A Word on Altered (puttied) Coins, and Their Detection
dragon
Posts: 4,548 ✭✭
Since this subject seems to be a popular one here lately, I thought I would comment on the subject if anyone's interested.
Q: What is puttying a coin?
A: A process where some foreign filler type material has been applied to the surfaces of a coin to mask marks, scratches, or other surface disturbances in an attempt to give the appearance of a higher grade coin or hide other problems.
Q: What coins are likely candidates for this process?
A: Generally, rarer date or more expensive coins, or coins where there is a large price spread from one grade to the next thus making it worthwhile for an individual to do this. In other words, it is not likely that anyone would take the time to do this to an MS63 common date Morgan dollar.
Q: How is it done?
A: Generally, it is done with an automotive body filler type material, a caulk type material, clay or wax, or a resin based epoxy/glue or other substance that will fill in voids in a coins surface. The material is often mixed with a metallic dust, flakes, or other color matching substance that will aid in matching the surfaces of the coin. The (putty) is generally applied using precise dental type tools under magnification and then smoothed and contoured to match the coins surface. Also, many times a puttied area on a coin will be artificially toned over to further mask this alteration.
Q: Can a puttied coin always be detected even if it's expertly done?
A: Ultimately yes, under strong enough magnification, generally any surface alteration can be detected on a coins surface as there will always be telltale signs of altering regardless of how small. Various light sources can also aid in detection (especially on silver coins) as there should always be a difference in color/texture of the repaired area. Both black lights, natural sunlight, a backlit light source, as well as tilting a coin under various lights can often but not always detect a puttied coin. Often on large silver coins, the repaired area will be noticable via an "off" color or texture when the coin is strongly backlit. Also, some solvents such as acetone and others can sometimes greatly change or even dissolve puttied areas on a coins surface thus exposing them.
Q: Can a puttied coin go bad after time and be more easily spotted?
A: Yes, depending on what substance was used to repair the coin, the substance can eventually dry out and crack, shrink or warp, flake off, change color or texture, crater, fall out completely, etc. Generally, the edges or periphery of the repair will be the most noticable after time.
Q: Are there puttied coins in PCGS/NGC/ANACS holders?
A: Yes, but probably very, very few as a percentage of total coins graded. The major services are quite good at spotting and rejecting these types of problem coins but on rare occasion, some slip through the cracks. Your best protection against buying an altered coin is still buying 3rd party graded coins from one of the above services IMO.
Q: How can I tell if I have puttied coins in my collection?
A: If you only buy PCGS/NGC/ANACS holdered coins, chances are this will not be an issue for you or of concern, but it never hurts to examine your better coins under strong magnification (20X or stronger) just to be certain, especially heavily toned pieces where the toning may also be considered suspect. On raw coins such as bust material, key date or expensive coins, older and/or rarer gold coins, etc, always inspect a coin carefully before purchase.
If anyone has any other suggestions or methods of detection, please share them.
Dragon
Q: What is puttying a coin?
A: A process where some foreign filler type material has been applied to the surfaces of a coin to mask marks, scratches, or other surface disturbances in an attempt to give the appearance of a higher grade coin or hide other problems.
Q: What coins are likely candidates for this process?
A: Generally, rarer date or more expensive coins, or coins where there is a large price spread from one grade to the next thus making it worthwhile for an individual to do this. In other words, it is not likely that anyone would take the time to do this to an MS63 common date Morgan dollar.
Q: How is it done?
A: Generally, it is done with an automotive body filler type material, a caulk type material, clay or wax, or a resin based epoxy/glue or other substance that will fill in voids in a coins surface. The material is often mixed with a metallic dust, flakes, or other color matching substance that will aid in matching the surfaces of the coin. The (putty) is generally applied using precise dental type tools under magnification and then smoothed and contoured to match the coins surface. Also, many times a puttied area on a coin will be artificially toned over to further mask this alteration.
Q: Can a puttied coin always be detected even if it's expertly done?
A: Ultimately yes, under strong enough magnification, generally any surface alteration can be detected on a coins surface as there will always be telltale signs of altering regardless of how small. Various light sources can also aid in detection (especially on silver coins) as there should always be a difference in color/texture of the repaired area. Both black lights, natural sunlight, a backlit light source, as well as tilting a coin under various lights can often but not always detect a puttied coin. Often on large silver coins, the repaired area will be noticable via an "off" color or texture when the coin is strongly backlit. Also, some solvents such as acetone and others can sometimes greatly change or even dissolve puttied areas on a coins surface thus exposing them.
Q: Can a puttied coin go bad after time and be more easily spotted?
A: Yes, depending on what substance was used to repair the coin, the substance can eventually dry out and crack, shrink or warp, flake off, change color or texture, crater, fall out completely, etc. Generally, the edges or periphery of the repair will be the most noticable after time.
Q: Are there puttied coins in PCGS/NGC/ANACS holders?
A: Yes, but probably very, very few as a percentage of total coins graded. The major services are quite good at spotting and rejecting these types of problem coins but on rare occasion, some slip through the cracks. Your best protection against buying an altered coin is still buying 3rd party graded coins from one of the above services IMO.
Q: How can I tell if I have puttied coins in my collection?
A: If you only buy PCGS/NGC/ANACS holdered coins, chances are this will not be an issue for you or of concern, but it never hurts to examine your better coins under strong magnification (20X or stronger) just to be certain, especially heavily toned pieces where the toning may also be considered suspect. On raw coins such as bust material, key date or expensive coins, older and/or rarer gold coins, etc, always inspect a coin carefully before purchase.
If anyone has any other suggestions or methods of detection, please share them.
Dragon
0
Comments
my hotels
Dragon,
Very good post - thanks for the information. Now I have one more thing to worry about.
Thank you
Jr
second technique, but has a slight risk. you can immerse the coin in a clear container filled w/ water. the water changes the wavelength of light, & again, may reveal surface deception. this 1 requires a lot of practice, but again, very useful. use only distilled water.
2 little tricks i've picked up over the years.
K S
Thanks for that info on halogen lamps, I never even realized they gave off radiation, yikes.
Dragon
Halogen-Lamps-Hazards
There is a lot of other credible information available. I just posted this link as a "quickie" reference. I don't let my kids work with them for extended periods of time, and would never use them around babies/the very young.
Most come with glass filters, but glass is not a completely effective filter of UV light at all wavelengths.
Not to get too O/T, but nearly all substances in the universe give off some form of radiation. Light itself is a form of radiation, and there's all different forms of light (generally classified by the wavelength).
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Dragon
I'll save it for future reference.
The only putty I worry about on my coins is silly putty from my kids.
i read this thread a few days ago and was somewhat amazed to find that there was such a practice of deceiving collectors/investors going on...
Do you know if acetone will cause any applied putty to disintegrate and so reveal the deception and would acetone deleteriously affect a coin that has not been puttied?i would think that chemically pure acetone would not hurt an unaltered coin in any way,including any toning present,if the treatment and subsequent rinsing is carefully done.
Would the putty (a glue?) be unaffected,dissolve or flake off after the coin is treated with (submerged in)acetone? This might be a worthwhile experiment to conduct on an inexpensive coin...
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein
Do NOT attempt this method if you are in Barrow, Alaska between now and February.
Great post, dragon, on a topic most don't think about.
Boy, our hobby can sure be corrupt can't it?