"A light amount of putty" - What is it?

ARCO

There is an 1875 Seated half graded MS63 by PCGS on Ebay. https://ebay.com/itm/1875-50c-PCGS-MS63-OGH-Old-Green-Label-Holder-Liberty-Seated-Half-Dollar/352474784324?hash=item5211226244:g:WeYAAOSw1XFbsn8o

The description by the seller:

"Beautiful type coin with lovely rim tones and satiny-silver centers.** A light amount of putty** is noticeable on the right side of Liberty on the obverse of this otherwise extremely attractive piece."

From my understanding, "putty" is often used to hide strike marks or dings on gold coins, probably on silver coins also. Does PCGS knowingly grade puttied coins? If putty is discovered, is the coin considered damaged or marred like a cleaning?

Tyler

lkeigwin

@ARCO said:
Does PCGS knowingly grade puttied coins? If putty is discovered, is the coin considered damaged or marred like a cleaning?

No, PCGS doesn't knowingly grade puttied coins. Its existence is usually uncovered after a time, as the putty ages and changes appearance.

Putty doesn't cause damage. It attempts to hide flaws. The flaws themselves could be serious or even fatal. Commonly PCGS will conserve the coin to remove the putty and regrade it. A downgrade or bodybag would be covered by PCGS's guarantee.
Lance.

Smudge

Decent for the seller to point out that a slabbed coin has putty.

SaorAlba

@Smudge said:
Decent for the seller to point out that a slabbed coin has putty.

And I would expect DLRC to.

asheland

Interesting.

ColonelJessup

PCGS often used to miss "putty". That's a close to 20 year old slab.

Having given the PNG Coin Doctoring Definition Committee a list of various components of the broad range of materials, compounds and processes that are generically conflated under "putty" as surface obscurant, some will affect different metals by chemical bonding. You call it putty, I call it goop. Loosely translated, you will lose skin (natural and artificial), and there are sometimes unhappy bonding surprises or messed-up metal below. Not always. Some is moderately innocuous.

I can't read the slab image, so draw your own conclusions.

Kudos to @JBatDavidLawrence and crew for making it easy. Looks like "blazing, few marks and funky distracting schmutz.

RogerB

"A light amount of putty is noticeable on the right side of Liberty on the obverse of this otherwise extremely attractive piece. " This means the piece is altered and not gradable... or has that simple dictum also vanished?

ricko

Nothing like putting the 'Stay Away' statement in the description... Cheers, RickO

batumi

Not the best photo, but I am unable to see any gunk on that piece.