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The focus of grading on the obverse is on the high points of the hair and in the front of the ear. Also check the hair along the face, cheek and neckline. The feathers should also be checked for wear. On the reverse, check the diagonal bands of the fasces. Check the vertical lines and detail in the branches.
Winged Liberty Head Obverse - Very Fine
This 1941-P sample shows the high points of the coin nicely since the tarnish and dirt are worn off the high points. Notice the wear on the hair along the face, cheek and neckline. The feathers are weak but have nearly full detail towards the back. There are flat spots on the edge of the wing in front, on top and below the ear. The lack of detail in the hair and wings prevents this coin from grading better then a Very Fine grade.
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Winged Liberty Head Reverse - Very Fine
The reverse shows wear on the two diagonal bands. The fact that it appears as one band may be an indication of a weak strike and not necessarily wear. The top and bottom bands have worn together, although they show the slightest amount of separation on the outside of the bands. All vertical lines are sharp. All details in the branch are clear but the branch and leave are worn flat. Take note of the blade on the axe. It has worn smooth and lost some of the detail seen in better grades.
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Winged Liberty Head Dime Obverse - BU
On this 1941-P BU, check for sings of abrasion on the high points of the hair and in front of the ear. The detail in the hair is well defined and shows no sign of wear. Take notice of the detail on the wings towards the front of the head. The feathers show clearly and the edge of the wing is well defined in front and towards the back. There is a minor nick on the chin of Liberty. Minor nicks and abrasions are not uncommon on BU grades.
Winged Liberty Head Dime Reverse - BU
On the reverse of a BU, check the diagonal bands on fasces for wear. Notice that the center band is not fully split. This is not due to wear as much as a weak strike. This detail is usually lost on most coins. The top bands are well separated and the bottom shows weak separation towards the middle. The leaves and branches are well detailed and show no signs of wear. You should notice a rim on the blade of the axe.
The toughest detail on the coin is the two bands across the middle of the fasces. The design shows two ribbons tying the rods together. This detail is usually lost in most strikes.
It may be a bit hard to see, but the top image shows a typical band with no separation. The bottom has a decent split band. It's stronger on the right side and just a bit weak on the left. It's not what I would consider a full split band, however.
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