Post Your Best 2017 P Lincoln Cent

[TJ1952]

So I've been searching circulated 2017 P's for the past several months looking for clashes, cracks, chips, struck thru's, varieties, doubling, etc.. With not much luck BTW. Philly must be doing better with their quality control.

The vast majority of what I see has the infamous carbon spots. Sooooo I decided to keep an eye open for clean (free of carbon spots), no hits/bag mark and the coins with clean field. Basically, PMD free and pristine... Also, not easy from where I sit. Actually, after a while the carbon free coins start to jump out at you. However, they inevitably have bag marks and hits. I see some nice pristine 17 P's with no hits and clean fields but they're loaded with carbon spots, go figure.


Just wondering what others are seeing and finding. Here are a few of the best ones I've found. They are not totally pristine or MS70's, you will see some bag marks. Keep in mind, I'm not a grader.

[VAB2013]

Very nice 2017P's Tom! I'm not seeing any spots on these, just a few bag marks not bad though! Is the issue with grading more focused on the spots than the bag marks? Very good photos too! Tom, I have not seen hardly any 17P's. But this brick I'm searching right now has a bunch, like around 10 a roll. Now you've got me on a "no spot" search!! Thank you!!

[TJ1952]

Very nice 2017P's Tom! I'm not seeing any spots on these, just a few bag marks not bad though! Is the issue with grading more focused on the spots than the bag marks? Very good photos too! Tom, I have not seen hardly any 17P's. But this brick I'm searching right now has a bunch, like around 10 a roll. Now you've got me on a "no spot" search!! Thank you!!

Thanks Viv! I think bag marks and hits on the coins are much worse and effect the grade more then the carbon spots would. But I'm not 100% sure. If I was a grader, the spots (in my opinion) would take away from the eye appeal of the coin and degrade it.

What are the main things you're looking for in your searches? Mostly Doubling?

BTW: It looks like the first rev. and the second rev. in my post are the same coins. I'll have to go back and check the photos.

[VAB2013]

Thanks Viv! I think bag marks and hits on the coins are much worse and effect the grade more then the carbon spots would. But I'm not 100% sure. If I was a grader, the spots (in my opinion) would take away from the eye appeal of the coin and degrade it.

What are the main things you're looking for in your searches? Mostly Doubling?

BTW: It looks like the first rev. and the second rev. in my post are the same coins. I'll have to go back and check the photos.

Not sure about grading, we'll see what the pros say. Seems like TPG's might be a bit more forgiving with bag marks though. Tom, I'm just looking for everything... So far, like you said, not seeing anything but I am seeing lots of spots and bag marks, so kudo's for finding these you have posted!

[TJ1952]

Tom, I'm just looking for everything... So far, like you said, not seeing anything but I am seeing lots of spots and bag marks,

Thanks for the feedback!

[VAB2013]

You are welcome Tom! Enjoy our conversations! If I find a good one, you know I'll give you a shout on here! Looking forward to what the grading pros have to add!

[jfines69]

I'm no grader either but those are nice looking... I look for every thing when searching... Conspiracy theory time I think the mints are not producing any DDs this year... Trying to drive the anticipation for next year when most likely Denver will produce a DD

[GrumpyEd]

Those are nice, the only issue I see is that the rims have some marks. In reality, it would take awesome pics to tell within the highest grades.

On top of that even the TPGs probably won't grade the same coin the same so in the end the value when selling is "the holder and grade that it's in". And sure, ignore the holders if you only want nice coins but if you want money coins then the holder grade and TPG means everything. Search ebay, you'll find tons of 69-70 memorials. In the end the money is based on being in the holder, so many mistakes are that people think one TPGs 69-70 has the value of another. I'm really not biased, I love ANACs for varieties and respect their grades within reason but I certainly do not think values based on grades match PCGS or NGC to the point that ANACs to me has no value +/- a few grades on a common coin of an NGC or PCGS slab. The key thing about price guides are that they are based on the TPG that made the guide.

Hard to say what I'm saying, but you can buy tons of 68-69 memorials in slabs. When selling, they might sell for less than the slabs.

I think PCGS has graded 2 memorials (non PF) as MS 70. One was (I think) a 2003 that later they bought back when it grew a spot. The other was (I think) a 2005 but it might be a satin finish mint set coin. So maybe there is no normal MS70 PCGS memorial? Look it up to find the latest, I haven't tracked it in years. My point is, a 70 is rare because there aren't many or any.

I think there is only one PCGS MS69 wheat cent and no MS70.

Sure, there are nice coins in other slabs but to get money it matters what slab they are in. Go by recent sales in the same slab to est prices.

And again, if you had that MS70 memorial or that MS69 wheat and sent it back in raw, it may not grade the same.

I'm not knocking the TPGs, just explaining why high grade coins are a specialty, collecting nice coins is something else. They have commonalities but aren't the same.

Back to the coins in the thread, they are nice. Also, if you get some mint set coins they might be very nice, less marks.
Not all mint sets are nice but if you look you'll find some nice ones but not necessarily get rich.

[TJ1952]

I'm no grader either but those are nice looking... I look for every thing when searching... Conspiracy theory time I think the mints are not producing any DDs this year... Trying to drive the anticipation for next year when most likely Denver will produce a DD

I'm just guessing but I'm thinking the Philly quality control folks have been thru some re-training lately. There are probably a hand full of Mint employees dedicated to monitoring all these different coin forums. No question in my mind, notable highlights are probably put in their Monday morning 0730 powerpoint briefings.

[TJ1952]

Those are nice, the only issue I see is that the rims have some marks. In reality, it would take awesome pics to tell within the highest grades.

On top of that even the TPGs probably won't grade the same coin the same so in the end the value when selling is "the holder and grade that it's in". And sure, ignore the holders if you only want nice coins but if you want money coins then the holder grade and TPG means everything. Search ebay, you'll find tons of 69-70 memorials. In the end the money is based on being in the holder, so many mistakes are that people think one TPGs 69-70 has the value of another. I'm really not biased, I love ANACs for varieties and respect their grades within reason but I certainly do not think values based on grades match PCGS or NGC to the point that ANACs to me has no value +/- a few grades on a common coin of an NGC or PCGS slab. The key thing about price guides are that they are based on the TPG that made the guide.

Hard to say what I'm saying, but you can buy tons of 68-69 memorials in slabs. When selling, they might sell for less than the slabs.

I think PCGS has graded 2 memorials (non PF) as MS 70. One was (I think) a 2003 that later they bought back when it grew a spot. The other was (I think) a 2005 but it might be a satin finish mint set coin. So maybe there is no normal MS70 PCGS memorial? Look it up to find the latest, I haven't tracked it in years. My point is, a 70 is rare because there aren't many or any.

I think there is only one PCGS MS69 wheat cent and no MS70.

Sure, there are nice coins in other slabs but to get money it matters what slab they are in. Go by recent sales in the same slab to est prices.

And again, if you had that MS70 memorial or that MS69 wheat and sent it back in raw, it may not grade the same.

I'm not knocking the TPGs, just explaining why high grade coins are a specialty, collecting nice coins is something else. They have commonalities but aren't the same.

Back to the coins in the thread, they are nice. Also, if you get some mint set coins they might be very nice, less marks.
Not all mint sets are nice but if you look you'll find some nice ones but not necessarily get rich.

Thanks for that feedback and reality check. You confirmed my thoughts. I'm sure we would all like to hit the lottery with this coin stuff we do here. My guess is we all would have starved long ago if we used this hobby as an investment tool, (well me anyway). Although I'm sure there are more then a handful of individuals here that have made the numismatic field their career.