Milk spotting.....again

boucharda · January 31, 2008 6:38AM

This afternoon I finally got up the courage to check out my ASE's for the dreaded milkspots...I have approx. 200 graded ASE's including fifty 3 coin Anniversary sets (17 NGC70/70/70). All of the coins are in the same place in NGC/PCGS boxes.
Of the 200 or so coins only 6 are PCGS graded (MS69 3-FS 2006, 3-FS 2007). Milkspot count: PCGS 6 of 6, one huge spots, 5 smaller multiple spots; NGC 0 of 190. I don't think it's a problem originating in the US Mint with zero spots in another slab.
Just FYI for those not buying ASE's because of spotting.

HonoluluDude · January 31, 2008 6:40AM

yep, don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but only the ones in PCGS slabs started spotting in my inventory. that's why I got rid of most of 'em. The ones still in Mint packaging and Mint tubes are spotless, going back to 2004.

Rarity · January 31, 2008 6:42AM

If this is true, I agree that milk spot is very likely caused by the environment/coin housing. I always thought that PCGS holder is tighter sealed than NGC. Could this be the effect of the type of paper insert, or the lab where the coins are placed into slabs?

luckyman · January 31, 2008 6:42AM

I'm sitting on a five set unopened mint case of ase's. I'm afraid to send it in for grading because I don't want them

to come out milk spotted and body bagged. Your observation of just a pcgs slab problem is an interesting one. Anyone

else seeing the same thing or is this just unique to this person's experience? I do want to have them graded.

RayNY2E · January 31, 2008 6:43AM

Thanks for the Report. Very interesting the NGC's don't exhibit the Spotting. I'm an ASE guy Myself,With 3 Registry Sets of Circulation ASE's in 1st Place on PCGS Registry,but I'm 99.9% PCGS (i guess) unfortunately. I have 28 of Them All, 20th Anniversaries,a Good part of Those First Strikes and quite a Few Reverse Proofs, sitting at PCGS waiting for their Spot Review. I Just got a Freshly Slabbed PCGS First Strike 2007-W ASE in MS70 this week and it has TWO spots on it already! Needless to say i was very disapponted to see this on a Freshly Graded MS70 but it also went back. Sad For All of Us for Sure. Ray in Florida..

USAFRETWI · January 31, 2008 6:48AM

My regular proof has milk pretty bad. The RP is o.k. so far. Selling them (set) on the 10th at the coin show in Rochester MN

ricko · January 31, 2008 6:49AM

I have PCGS slabbed ASE's.... from as far back as 1995 (yes, the W) - NO milk spots. Cheers, RickO

HonoluluDude · January 31, 2008 6:52AM

Too bad Scully and Mulder are out of business-- they would have a field day with milk spots.

BECOKA · January 31, 2008 6:56AM

I have 3 complete MS sets in NGC holders and all but 5 are badly spotted. The 1996 coins are hardly recognizable.

I have one complete Proof set in PCGS holders with no spots.

The problem originates at the mint but does not take affect until it reaches the right environment.

BR2055 · January 31, 2008 6:58AM

I have the entire set (no 95-W) in their original boxes, and with NO Milk spot's. I have 2 in NGC Slabs with no spots.

tahoe98 · January 31, 2008 6:59AM

i got some with and some no.................

boucharda · January 31, 2008 7:01AM

<< The problem originates at the mint but does not take affect until it reaches the right environment >>

That's what I thought but my "environment" is a constant for both NGC and PCGS

Texast · January 31, 2008 7:02AM

So far of the slabbed ASE's that I have handeled NGC 0 of 50 had spots, PCGS about 10 percent have shown spots, ICG about 5 percent. After watching the PCGS video about the grading process I have to wonder when they place the coin in the gasket they are doing it on the table surface, I wonder what cleaning solution redsidue or other contamination may be on the surface of that table. Maybe the $50,000 solution to the problem should be put into a "Clean Room" for packaging these slabs.

BECOKA · January 31, 2008 7:02AM

<< 

<< The problem originates at the mint but does not take affect until it reaches the right environment >>

That's what I thought but my "environment" is a constant for both NGC and PCGS >>

Not every coin has the same amount of rinse residue and chances are your PCGS ones are from one batch. It is such a small sample size to make that conclusion. Why then are my results directly opposite yours with a much larger sample size?

Also you don't know what kind of environment these coins were exposed to on the way, at and on the way back from the grading companies. Not to mention from the mint to you or whoever you bought them from. These holders are not air tight.

HonoluluDude · January 31, 2008 7:03AM

<< The problem originates at the mint but does not take affect until it reaches the right environment. >>

Similar to herpes!

MadMarty · January 31, 2008 7:05AM

I sent some Canada Proof Dollars to PCGS, after 6 months all had milkspots on them. I have another 25 in NGC plastic and none have spotted.

It's that Newport Beach sea air!!!

boucharda · January 31, 2008 7:08AM

<< chances are your PCGS ones are from one batch. >>

As I said they are 3 2006's and 3 2007's

I like the "clean room" idea

19Lyds · January 31, 2008 7:08AM

Enviroment also takes into consideration the slab the coin is in.................er bullion is in!

As a side note, I have some 1998's that have never seen a PCGS or NGC Slab and they have such bad milk spot residue, reminiscent of the 1971-S Eisenhower Silvers, that I won't even bother having them graded. These are in original mint air tights and I am the original owner.

RayNY2E · January 31, 2008 7:18AM

<< I have PCGS slabbed ASE's.... from as far back as 1995 (yes, the W) - NO milk spots. Cheers, RickO >>

Ok RickO, Out With It, What's Your Secret? Inquiring Minds Want To Know,Lol. Ray in Florida..

OPA · January 31, 2008 7:53AM

It appears to me, that residents of FL & CA seem to have the most problems with milk spots ... Am I wrong with that assumption? Very seldom do I hear from anyone living in the Midwest with this dilema....

Bochiman · January 31, 2008 7:56AM

Can you identify the origin of all the coins? Ie.....did you get the NGC and PCGS from the same source who got them from the same place/time?
If there is a planchet rinse issue, it is likely to be batched.

StampAlarm · January 31, 2008 7:57AM

I live in Teaxs. Kinda between Houston and Austin. It's hot, humid, and milk spotty. The
first time I pulled my ASE out of the sdb and saw milk spots, that weren't previously there,
I thought somebody had brushed their teeth over them. I didn't have a clue what was
going on.

Jerry

relicsncoins · January 31, 2008 7:58AM

I have 6 2007 20th ASE's in NGC holders and none have spots. I also have 1 set raw, and it has no spots.

JJ

Bochiman · January 31, 2008 12:30PM

I'm with RickO on this, btw, in that none of mine (PCGS, raw, PCI, etc, have ever shown spotting while I had them)

pf70collector · January 31, 2008 12:30PM

I have had about 12 of my PCGS 2006 Slabbed Anniversary ASE's spot while my 4 sets of NGC 's are spotless also. I sold some of my PCGS spotted sets and 5 PCGS 70's in for spot review. I have a feeling that PCGS may stop giving out 70's soon again. JMHO.

EricSan · January 31, 2008 11:41PM

I have almost an entire run of Silver Eagle Proofs in OGP. No spots. No special actions have been taken to "seal" the sets or control moisture, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to learn that the spots are the result of an ocean-proximity-effect. Salt water is nasty stuff...

Eric

Casman · January 31, 2008 11:56PM

Spots on 1 coin only of 12 pcgs 20th anniversary sets, I did choose to dump them due to the spotting issue. Spots on 2 older 2001 pcgs ASE's. Also, while recently at the local b&m, I looked through several folders/binders with NGC slabbed ASE's and every one of them had spots all over the place. I brought up the problem with the milk spots issue with the owner and he looked like he didn't know what I was talking about. When I showed him he said, OH thats acid etching?

ricko · February 1, 2008 12:03AM

RayNY2e, I wish I had a secret.. could be worth $50K from PCGS.... I keep my coins in my very large gun safe (slabbed, raw, etc) in my residence. I do have bags of silica there (prevents humidity in a closed atmosphere), along with the guns etc.... I have at least three sets of ASE's - slabbed, in an album and in mint issue airtites. No milkspotting. I check them at least twice a year, usually when the fever hits this forum (as it has recently). So, nothing special. Cheers, RickO

madmacabre · February 1, 2008 1:00AM

could someone post a picture of a good example ASE with milk spots for this big newby? Im not sure what milk spots look like.

19Lyds · February 1, 2008 1:20AM

fc · February 1, 2008 1:48AM

the solution is to treat these coins as bullion only!
pay accordingly.

sorry i could not resist. :-)

sbeverly · February 1, 2008 3:19AM

I just went through 30 mint tubes. 600 coins with no problems.
I don't have any slabbed.

p.s. These are in the high humidity State of Florida.

RayNY2E · February 1, 2008 3:27AM

I have a Friend In Buffalo New York who has the Same Trouble and Also I Know another guy in Phoenix Who has Spots...(That does'nt sound right does it.Lol)! Ray in Florida..

YaHa · February 1, 2008 3:41AM

Could it be that's why PCGS is the top grading company, charge huge dollars, are tough of grading, but put your expensive coins in cheap recycled plastic slabs?

I also own 8 Ngc 70/70/70 sets and don't have no issues what so ever with spots.

Coll3ctor · February 1, 2008 3:51AM

Out of around 300+ of my raw, NGC and PCGS coins only the ones in PCGS holders are spotting

vplite · February 1, 2008 4:15AM

I've got plenty of milk spots here in St. Louis. None have been to PCGS.

57loaded · February 1, 2008 4:38AM

<< It appears to me, that residents of FL & CA seem to have the most problems with milk spots ... Am I wrong with that assumption? Very seldom do I hear from anyone living in the Midwest with this dilema.... >>

Jerry, FWIW some of my ASE 20th ASE's have gone to Mid-West with no problems (the collector checked last week at my urgent request) .... but both TPG's are on the coast...how far inland is NGC? maybe SGS has been onto something all along??? lol

i have had minimal problems with NGC
ASE left out in the "open" as well as older ASE's in mint capsules for over ten years, nada problems
and a hella lot o'milk with PCGS
i live near enough to hear the Pacific surf....
all my PCGS ASE is in vacuum seal bags now, so far so good.

DAMN and all those 2008 PCGS ASE MS70's are going for stupid money right now, PCGS must really need some revenue PDQ, IMHO.

BAJJERFAN · February 1, 2008 2:45PM

<< I just went through 30 mint tubes. 600 coins with no problems.
I don't have any slabbed.

p.s. These are in the high humidity State of Florida. >>

It gets pretty humid in the summertime here in Iowa and none of my PCGS slabed ASEs have spotted.

Konahead · February 1, 2008 2:59PM

all of my ase's are in NGC (>200) an not one spot! I keep them in a safe in NGC boxes.

BAJJERFAN · February 1, 2008 3:02PM

<< yep, don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but only the ones in PCGS slabs started spotting in my inventory. that's why I got rid of most of 'em.
The ones still in Mint packaging and Mint tubes are spotless, going back to 2004. >>

There is another possible explanation for this if you think about it.

Milk spotting.....again

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