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I must be really dumb -- I had a coin bagged for cleaning

HigashiyamaHigashiyama Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭✭✭
I recently submitted a York commen that I thought was a plausible MS67. A year or so ago I submitted an MS66, and this one is fairly obviously nicer, certainly in terms of marks, but probably in terms of luster and eye appeal.

It was bagged for cleaning. I have the coin back, and simply can't figure out the problem. Almost certainly the coin was carefully dipped at some point in its life. But the coin has cartwheel luster, and no signs of rub/hairlines. What am I missing?
Higashiyama

Comments

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,964 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You may not be missing anything. Sometimes these things are pretty arbitrary and done for no good reason.

    I once had an 1839-O half dollar in AU body bagged by NGC because it had been “cleaned.” PCGS graded the coin as it should have been. So much for PCGS always being the "harder" service. I guess the NGC grader was having a bad day, but his bad day costs you money. It's one of the downsides to getting coins slabbed.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • It may just be that the grader was getting behind schedule so he just body bagged some to get caught up. PCGS doesn't care, they get paid wheither the coin gets bagged or slabbed. And if it gets bagged the chances are the next guy will send it in again so they get paid for it twice.
  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    What a waste image
  • Must be something in the water at PCGS - see my adjacent post on the 'cleaned' indian penny...
  • BigD5BigD5 Posts: 3,433
    Dumb? Maybe a bit deficient in the sight dept.? image
    I think Bill Jones summed it up rather well. Good luck on your resubmission image
    BigD5
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  • I agree with the arbitrary comment. The rule of thumb as I understand it is that the coins should look "natural" - whatever that means, and obviously the grader grading your coin didn't feel that way. Perhaps if you send it to NGC you'll have better luck.

    Regards,

    Frank
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭
    Sorry guys, but without being able to see the coin, I don't think it's fair to comment on PCGS's competency or lack thereof, in this case.

    If Higashiyama is an accomplished numismatist/ grader (I have no idea as to whether he is or not), his not being able to see anything wrong with the coin might mean something. If he is not, it is quite plausible that he cannot see what a grader can easily see. No disrespect intended, as I have seen this type of situation on numerous occasions.
  • HigashiyamaHigashiyama Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Coinguy -- no offense taken at all. I consider myself a fairly knowledgable amateur, but certainly not an accomplished numismatists/grader. My belief, however, and perhaps I am wrong, is that detecting cleaning on a 20th century untoned coin does not require particular expertise (beyond 30 years of collecting with some seriousness).

    If we were taking about a 19th century coin that was cleaned and retoned, I would not feel comfortable judging either the coin's past history or whether the current consensus would allow it to be slabbed. If a 20th century coin has natural looking frosty luster with a good cartwheel effect, no hairlines under magnification, no signs of thumbing or other abuse, I would expect it to be slabbed. In any case, because my correspondence course with PCGS is useful (though a bit expensive), I will resubmit to either PCGS or NGC and let you know the results!
    Higashiyama
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭
    Higashiyama,

    Good luck and please keep us updated. I would suggest that if you go to coin shows, you ask a few dealers to look at the coin for you and see what they think.
  • That's why I won't submit to PCGS, I can ill afford to have anything body bagged.
    Friends are Gods way of apologizing for your relatives.
  • ElcontadorElcontador Posts: 7,523 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Higashiyama,

    I understand your frustration. Taking the coin to have some dealers at a large coin show may be an idea, however, make sure you only take it to dealers who specialize in Commems.

    Years ago, when I was in Vietnam, I picked up an 1875 CC Trade $. I didn't pay much for it, so I thought that if it was fake, at least it was a good forgery . At that time, I had never seen a real Trade $, but the forgeries were of such poor quality, that they were easy to spot (for some reason, they were also all 1875 S coins).

    Years later, I took the coin to Long Beach. It was XF details but with a lot of scratches, so even if it was real, it would have been "net graded," etc. Still, half of the dealers to whom I showed the coin in Long Beach thought the coin was genuine, even though it was a well done forgery.

    I agree with Bill Jones. Even the best & brightest out there make mistakes. If you think the coin is a lock for a particular grade, resubmit the coin. Based on what I've seen, I'd guess that between 10-15% of the slabbed coins in PCGS & NGC holders could be graded otherwise (and I'm excluding issues of color re copper).
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  • << <i>What am I missing >>



    another submission fee, keep sending it in , they like to get paid 2-3 times on the same job.

    Or try NGC or ANACS
  • Just suppose the policy at PCGS was "NO CHARGE" for a body bagged coin.
    Then how many do you think would get returned body bagged?

    I'll tell you, it would be good public relations for them to consider
    charging you say just $5.00 for a rejected coin. That would be fair.
    The difference could be applied to your next submission.
    "location, location, location...eye appeal, eye appeal, eye appeal"
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