Saint Gaudens Copper Spots, what is your opinion?
PeakRarities
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This was the first gold coin I acquired on eBay before I realized I lacked the experience to buy gold coins on eBay. my dealer already told me that he’d buy it for almost 95% of the purchase price for what I paid if I didn’t like it, but I think this is a gorgeous coin with the exception of the spots. You’ll see a dark spot on the rays on the left side of the obverse, and some in the folds of her dress. There is also a small spot on the reverse near the eagles belly, that is not as dark as the spots on the obverse. And there appears to be a little spot near the tip of the beak. I think the surfaces on this coin look very original, it’s got minimal marks and abrasions and I love the color. This one does actually look better in hand than in the pictures.
My questions are as follows:
In your opinion, how much do the spots detract from the eye appeal of the coin? And do they appear to be copper spots or some other type of damage?
Can they (and if so should they) be removed from the surface of the coin through conservation efforts?
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Not serious spots IMO, but you know your eye will be drawn to them every time you look at it. Tough decision.
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They don't really bug me, but some people will want to discount the price because of them. If you treat the spots, it's likely that the patina of the coin will be lost as well.
If it bugs you, sell it, and find one you like better.
I have seen some minor spots that dont bother me, to much, but it does a lot of people and resellers
When you have a large order of graded 20's that you are needing to sell to the larger firms, many will discount spotted coins, in some cases susbstantially. The other week , a $20 gold deal that I didnt buy , when i called around the discount was up near 40-50 per coin . Now on couple of coins that not too big of a deal, but on a large quantity , it makes a huge difference.
I have herd this before talking with other large buyers that discounts can be significant with spotted coins
When I am buying 66 gold I look for spot free. It sounds like the spots bother you. If they bother you now, they always will. The spots on your coin are not very noticeable but will affect the price when you sell.
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$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
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the spots don't bother me, but the marks on the reverse rays do. i would not buy any collector grade saint that wasn't cac and i haven't seen in hand. generally speaking, these are high mintage coins, so collectors split hairs on these in terms of what is desirable.
I don’t dislike the coin, but I don’t like it as a 66….if that makes sense.
I don't like the coin as an MS66, but that is just me (obviously) and not PCGS.
The spots might not be copper from the way they look in your images, but whatever they are they have been on the surfaces since at least 2013 because this same coin was auctioned by Heritage on June 7, 2013 and the spots are there. Additionally, there is what appears to be a pretty good spot on the eagle's talons in the 2013 image that I do not see here, but that might just be an artifact.
Copper spots can be removed from gold, but you not only risk changing the color ever so slightly, but you also risk having the spots return to the same placement over time. If you like the coin then keep it, but I would jettison it and get a better example.
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No go for me. Won’t buy spotted gold coins. Tough to sell. Op coin IMO is a C coin.
Nice find, That’s actually really insightful, now I have it pulled up and I can compare how it looks in real life to the heritage pictures and to the other 66 Saints. I see what you’re saying. Luckily I didn't really pay too much of a premium for this one
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When you search the cert number in the PCGS cert app past auction results for that cert number coin will come up. I always check for that and then use the link to see the past photos of the coin. Often a useful.
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CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
i like this coin as an MS-65 even as a MS-64 not as a MS-66 mostly due to the reverse side of this coin. and the spot is only a moderate negative at the MS-65 and less so at the MS-64 grade. i suggest taking taking such coin to a top grader of gold coins such as John Albanese for his in-person inspection and advice.
Take the dealer's offer and move on. Note that the coin does not have a "sticker". I personally wouldn't take the coin as a 66 even if the spots were not present but my grading standards for gold are tougher than the TPGs.
If the spots or excessive contact marks bother you, definitely take the dealer up on his offer. FWIW... at MS66 I have a pretty tall bar when it comes to common date Saints
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Tom saved me from writing a much longer response - I agree with him on all counts.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Love them...
& the spots would matter zilch.
They add character but not good for grading on commons.
If that was a D or S everybody would be like
BTW...Mine has "copper" spots (actually iron rust) yours look like silver particles that got imbedded in the planchet.
My Saint Set
I am not a fan of spots on gold coins... Cannot really determine if they are copper spots from the OP, but spots for sure. My recommendation is sell it for best offer (i.e the dealer friend) and get one that you are totally happy with. Cheers, RickO
I would be more interested in how it found its way into an MS-66 holder.
USAF (Ret) 1974 - 1994 - The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Remembering RickO, a brother in arms.
I like the coin but at a lower grade.
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https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Tolerable for bullion.
I could enjoy that coin especially if it was available at a discounted price.
... No better than that?
I enjoy that coin even more since it's been slabbed by a major grading service.
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The coin being discussed is in a PCGS holder. Which one were you talking about?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
You are of course correct. I changed my post to better reflect my sentiments. Thanks.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Personally, I don't care for the price of bullion Saints in 66. Seems like a great way to spend too much money. This coin demonstrates why you need to personally examine your purchase before you plop down your money.
spots dont really bother me, but the hits on the rays do for a 66
It seems that virtually all of the posters are in agreement but we also seem to state it in 500 different ways.
Friday afternoon 66 and spots.
I would prefer a different coin.
I wouldn't sweat the spots or the grade. The price is going up so fast on these things that I'd just enjoy the ride.
Wish I kept my 1st saint.
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I just to see you bought a 66 on eBay. You could have done better
I didn't pay what it says it sold for, I used the "make an offer" function and paid about 800 less than the listing. I actually don't like how it reports that it sold at that price on eBay, its skewing the auction archives on PCGS Coinfacts if you "show ebay"
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