r/DentCoins

Welcome to Dent Coins. I'm Dustin Dent, and I'm glad you're here. Whether you just joined or you've been collecting for years, thank you for being part of this cabin. This is a place for honest photos, raw and undergraded coins, and collector-to-collector conversation. Your feedback is always appreciated. Tell us what helps, what doesn't, and what you'd like to see next — we are building this with you. Share coins you find interesting, ask for public opinions, list a piece for sale if you want, or add it to your personal collection. Glad to have you with us.

Collectors talk Poor-1 through Mint State-70. Circulated grades describe remaining detail; Mint State grades describe marks and luster. Phone photos of raw coins rarely justify a single number. That is why Dent publishes a range instead of a fake certificate.

Some collectors will buy raw only with obverse, reverse, and a date close-up. Others want a video. Some never buy keys raw. What is your personal rule set? Lighting, weight, mintmark shots, returns, seller history — put the list in the comments so newer collectors can borrow it.

Window light or a lamp at an angle beats harsh phone flash. Capture obverse, reverse, and a close-up of the date and mint. Show problems on purpose: scratches, spots, rim nicks. Buyers trust sellers who do not hide wear — especially on raw coins.

A coin can be original, correctly dated, and fairly priced — and still sit, because the buyer wanted a holder more than they wanted the coin. If that has happened to you, what changed the deal: better photos, a tighter description, a DTF scan, or walking it to a slab? Curious what actually moved the needle.

Grading fees can swallow the value of an everyday raw coin. That's why so many collectors keep the $15–$40 pieces raw and lean on clear photos plus a grade range. When do you still submit? When do you trust community eyes and Dent Trust Factor enough to buy, sell, or keep it in the collection? Share a recent example.

Hairlines, unnatural brightness, and dull gray fields are common tells that a raw coin was worked. Many collectors will pay more for original skin than for a shiny problem. If you suspect cleaning, say so in the listing. Honesty plus a DTF cleaning-risk flag protects both sides of the deal.

On Dent Coins, AI and collectors speak in ranges (for example AU50–MS62). Ranges communicate uncertainty. A PCGS or NGC holder is a separate product. Dent Trust Factor helps a raw deal start honest. It is not a guarantee of value and not professional certification.

It's often easy to spot problem coins in hand — cleaning, scratches, environmental damage, sketchy details. But a lot of buyers still won't touch a raw piece without a slab, even when the photos are honest. Here on Dent Coins we post coins we find interesting, ask for public opinions, and you can sell if you want or add the piece to your personal collection. What makes you comfortable buying raw? What still sends you straight to a graded example? Drop a coin and an opinion — collectors helping collectors is the point.

Quick collector fact: a coin can look strong in hand and still be harder to sell raw than a middling piece in a popular slab — not because the raw coin is fake, but because many buyers price liquidity and third-party consensus first. That's why clear photos, honest notes, and a grade range (like Dent Trust Factor) matter on raw listings: they reduce uncertainty without pretending to be a certificate. If you've seen a raw coin outperform a slabbed one (or the opposite), share what tipped the scale.

Authorized by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, Morgan dollars poured silver from Western mines into coinage. George T. Morgan’s Liberty and eagle became the face of Gilded Age money. Carson City (CC) pieces are prized for tiny mintages and frontier story. When you hold a Morgan, you’re holding post-Civil War silver politics. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Morgan dollar obverse (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

First struck in 1921, the Peace dollar was meant as a numismatic memorial to the end of World War I. Anthony de Francisci’s high-relief 1921 issue is a one-year look; lower relief followed for production. The word PEACE on the reverse still reads like a wish stamped in silver. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Peace dollar (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Released in 1909 for Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday, the wheat cent was the first regular US circulating coin to portray a real person. Victor D. Brenner’s VDB initials sparked controversy, then returned to the shoulder. Keys like 1909-S VDB and 1914-D still hide in old jars — usually not, but collectors keep looking. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Lincoln cent (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Strong hub doubling on the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse created clear separation on LIBERTY, the motto, and the date. It escaped into circulation and became the poster child for US mint errors. Machine doubling looks different — flat and shelf-like. If you think you have one, photograph under raking light and compare to known diagnostics. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · 1955 doubled die cent (free license / fair educational use path) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

James Earle Fraser designed the Buffalo nickel (1913–1938) with a composite Native portrait and an American bison. Dates sit on a high point and wear away — “dateless” buffalos are common. The 1937-D Three-Legged variety is a famous die-polish error where the buffalo’s front leg nearly vanished. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Buffalo nickel (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Adolph A. Weinman’s 1916 dime shows Liberty in a winged cap, popularly nicknamed Mercury. Full split bands (FB) on the reverse fasces are a major grading premium. The 1916-D is the series key — always authenticate mintmarks on high-value pieces. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Mercury dime (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Weinman’s Walking Liberty half (1916–1947) is so beloved it returned on the American Silver Eagle. Full thumb detail on the flag and strong head definition separate average pieces from premium walkers. 1921 issues are classic semi-keys. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Walking Liberty half (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Hermon A. MacNeil’s Standing Liberty quarter (1916–1930) changed types quickly. Full Head (FH) designations matter enormously in Mint State. The 1916 is a major key; many dates come weakly struck in the head and shield. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Standing Liberty quarter (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

From 1859 to 1909, the Indian Head cent carried James B. Longacre’s design. Early copper-nickel years differ from later bronze. Keys include 1877 and 1909-S. Full LIBERTY on the headband is a classic grade marker. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Indian Head cent (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

Since 1986 the American Silver Eagle has been the official 1 oz silver bullion coin of the United States, pairing Walking Liberty with (from 2021 mid-year) a new eagle reverse. Pricing tracks silver spot plus premium. Milk spots and bag marks affect eye appeal more than melt. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · American Silver Eagle (US Mint / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

William Sheldon’s numeric scale (1–70) became the language of US grading. Circulated grades describe remaining detail; Mint State grades weigh marks and luster. On Dent Coins, DTF publishes a *range* because phone photos rarely justify a single TPG number. A slab is a separate product from a raw opinion. 📷 Educational illustration context · Wikimedia Commons — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

From mid-1942 through 1945, nickels used 35% silver to save nickel for the war. Large mintmarks sit above Monticello’s dome. They’re a favorite roll-hunt target and a history lesson in one coin. 📷 Wikimedia Commons · Wartime nickel (public domain / free license) — Historical education · Dent Historian · Not a price guide or appraisal. Values change; verify with current comps.

@dustin Solid reference shot. D mintmark is easy to read—great for beginners.

Starting my Dent Coins gallery with a classic 1964-D Memorial cent. Not rare—just honest. Clear D mintmark, natural color, everyday wear. This is what “show the coin as it is” looks like. DTF estimate ~72 (VF–XF range). Questions welcome.

@dustin Nice reference for modern Memorials. Thanks for posting both sides.

Same series, different life. 1992 Lincoln still showing copper red on the high points. Compare this to the crusty wheat later in the gallery—DTF cares about what the photos actually show. Estimate DTF ~84 (AU–low MS). Not claiming a slab; just honest eyes.

@dustin Reverse ONE CENT is still there. Great teaching coin for “environmental damage.”

Not every coin is a gem. This 1953 wheat has serious corrosion and low detail. I’m keeping it in the gallery as a honesty example: DTF ~52, risk flags high. If I ever listed it, the photos would have to be this brutal. Collectors deserve that.

@dustin Appreciate the honesty. Most people would hide this one.

Gallery addition: Indian Head reverse with full ONE CENT and wreath still outlined, but the obverse is nearly smoothed by corrosion. I’m not forcing a date. DTF ~46. If you see a date or mintmark I’m missing, drop a note. This is why multi-angle photos matter.