How can one describe this Mercury Dime as a "Monster Gem"?

mercurydimeguy

Link to David Lawrence auction

They scan their coins, which always makes them look better than photographs (I know, 'cause I've bought quite a few from DL), yet even with the scan you can see hits on the obverse and reverse. This coin would grade to a 66FB today, I bet, yet it's in a 68FB holder.

Sorry to rant Just my humble opinion

weresteve

DL should have sent it in to PCGS for a reholder before putting it up ... there are some scratches in the plastic that is definitely affecting the scans.

mercurydimeguy

<< <i>DL should have sent it in to PCGS for a reholder before putting it up ... there are some scratches in the plastic that is definitely affecting the scans. >>



If you reholder it to a clean holder, the hits/nicks on the obverse (hair) and reverse (fasces) would be that much more pronounced. We're talking about a 68FB, here, not a 65 or 66.

I don't believe this is an error of omission on the part of DL, but rather an error of commission.

weresteve

<< <i>I don't believe this is an error of omission on the part of DL, but rather an error of commission. >>



Which would not be suprising for someone who pimps coins as such ...

PTVETTER

wasn't Laura just talking about over graded coins in TPG holders????

I know one thing I don't get those grades on my submissions

Fairlaneman

Hmmm.....Nice Rant...

Those fields do not look very smooth also. Plastic is just a opinion though. If you, speaking of a buyer not you Mike, are silly enough to buy the number then so be it.

And Warranted.........

Ken

Fairlaneman

Hey Mike this is just to stir the pot.

If that coin is 68 then tell me why my 25P is only 66. Any guess ?

Ken

Bear

How come the coins I send in are never over graded

but ,IMHO, are frequently undergraded. I dont think that

the grading company likes bears.

mercurydimeguy

I hate to be blunt and honest, but the truth of the matter is this: save for a few, and I really mean a few, most 68FB's I've seen in hand would grade 66FB and 67FB today (and the count is probably way over 40 68F's now) .

I wonder how many freshly made 68FB's were made in the last 9 months?

Part of the crackout phenom is the fact that people see coins in the markerplace graded higher than theirs, yet their's are nicer, so they crack and submit their's but are sadly disappointed when they come back the same grade -- or even worst -- lower or BB'd.

A fair share of Mercs out there still available for sale are in their coffins...and the only way they're getting out of their coffins is if someone cracks them. Then, they get in to their properly graded holders -- usually 2 points lower I know because I've experimented with common date Mercs to see what happens...trust me, not a 1 made it back in to it's originally graded holder.

This unfortunately (for the collector) is how overgraded coins will get filtered out of the system.

All I have to say is -- thank God that PCGS has a grade guarantee on their re-grading service (e.g. if you don't crack but just send in the PCGS holder) because I fear only a small percentage of coins that are still out there available for sale would grade the same grade they were graded several years ago.

I don't blame PCGS for this problem -- they were simply grading at market accepted levels. Unfortunately now that the marke accepted levels have changed over the years, the older over graded coins are still out there waiting for some buyer to take them out of the system.

Boy I can write on this topic indefinitely, so I'll pause here .....

rainbowroosie

Looks like a nice roll coin....$12

Mercfan

I agree with your appraisal of this particular coin. I'd also call this "68" no better than 66 based on the image presented, and I've seen a ton of 67s whose appearance is clearly superior to this one. (But the four characters 68FB are sure going to look impressive on somebody's registry set listing!)

I'd like to add that my experience with DLRC's Mercury dimes has been tremendously positive. I've purchased at least a couple dozen of them from DLRC, and I've never been disappointed when I opened the mailer. Many of them have looked even better in person than they did in the scan, photo, or whatever image was presented on their site.

Just my thoroughly unprofessional, Mercury dime loving opinion, of course!

RAD

Shame on you Mike!! You of all people should know that photos often do not tell the real story---I believe that many of the "hits" that are apparent on the photo are likely on the holder, with the exeption of the one sort of hidden in her curls (...and even that one could be in the holder), perhaps the mark near her lips, and the luster break on her neck.
Unfortunately, ANY of those should have kept it out of a 68 holder, so I hope they are all in the plastic. I tend to agree with Mercfan re: DLRC.......

michael

well it is a super registry piece of plastic from the top tier service therefore it must be a monster gem piece of plastic and since this is all impotent for the registry and where all the demand is then you give registry people what they want plastic and tags then i see this as a really fair opinion of this coin from this coin seller

michael

and most importantly they are not calling the coin a monster gem

as you see super registry coin in this description

so..................

this is the monster gem the plastic holder and tag

wake up and get with the program!!

mercurydimeguy

<< <i>and most importantly they are not calling the coin a monster gem

as you see super registry coin in this description

so..................

this is the monster gem the plastic holder and tag

wake up and get with the program!! >>





I was also going to make this destinction...DL is simply selling a piece of plastics. I had an interesting conversation with a good friend of mine today, and we discussed what is meant by the term "credible" and "reputable" dealer in context of the dealers selling PCGS and NGC coins.

RAD, are you implying that a DL piece of PCGS plastic is any more reputable than a 50 feedback eBay seller piece of PCGS plastic? If this coin was not on DL's website would your impression of it be different?

By calling a dealer reputable or credible are we really saying (reading between the lines, here) that dealer sells right for the grade or undergraded PCGS plsatic, and a non-reputable dealer sells overgraded PCGS plastic.

I'm confused by the duplicity and the terminology that gets circulated around these forums because if someone sells a PCGS coin they are neither credible nor reputable, nor are they irreputable or non-credible. They are selling a coin slabbed by PCGS with PCGS's opinion on the coin -- not theirs.

So if a dealer sells overgraded PCGS coins he/she is non reputable, and if a dealer sells undergraded or right for the grade coins he/she is reputable?

So where does the TPG fit in to all of this since it is their product that's being sold and not the dealers?

Buy the coin and not the holder...because it is easy to get in to the trap of rationlizing the grade on the holder and justifying why that coin "must be that grade".

I'll challenge anyone to buy this coin, crack it and resubmit and if it comes back in a 68FB holder I'll buy it from you +15% above what you paid for it...and if it comes back a 66FB you give it to me for free

RAD

No, Mike ......I was not intimating that DLRC coins are necessarily any better described than any other seller's...only that I have generally been pleasantly surprised by coins I have bought from them (though admittedly none have been Mercs) and more importantly, with me they have gone above and beyond the call in making a deal "right" when there was difference of opinion.

My point was really directed at the fact that I felt many of the "hits" referred to were likely (in my opinion) in the holder rather than in the coin, BUT that in my opinion the coin was likely a 67, not a 68, due to the presence of SUSPECTED contact marks as I indicated, and that the REAL test of a coin is IN HAND!!! Scans (and I think that is what DLRC uses) are, IMHO, notorious for 'focusing' on the plastic since the coins is actually a few mm away from the glass (due to the presence of the holder), and often mis-state the quality of the coin contained within (potentially both to the positive and negative). The real test comes with coin in hand.....and having some confidence in the seller, and perhaps more importantly in the sellers willingness to make a deal 'right'. I guess I thought you were a little hard on DLRC with your intimations.....I suspect that you would, however, agree that a SCANNED coin could easily regrade at one point above or below it's current "set" grade, depending on the mood of the graders (again you of all people should know that ---AU becomes MS63???????). ANYWAY......no offense intended!!!!

segoja

How many coins get downgraded that are not copper????

I have a few that would grade 3-4 grades lower, but they are big ticket in the exisitng grade. They never down grade those.

mercurydimeguy

<< <i>No, Mike ......I was not intimating that DLRC coins are necessarily any better described than any other seller's...only that I have generally been pleasantly surprised by coins I have bought from them (though admittedly none have been Mercs) and more importantly, with me they have gone above and beyond the call in making a deal "right" when there was difference of opinion.

My point was really directed at the fact that I felt many of the "hits" referred to were likely (in my opinion) in the holder rather than in the coin, BUT that in my opinion the coin was likely a 67, not a 68, due to the presence of SUSPECTED contact marks as I indicated, and that the REAL test of a coin is IN HAND!!! Scans (and I think that is what DLRC uses) are, IMHO, notorious for 'focusing' on the plastic since the coins is actually a few mm away from the glass (due to the presence of the holder), and often mis-state the quality of the coin contained within (potentially both to the positive and negative). The real test comes with coin in hand.....and having some confidence in the seller, and perhaps more importantly in the sellers willingness to make a deal 'right'. I guess I thought you were a little hard on DLRC with your intimations.....I suspect that you would, however, agree that a SCANNED coin could easily regrade at one point above or below it's current "set" grade, depending on the mood of the graders (again you of all people should know that ---AU becomes MS63???????). ANYWAY......no offense intended!!!! >>



No offense...

BTW -- I just completed my 1935 Mint Set. Believe it or not, it's the only one that's a 100% complete, and I actually won an award for it for 2005

RAD

congratulations!!! That's not a birth year set, is it?????