The PMM Great Debate
LUCKOFTHEIRISH
Posts: 586 ✭
According to Rick Montgomery from what we heard this morning on this forum:
I just called Rick Montgomery at NGC (only because PCGS is still sleeping), according to Rick and the guys over there, it's not an error or a variety. It's normal wear on the die, then it's replaced. In the case of a proof, it's the MINTS error for not catching it. But it is not an error coin.
According to Bill Fivaz in an email sent to me this morning:
Pat: The fact that it is a Proof really doesn't matter. As I tried to
explain, your coins are ERRORS, not die varieties as we identify them,
and we do not include errors in the CPG as each is different and not
repetitive. By definition, a VARIETY is an abnormality on the die and
has many (usually) IDENTICAL examples struck by that die.
In other words, the (error) die crack starts small and gets larger over
the length of the die's use. Such a die crack could be used as a
diagnostic to identify that particular die, but it is not identical on
all coins struck by that die. The first strikings did not have the
crack, while the later ones did, and to varying degrees of severity.
I hope the above has clarified the difference between a variety and an
error for you, and why we cannot include errors in our book.
Sincerely,
Bill Fivaz
Why such a wide difference in opinion on die cracks? When the professionals can't get it right, how is little guy supposed to get it right?
I just called Rick Montgomery at NGC (only because PCGS is still sleeping), according to Rick and the guys over there, it's not an error or a variety. It's normal wear on the die, then it's replaced. In the case of a proof, it's the MINTS error for not catching it. But it is not an error coin.
According to Bill Fivaz in an email sent to me this morning:
Pat: The fact that it is a Proof really doesn't matter. As I tried to
explain, your coins are ERRORS, not die varieties as we identify them,
and we do not include errors in the CPG as each is different and not
repetitive. By definition, a VARIETY is an abnormality on the die and
has many (usually) IDENTICAL examples struck by that die.
In other words, the (error) die crack starts small and gets larger over
the length of the die's use. Such a die crack could be used as a
diagnostic to identify that particular die, but it is not identical on
all coins struck by that die. The first strikings did not have the
crack, while the later ones did, and to varying degrees of severity.
I hope the above has clarified the difference between a variety and an
error for you, and why we cannot include errors in our book.
Sincerely,
Bill Fivaz
Why such a wide difference in opinion on die cracks? When the professionals can't get it right, how is little guy supposed to get it right?
0
Comments
<< <i>When the professionals can't get it right, how is little guy supposed to get it right? >>
You get it now. You will never get it right. Congrats!
Cameron Kiefer
<< <i>The real question is: Does anyone care? >>
Good question! We need another thread to discuss it!
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
BTW, he's easy to spot at a show....two loupes, a 7X or 10X, and a 20X
But what if it is the only coin to be struck by the broken die?
how old are you?
Answer "...it's not an error or a variety."
Thanks for clarifing that you`re retarded.
Jim
how old are you?
I was starting to wonder the same thing...
<< <i>I was starting to wonder the same thing... >>
I was thinking around 17.