eventually the rim details/letterings became the highest point without any detectable circulation wear on them Just my assumptions

Yes, I also see if that way. The middle one (the best photo I could find because it's a 2004 auction) is certainly a ds1 obverse and a ds1 reverse.

The left coin seems like a ds2+, because of the pronounced die crack at 5pm that is also present on the reference book example middle and right coins. And it has a heavily worn off horse, along with a ds2 reverse.

The right coin does not exhibit the 5pm die crack that is attributed to the ds2 coins in the book, but it is certainly an advanced ds1+ as the horse looks like the horse in book's middle coin which is ds2. Or you may call it a ds2- ? (I am not that well versed in die states) And the reverse is a ds2 just like the left coin.

I wish the reference book would have shown the reverse of those three coins they used for the die state illustration.



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Ok thx for the explanation and helping me learn something today!