Ever buy a damaged coin just BECAUSE

sliderider

I once bought a sweet 1892 Barber 25-cent that was high grade (we're talking MS66-67, here) that had 2 light scratches on the obverse that the seller said was rejected for grading by PCGS because of suspected cleaning. Paid around $120 for it, if I remember correctly. I know it'll never be worth much because of the cleaning, but it still looks gorgeous to me.

Baley

yep, got this one for an EF price because of the obv scratches.





looks like someone scratched it "cracking it out"

sure, the marks are distracting, but I dig the strike and luster

sliderider

Does PCGS still refuse to grade damaged/cleaned coins? I think I have seen holders from either ANACS or NGC with 'NET' grades on them. It will say something like 'XF-40 NET with MS-60 details', or something similar. Maybe I should submit to one of them for grading just to see what this coin could have been.

Baley

PCGS, NGC, and ICG will not encapsulate cleaned or damaged coins (they are a little more lenient with light cleaning and slight damage to pre-1808 coins, but still will not holder obvious problem coins)

ANACS is a good choice, they will assign a detail grade to a coin with cleaning or damage, then "net" grade depending on the severity of the damage. A reasonable grade for the above 1830 half might be, "unc. details, scratched, net EF45"

Other companies like PCI and SEGS will slab the coin with a details grade and note the obvious problems (they are even more lenient and may not mention more borderline problems) These companies do not "net" grade but give a detail grade and note the problem, leaving the "netting" to the buyer and seller.

Still other companies may slab a problem coin with both an optimistic grade and no mention of the problem.

Baley

here's another damaged coin I ended up buying "just because" it's rare in any grade and for the price, I could have had one worn almost smooth, or one with VF detail and, again, scratches.

wam98

Walked in a coin shop the other day. There was this 1853 Arrows and Rays Quarter. Nice dark grey original toning over the entire surface of both obverse and reverse. Ever bit of AU-55. $45, what a deal. In the obverse field was this very old, what appeared to me was this 1/4 inch long stab, from what I guessed someone had stabbed this coin with a knife long ago as there wasn't any shiny metal. I passed, but I wonder what anyone else would do ?

sliderider

Hey! I bought a 1853 arrows and rays quarter a while back. It is strange looking, though. All the details are razor sharp, but it is very dark with no luster at all. I wonder kind of grade it would get.

earlwbollinger

I bought a AU55 penny because i thought the black splotches would come right off with
some acetone or oilve oil. Well it still has the splotches on it.

oreville

Here is a damaged ANACS 1856 FE cent I bought for $4370 in 2001 (VF details F12 net graded).

I like to think that a Congressman tested the coin back in the late 1850's! I happen to like it just the way it is. Can easily be tooled to make it look "good," But that is not me.

dorkkarl

my draped bust small-eagle half is badly damaged.

K S

Draco

I own MANY cleaned and damaged coins. For me, it doesn't take too much away from the coin. A damaged 1892 quarter is still an 1892 quarter. . the difference is that you'll have a lot of extra money for other coins. The vast majority of my early copper is cleaned/damaged to some extent.

If any of you own ANACS net graded coins and it really bothers you, I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands

stujoe

Yep.



Reverse:
http://www.coinpeople.com/images/uglyfec2.jpg

seanq

I bought this VF 1894 Indian Cent with repunched date, Snow-1, VEDS:



Unfortunately, the date wasn't the only thing repunched:



Don't remember what I paid for it, but since the date repunching is the focal point to me, I can look right past the counterstamping.


Sean Reynolds

lordmarcovan

All the time.

SDCollector

I just bought a seated dollar last week with some deep nicks on the reverse, but it had nice VG details and the price was right.

7summits

Looked really hard at a 36-D Cincinnati half with gorgeous deep / electric blue toning that had a 1/4" long bright shiny scrape on it at a coin show a few years ago - passed because the dealer's price was a LITTLE high (coin was holdered in an ANACS slab as I remember).
Soon as I made rounds of all the tables went back to look again and it was sold . . .

lesson learned . . .

coinguy89

I want a holed coin.

MacCoin

I bought damage coins. but the real deal is I didn't care about putting them in a tomb. I have to like something about the damage coin the year, design, type or somethig. I have cleaned, scratched, rusted, rotted and pitted coins. I also have some darm nice mintstate coin in plasic.