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U.S. Coin Forum Categories? & Sellers of AT Coins
CherokeePeople
Posts: 1
in Q & A Forum
Hello David!
I recently attended my very first coin show in St. Louis over the weekend. It was great! I came up with a question that I asked the folks manning the PCGS booth, and they said that it was a perfect question to pose in this forum to you. So, here goes:
In trying to build a fledgling Indian Cent collection, I came upon a non-PCGS dealer who sold me some peices that looked great to my untrained eye. The strike appeared full and the lustre was a very attractive red, with nice cartwheel. Before deciding to keep the coins, I sent them in for a grading to PCGS. They were returned DNC, saying that the coins had "questionable color/toning". The dealer, of course, denies any knowledge of this and has taken the coins back. Now I see the same dealer selling those same cents to other buyers, and sells these "questionable color/toning" indians in enormous quantities on the internet to many bidders.
My question is this. If the coin is seamingly well struck, and would have graded well except for the color, why would anyone render a coin almost useless by artificially toning the coins? How is this done, and won't that eventually tarnish the dealer and coin collectors in general? Are they taking "brown" indians and coloring them? Some of these coins looked very nice except for the AT.
Second question. I am new to the US Coin Forum here at PCGS, but I am a message board enthusiest. What a great service that you offer to all collectors! I wondered though, is it possible to introduce categories to the forum? Even by denomination? General categories could run alongside, but it would appear that an organization by denomination, coin or paper, would be easier to navigate than grouping all posts into just one large group?
Thanks for your insight and review of my thoughts. Have a great day!
I recently attended my very first coin show in St. Louis over the weekend. It was great! I came up with a question that I asked the folks manning the PCGS booth, and they said that it was a perfect question to pose in this forum to you. So, here goes:
In trying to build a fledgling Indian Cent collection, I came upon a non-PCGS dealer who sold me some peices that looked great to my untrained eye. The strike appeared full and the lustre was a very attractive red, with nice cartwheel. Before deciding to keep the coins, I sent them in for a grading to PCGS. They were returned DNC, saying that the coins had "questionable color/toning". The dealer, of course, denies any knowledge of this and has taken the coins back. Now I see the same dealer selling those same cents to other buyers, and sells these "questionable color/toning" indians in enormous quantities on the internet to many bidders.
My question is this. If the coin is seamingly well struck, and would have graded well except for the color, why would anyone render a coin almost useless by artificially toning the coins? How is this done, and won't that eventually tarnish the dealer and coin collectors in general? Are they taking "brown" indians and coloring them? Some of these coins looked very nice except for the AT.
Second question. I am new to the US Coin Forum here at PCGS, but I am a message board enthusiest. What a great service that you offer to all collectors! I wondered though, is it possible to introduce categories to the forum? Even by denomination? General categories could run alongside, but it would appear that an organization by denomination, coin or paper, would be easier to navigate than grouping all posts into just one large group?
Thanks for your insight and review of my thoughts. Have a great day!
0
Comments
Indian cents have been recolored for as long as I can remember (back to the 1960s.) If they are really bright we call them "pumpkins." After a while, you get the feel for the true color of an original uncleaned coin. Some people unfortunately prey upon the uniformed by taking lessor quality and/or lessor color coins and making them look like the expensive original "Mint Red" coins.
We try to limit the number of forums we have in order to keep the forums active and make them easy to use.
Thanks,
David