Guy M. writes: I’ve seen a 1953p BU quarter advertised as blast white MS66. Can you please tell me what this means and how much should that coin be worth? Thank you.
I believe they are saying that the coin is absolutely untoned with frosty mint luster and a minimum of minor detracting marks (if any). Sounds good to me. But this could also be another way to say the coin was dipped (immersed in a solution to remove toning from the surface) or otherwise cleaned. Sometimes dipping is virtually imperceptible and improves the look of the coin. More often however, an improperly dipped coin is diminished enough in appearance to be evident to the trained eye.
The State Quarter program has ignited interest in all Washington quarters. 1953P was never considered a rare coin and was available in rolls. But apparently, 1953 Washington quarters in MS66 enjoy strong collector demand. A PCGS graded example brought $134 in a Heritage Galleries auction in March, 2013.
