Heritage, accurate description and a lousy scan.

Russ

I won a PCGS MS64RB 1868 Two Cent piece in the Heritage FUN sale that looked like this in the auction:



It was described in the auction thus:



<< <i>This is a very nice, original specimen with sharp strike, attractive surfaces, and lovely color. >>



Now, looking at their image of the coin, "lovely color" doesn't really come to mind. Got the coin in and it is a winner:



I got this piece at the stupidly low price of $190 plus juice. There was only one floor bidder and very little internet competition. I think the people on the auction floor were broke from spending zillions on IHC's and Lincolns, and the internet bidders didn't like the way it looked.

Many of the experienced people here have said that Heritage is terrible at imaging coins and that the coins frequently look far better in person. I'm glad I listened.

Russ, NCNE

FC57Coins

Looks like you gotcha a winner Russ - maybe you should contact Heritage and get them to give you a job taking pics for them!

Fairlaneman

Hmmm.... You are Just Realizing that Heritage scans are not the greatest. Looking carefully can and will get you some nice coins. Of course its a Crap Shoot as it could go the other way.

toothpuller

Heritage's copper images are awful. They are always way too dark. If you look in their archives you can seen their images were better a couple of years ago. I cannot for the life of me understand the reasoning for this and I would really think twice before consigning a copper coin to them. Its almost like they don't want internet bidders.

I got a blast white Oregon in the FUN auction and the image was champagne gold. If the auction description did not say totally untoned I would not have bid. They was another similar Oregon that I was more than willing to pay above the winning bid if it looked likewise [which it probably did] that I declined to bid on for lack of the untoned description.

jdimmick

Russ,
I had the same good fortune,

I was bidding on several pieces that cost me quite a bit, especially figuring in the juice. But I knew it was my last chance at obtaining a couple of these, so I bidded strong, and was even on the phone when one of them came to the floor. I ended up going another 250+ juice on that one in particular. I had looked at the scans and it showed the coin to be nice an a true original piece, with a solid strike.

Well, when I got the coin last week, it was truly magnificent. Way better than I could have imagined. I was extremely happy, that I did not let another 300.00 bucks stand in the way, or I would have be really upset.

jim dimmick

DesertLizard

I almost bid on it and thought it was more BN than RB! Now Isee it is more RD than RB.

But then again I have ended up with some dogs. Lesson, never buy sight unseen...done deal!

paigowjohnny

I've bought 3 or 4 Morgans in Heritage auctions...all have been better coins than the scan indicates...

SageRad

It is my impression that the picture quality from Heritage has recently taken a turn for the worse.

AbesNeighbor

I actually bought a 1913 $2 1/2 Indian Gold piece from themand the picture didn't do the coin justice I "Made and offer" and they accepted. It was to fill a hole in my collection, has a green label and I'm convinced it should be an MS64 instead of MS63.

I'm not a grader though so don't know whether I'll submit for an upgrade.

Congrats to you though, the coin looks super!

Dan