Altered date coin in PCI Gold label holder

Tonelover

A friend just pointed this ebay item out to me as we both share more than a passing interest in the US-Philippine series. This is the Key date of the series and if real this coin would quickly sell for $4-5000 if not more.

1906-S Peso PCI AU-50

I understand that most people are not exactly familiar with the diagnostics of this commonly altered coin. The serif of a genuine 1906-S should be straight, this one is clearly curved. And the added 6 looks like somebody sat on it or something and the discoloration around it is obvious signs of tooling.

A laughable attempt to be sure, and even more laughable is the fact that PCI certified it as authentic. For what it's worth, I've sent fakes as a test to PCGS, NGC and ANACS and they've yet to be fooled. There is no doubt that there are plenty of US coins holdered by PCI/ACG/NTC etc., that are just as dangerous. Just another reason for some of you new collectors to be extremely careful when considering purchase of seemingly great bargains slabbed by these slimy grading services.

braddick

Good catch. I think Shiroh posted on this type of alteration a year or so ago. I understood by his words there are a few of these deceptive fakes floating around (well, to novices like me). Too bad PCI can't be held responsible.

Does the seller know?

Tonelover

Does the seller know?

He does now, I just sent him a "friendly" message.

Bulldog

Tone,

You think it was a 1900, made into an 06? I see what you mean by the corrections. I am not familiar at all with this series. But, I see everything you chat about.

Thanks
Bulldog

ccrdragon

I'd guess 1900 altered to a 1906. If you look at the circle on the '6' it clearly has the same dimensions
as the '0'.

That this coin was certified by PCI in the new gold label is just another reason to never buy PCI again!

Tonelover

The Pesos were made in a larger, higher silver composition from 1903-06 all of which have a curved serif (except for the real 1906), then a reduced size and weight from 1907-12. So right off the bat they have to use one from the 1903-06 era. There are a number of ways of making an even better fake like filing a serif to appear straight, or using the 1905-S straight serif variety but you can still tell pretty easily. They still have the 6 to contend with and also, the 9 on a genuine piece should be more closed than the coin pictured. I don't know what their date of choice was, where there's a will there's a way.

coppercoins

This just lays added testament to what I have been saying about PCI for some time now...I collect doubled dies and mint mark varieties, and have on a number of occasions seen coins in PCI holders exhibiting machine doubling slabbed as genuine doubled dies. Price tags on the coins were typically ten to a thousand times the value of the actual coin in the holder, but people have a tendancy (especially when they don't already know better) to believe a slab for what it says, regardless of the obvious signs on the coin that it is actually otherwise.

My #1 example is a 1955 proof cent in a PCI holder slabbed as a doubled die reverse. The coin was obviously machine doubling and nothing else. It showed the very classic unmistakable "shelf-like" doubling that was flat as a pancake, no notches at the corners of the letters - just obvious MDD. Anyhow, the dealer had it marker for $500. I pointed the coin out to him as machine doubling, and he acted as if I had just called his wife a dog. I left him with his pipe dream, but really wish these people could learn to reason and listen to people.

danglen

Just got an email from the seller saying he is ending the auction. Good job Tonelover!

wingedliberty

Nice catch!!, Typical PCI blunder.



Brian.

gmarguli

At the Long Beach show, braddick & I saw a Liberty gold piece that had its surfaces plated to give it a "proof appearance". It was slabbed by PCI as "Presentation Piece" and I believe it had a price tag of $10,000.

The plating job was so bad that I noticed while skimming the cases.

Dog97

PCI is actually worse than ACG when it comes to altered coins. Especially in the mint error area. You can stack 3 pennies smash them with a sledgehammer and wala! PCI will slab the middle one as a double struck coin.

Conder101

I know I have mentioned this before but a couple years ago an altered GMM 1793 liberty cap repro made a brief flurry of excitement when it was first thought to be a new specimen of S-15 or possibly a new variety. Well about 4 months ago a second one showed up slabbed in a red PCI as a genuine 1793 liberty cap. It also made a very brief stir when it couldn't be attributed as a know Sheldon variety but then it was compared to the GMM pieces and quickly unmasked. (I know it is a second one because I know where the first one is.) Latest news on the second piece, it has been cracked out of the PCI slab and has gone back into hiding. It will probably surface again eventually, probably in another slab.