"problem free"-what does it mean to you?

mr1931S

Recently,i saw an image of a coin offered that appeared to me to be "with problems," namely considerably nicked and scratched and not the kind of nicks and scratches that happen from rough handling at the mint or in transport of bagged coins...real physical damage apparent,like what one might see on a coin that was once on a concrete sidewalk and was kicked about for awhile before being picked up...

the coin was represented as "problem free" in the description...

What are the opinions on what makes a coin "problem free?"

sumnom

It means I don't have to pay any extra for the problem.

KlectorKid

Free of problems. Oh u want a more specific answer? If there is anything thats not done my the mint of going from the mint, or something serious, like corrosion, PVC, ect. Any slightly distracting thing at all should be mentioned in the description.

kieferscoins

To me it means PCGS wouldn't bodybag it for any reason.

Cameron Kiefer

fantasiize

"problem free"-what does it mean to you?

THE FLOOR - the coin is still round
THE CEILING - PCGS PR70 or MS70

The average would be not counterfeit, no dings, nicks, or alterations to the coin as it was originally minted.

Bulldog

Problem free = As soon as you buy this coin from me, I will be Problem Free!

Bulldog

Catch22

No rim dings or nicks, evenly worn, clean surfaces (although toning may be present) solid obverse and reverse for the grade and at the very least, able to be submitted to one of the 3 respected grading services without concern for bagging or net grading. Of course, Bulldog's description, more often than should be expected turns out to be the case.

Bear

The coin doesnt have a police record.

coppercoins

Without damage. Wear doesn't count as damage.

mr1931S

good one Bear!

it's been pointed out,and rightfully so i think,that 10x or higher quality images will show things on coins that are not really a "problem"...

some time ago i was looking at coin images of a Yahoo auction where the guy had used about 100x for his coins with the disclaimer that he wanted to be sure that people could really see what they were bidding on...

those coins looked terrible with that power of magnification with the lighting he used to capture every single hairline scratch...to sell me,those images were not at all useful because,in effect,all those amplified hairlines were proof as far as i was concerned that all his coins had been cleaned at some time...i don't think a cleaned coin is necessarily a "problem" coin but if i were to purchase one of his coins and be unhappy with it i'd be concerned that he'd be calling me a problem buyer or worse....

"What are you blind or something? My 100x images show the coin as it really is!"

well,not really...

OnlyBuffalos

Problem free means that there are no "distractions" on the coin. I can look at the coin and my eye is not drawn to anything other than the natural characteristics of the coin relative to its grade. In other words there are no major flaws that I immediately spot other than those that are consistent for the grade. Problem free for an AG coin will mean something different than problem free for an MS65 coin. A worn rim is not a problem on an AG coin as it is often one of the expected characteristics of an AG coin. I do not expect luster on an AG coin but lack of luster is a problem on an MS65 coin. To me problem free varies depending on the coin and its grade.