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I seem to have a depth-perception problem. I was running through some foreign coins and found this 1932 5iver. I copied the description graphic below from the Saskatoon Coin Club. Any thoughts?

Excellent points. I agree: we here on these Forums are certainly SERIOUS or ACTIVE collectors. Most people might fall into the LAPSED or INACTIVE categories.

Probably less of a concern now with CACG but there are lots of stories about this in the affirmative. I'll leave it to the vets here to discuss.

Possible strike threw on obverse, rotated obverse/reverse, Possible broad struck.

Excellent post, and fun to read! I agree with the majority of the advice, and it is very well presented. I would offer 2 observations though, newbie that I am. Most of the more experienced posters of this...or any, really...forum, may want to skip these observations though, as the following statements are facts most will prefer not to admit. Not as condusive to their ego health as lightly masked patronization via charity answers they could be giving out instead. Observation 1: The use of the term "Pros" in forums here should not be assumed to mean professionals. What it means is that there are individuals whom have invested enough time and generated and continue to generate volumes of experience, whether towards general knowledge or through niche specializations that most of us have never even heard of, that when time permits may be willing to offer relevant information from their knowledge and/or experience as it applies to the photos and questions that newbie members post to forum chat when seeking answers. Giving answers to such questions without requiring compensation redefines those who answer as hobbyists, charity providers, and on VERY rare occasions, Sadists. So any newbie should construct their post in such a manner as to attract an answer from whichever of those 3 types previously defined as "pros" that will likely reply/comment/answer. Observation 2: Time is precious, most of us understand this on some level. So anyone that takes time to answer any newbie post, should be appreciated whether it be Welcome! Congratulations! Or I'm sorry, but that is PSD! What I failed to mention in Observation 1, is that a hobbyist, charity provider, and yes even a sadist (actually very likely a sadist!) Can all be highly knowledgeable experts that have forgotten more about numismatics than...no, that is b.s. because they are usually sharp as tacks and rarely forget anything, remembering even the most obscure facts that have seemingly no actual purpose other than to remain known by someone! Plus many possess the ability to discern variances in details paired with knowledge through experience of where to even look for such variances. Or have established relationships with others who specialize in such things. These are some of the people answering questions, the people us newbies came to hear from, so we should accept the answer, not waste time that could be better spent searching for another REAL rarity! Right? Ummm, about that. I honestly don't know anyone here. Likely my post was my first, and I am not sure what your 5876 other posts over the last 14 years were about, so please do not take offense when you tell me my coin is Post Strike Damage and I inquire how you have discerned this and point out elements of the perceived damage that I feel strongly, whether actually right or not, could have only happened in a striking event at the mint. What is happening here is common sense, I want to perceive my coin as having added value, just like nearly every other post that you see x-times a day. Much uninformed thought, lacking from actual experiences or knowledge of the minting processes, has gone into this before my actual posting. So the typical responses of PSD and general refusal to take the extra time to explain how you came to the conclusion through education and even personal experiences similar to mine that helped you recognize common PSD mistaken for rare errors. THAT is an answer with true value. If they refuse to believe still, we'll, you did your part, and they will one day find that out the hard way just like you did. Saying PSD, then following up with because I said so, why ask experts if you won't listen? "Because I said so" didn't fly when I was a kid and asked why something was some way. That is the answer that the sadist gives the newbie. Hopefully, some of that made sense to someone. Would be nice to actually get that answer that explains how experience and research identified my coin as the real deal some day, until then though, showing you know your stuff in your answers could go a long way in helping newbies like myself. Heck, might even have to retract my statement about "Pros" on here if that happened! Happy hunting everyone! Sorry so long winded, it's my first post and I had a bit to say!

lol, end of conversation thanks anyways.

The onus isn't on us to explain why your perfectly ordinary looking 1964 Kennedy half dollar isn't one of the so-called (and misnamed) 1964 "SMS" coins. You're the one who is claiming that it is one, so the burden is on you to make a credible case that it is. Should you make such a case, then we might have something worthy of discussion. I assume that you would have carefully studied the available literature and photos regarding these extremely rare and controversial pieces before claiming that you have one. What characteristics does it have that distinguishes it from ordinary circulation strike pieces (over 273 million minted), and from what if any special provenance did it come that would support a position that it could be one of these purported special strikes? You have now claimed to have found three different extremely rare coins. What part of EXTREMELY RARE don't you understand?

I have a hard time with the answer to this question being what do we define as a collector? Is not someone who bought a Whitman album when the statehood quarters were released and filled such said album as they were released, now having a full statehood quarter album not a collector even if they have collected no other coins? I think they would be considered a "casual" collector. It would be difficult to pin down a number on these people as they will never submit a single coin to a TPG, nor will they ever attend a coin show, but by technical definition are still a collector. You also have amateur collectors, experienced collectors, and advanced collectors. These would comprise a number that could possibly be pinned down through submissions (but not all collectors submit and I am sure there are still many collectors with extensive collections that are raw). I would say there is a high percentage of casual collectors which outnumber greatly the amateur, experienced, and advanced combined. To me, it would be impossible to accurately assign a specific number to the posted question.

None of the responses explain anything at all why you think it’s not.

I keep seeing a variation of this message on Twitter: “If I submit to TPG it comes back a MS63, but if a big dealer sends the same coin in it gets a 64 or 65.” Is there anything to this?

Explain what details does a Special Strike have that this coin doesn’t have. Please explain what details a special strike have vz business strike.

Back to the question at hand and topic of this thread, I will throw out a different tack. I put this back at 1960. By 1960, the cent had firmly established mintage numbers in the billions and combined P and D nickels, dimes, and quarters were all in the hundreds of millions. Even the Franklin half was in the tens of millions combined P and D. To me this puts numbers so high that basically anyone could have a great specimen of each denomination and obtained at face value, thus where I think I would call it the beginning of the era of moderns.

Yes. It is bad. NEVER clean your coins! Also understand that while you may have received a coin, any coin can be cleaned and any coin with a number of decades of circulation has a chance of it being cleaned long before you obtained it. I personally don't think the coin in this thread was cleaned. The copper plating doesn't necessarily turn chocolate brown all at once.

You all have been very helpful and informative. I appreciate all the info. I never realized there was so much involving coins.

Stick around here. You will learn a lot! I enjoy learning here.

It is quite relevant. Once a coin has achieved MS status, it is considered as not having any wear. MS is where the number of bag marks, scratches, hits, and other imperfections are scrutinized and counted. And it also depends on the series once again. Take Morgan dollars for example. There are none graded MS 70. There is a few dozen or so graded MS 69. There is a few hundred or so graded at MS 68. For most collectors MS 67 is all they will be able to afford to collect and at that grade level they are fantastic. MS 66 of any coin will be only a few minor scratches and MS 67 will maybe only have two very minor imperfections or typically only one. MS 68 will probably not have any visible imperfections in the fields or main details with a small scratch hiding somewhere on the coin and literally comes down to the quality of the strike (and I am sure some will say mint luster). ALL grading has to take into account the entire coin. That is the obverse, reverse, details, fields, and the rim and edge. A coin with a reeded edge with a crushed reed should appropriately get lowered a grade point. Rim dings must be taken into account as coins with significant rim dings or dents in the rim or edge can end up with a Details grade for Rim Damage. When I am self grading coins, I always try to keep in mind all the things that earn a coin a Details grade. Mostly because I try to avoid buying impaired specimens, but it helps me to check all aspects of the coin including the rims and edge. Not an exhaustive list, but a list of the more common issues that get a coin Details graded are whizzed, polished, wheel mark, rim damage, bent, scratched, corrosion, cleaned, spot removed, environmental damage, repaired, tooled, holed, altered color, and less common would be mount removed. Plated and altered surface will get returned in a body bag along with authenticity unverifiable or not genuine (counterfeit). When self grading any coin, everything is important and everything needs to be taken into consideration.

Wrong. It IS an ordinary business strike, and not a particularly good one.

For the record the photo on the left is me. Yes I'm a cat and I know more about coins than you do.

I see you knew my father, the man with an 8th grade education.

Because it is NOT in my plan to get ANY of my shillings handled by a TPGS (heck, I’ve DE-slabbed three), I am not working on gemmy coins, but rather coins as I prefer them, which is long on detail and luster, while tolerating a nick or three. See? My disdain for “technical grading” is complete and utter.

Can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Baptist church.

Hold-on-wait-a-minute... Surely, you are not suggesting these CIRCULATION STRIKE coins bear any resemblance, however remote, to the absolutely gorgeous, well-defined, wll-struck example posted early on, entitled PCGS SP- 69? Without the courtesy of offering a view of the reverse, it is virtually impossible to pinpoint the precise location where the slight demerit demanding a 1-point deficit occurred. Now look at the very last example posted and, if I may, I should like to direct your kind attention to the aftermath of the barroom brawl which was recorded for posterity in the lower SE quadrant of the coin in the area between 64 of the date and WE TRUST. Sorry, no comparison. Parting shot: many may disagree, as is their prerogative, but you could not give me, free/gratis, and -69 coin. It reminds me of the father, a real taskmaster who, in reviewing his son's transcript, paused at the overall 3.98 GPA and, inquired of his son why it wasn't 4.00. To me a -70, with a professional opinion rendered by our Sandon, seals the deal. Anything less, to me, signals a suggestion of a flaw or defect of some kind. That is why I make the distinction, as others do, between "best" and "best possible." Expense must never acquiesce to sacrifice. That is why the names of the Blue Whales in our profession mean so much. 🐓

Even though debased coinage is USUALLY scarcer and often much scarcer than the coins they replace they usually sell for a small fraction of the price. Why would you think this is?