Buy the coin not the slab nor the green bean.

hfjacinto

I went on Friday to my local coin shop, he just got a full set of Proof Mercury dimes in, and I needed to see them. In my price range, I had 2 that were close in price, one had a CAC and when I looked it also had a finger print. I took the lower grade one but it is in old green label PCGS.

Happy to add it to my collection. I actually got into the high 60's on the registry set, but today I cleaned up all my sets to add all my coins so I can get my ranking up, so my score on the registry set went down as I moved a few coins around.

My ranking did go from from 2565 to 2441 and all coins except 1 are on a registry set, so I'm happy.

My registry set (although I don't really play the game, but do use the set to store my coin information)

https://www.ngccoin.com/profile/455429/

The coin.

The moral of this post is too ALWAYS buy the coin, don't buy the grade or the green bean, buy the coin!

coinbuf

While I hate fingerprints and spots with a passion, the truth is that those things do not bother some collectors. So the higher graded coin with a fingerprint or with a green bean may be more desirable to them, what works for you may not for someone else and that is just fine.

hfjacinto

@coinbuf said:
While I hate fingerprints and spots with a passion, the truth is that those things do not bother some collectors. So the higher graded coin with a fingerprint or with a green bean may be more desirable to them, what works for you may not for someone else and that is just fine.

Seriously? Defending a fingerprint on a green bean?

I like green beans as much as the average person on here, but they get it wrong also.

Steven59

Very hard, if not impossible, to overlook a fingerprint. Your eyes are immediatley drawn right to it.

goodmoney4badmoney

It has the added bonus of being Zack approved

hfjacinto

@goodmoney4badmoney

Not Travis approved?
😥

goodmoney4badmoney

@hfjacinto said:
@goodmoney4badmoney

Not Travis approved?
😥

For a "normal" coin it's nice looking.

jfriedm56

@hfjacinto said:
@goodmoney4badmoney

Not Travis approved?
😥

Who is this Travis? I like the Zack approved!

hfjacinto

Zack and Travis approved is way better than a green bean!

😜

pointfivezero

I bought the coin, the holder and the sticker at a coin show yesterday. The three features don’t need to be mutually exclusive:

Tim

jfriedm56

I personally can’t overlook a fingerprint. Even a partial print destroys it for me. If you see it, so will everyone else and then I can’t unsee it, even with a bean.

coinbuf

@hfjacinto said:

@coinbuf said:
While I hate fingerprints and spots with a passion, the truth is that those things do not bother some collectors. So the higher graded coin with a fingerprint or with a green bean may be more desirable to them, what works for you may not for someone else and that is just fine.

Seriously? Defending a fingerprint on a green bean?

I like green beans as much as the average person on here, but they get it wrong also.

I am defending nothing except personal choice, as you did not provide a photo of the coin you passed on there is no way for anyone to know if you actually saw a fingerprint, maybe you are more biased than you think you are. If you can only handle yes men type of replies you should say that in advance, would save you a headache or two.

BillJones

Fingerprints can get worse, especially on Proof coins. I try hard to avoid them.

UncleJoe

OK, I can’t conceal it any longer.

Yes, I only look for the bean. I do not look at the date or mintmark if any. I also do not look at the denomination or type of slab for that matter, I only look for the bean. I then buy the bean for any amount asked since I wouldn’t have any information that I could use to look up in any price guide.

I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.

Joe.

airplanenut

I'm curious how recently the coin with the fingerprint was graded. It's certainly possible that if graded somewhat recently, the coin was slabbed and stickered in close succession, and only after that did the print become noticeable.

Che_Grapes

Beautiful coin (op)

DisneyFan

Can a fingerprint be considered just another form of toning?

silverpop

I buy the coin not the holder if the coin gets my notice it's bought i care little for what holder it's in

stockdude_

Strike is most important to me. Cant unsee a weak strike. Its unfortunate that the grading services dont seem to value it that much

alaura22

I buy the coin, the holder, and the sticker

Extremeengineer

I do my best to buy the coin. However, as I am not a skilled grader, and do not know all of the nuances to look for, I do find the holders helpful. They’ve accelerated my learning curve as I feel they give me a basis for grading as i look the coins over. So I’ll admit I let the holders help me decide which coins to buy.

Cougar1978

I buy PCGS coins using my grading skills / ANA grading course early on (plus in the biz since1990) pick out nice coins. Prefer material that’s PQ with strong strike and super luster.

jmlanzaf

@hfjacinto said:

@coinbuf said:
While I hate fingerprints and spots with a passion, the truth is that those things do not bother some collectors. So the higher graded coin with a fingerprint or with a green bean may be more desirable to them, what works for you may not for someone else and that is just fine.

Seriously? Defending a fingerprint on a green bean?

I like green beans as much as the average person on here, but they get it wrong also.

Hard to know without seeing the coin. I personally mind some fingerprints and not others.

But you may well be incorrect in suggesting CAC got it wrong. A fingerprint does not disqualify it if the fingerprint was properly considered in the coin's grade. It's not like a fingerprint results in a details grade. A technical 67 with a print could well be a solid 66 or an exceptional 65.

jmlanzaf

@DisneyFan said:
Can a fingerprint be considered just another form of toning?

Textile toning...

airplanenut

@jmlanzaf said:

@DisneyFan said:
Can a fingerprint be considered just another form of toning?

Textile toning...

Tactile toning

DisneyFan

@stockdude_ said:
Strike is most important to me. Cant unsee a weak strike. Its unfortunate that the grading services dont seem to value it that much

That's where you come out ahead!