I need some advice. I have NEVER seen this before! A TPG slab gets cracked IN BETWEEN taking picture

oreville

Ok, this would be funny if you were NOT the consignor or the auctioneer!

This is not to pick on the auctioneer as anyone can make mistakes including the auctioneer and me. By the way, I have been quite pleased with the pictures they have taken overall.

Here goes,

A 1972 DDO cent in PCGS MS-67RD, the early PCGS blue holder (from 1998) gets consigned to the auctioneer and they take a nice lovely big picture of the coin shown below. This coin has remained pretty stable color-wise since 1998 and has remained in this holder since 1998.

Things look good so far.

Then I see the second set of pictures which shows the slab of the coin and I immediately noticed that the slab is CRACKED right in the front!

Thoughts to my head?

(1) How could this happen? There was only picture taking. Does not sound risky to me?
(2) After the picture taking, the slab is left on the web site as is.

I do not have a problem with this as these things CAN happen. But I am surprised the photographer did not make sure I was called immediately on this.

Obviously, the auctioneer should get this slab reholdered at once. I do not think there is any dispute about that. I would be surprised if they left that up to the buyer to have it reholdered after the sale. It is NOT a big deal and thankfully, this was NOT a very old slab. Also, the coin appears to be safe.
But of course, is there something dangerous in the photo taking?

My question is this. Should the auctioneer leave the old cracked holder up there for prospective buyers to see the older holder and also show the reholdered coin and just explain that the slab got cracked during a most unusual handling accident?

Transparency and honesty has been the auctioneer's approach the past number of years.
Would that transparency help or hurt me as a consignor as well as the auctioneer itself?

Mistakes do happen but I ALMOST chuckled at this one.

I do not believe this has EVER happened before!

Your thoughts?

ColonialCoinUnion

Some people bang the slab on a table to tilt it in a holder for photography, so yes, picture taking can theoretically be a risky activity.

Not saying that's what happened in this case, since I don't know.

I'm positive HA will make it right though.

adamlaneus

Yes, there is something inherently dangerous about shooting coins on a stand.

If the coin is in place and framed...directly under the equipment.

And you make an equipment change...without removing the coin from the stand...

There is always the potential for dropping the equipment. It will eventually happen.

In this case, it looks like the coin was saved. That would have been a heck of a hit if it had impacted the coin itself!!!

A few photo setups are not a "top-down" configuration. But most are, and gravity will tend to pull anything you fumble or drop right at the slab underneath the lens.

I am amazed that they posted such a picture. I would assume that this sort of error would delay the sale of the coin until it was reholdered without the crack.

stinkinlincoln

With that damage, I would be very leery that no damage happened to the coin. Id be very surprised if that coin didnt get messed up with that crack.



They should have it reholdered and at cost to them. Also they should be very 'nice' to the coins owner. They are paying for a service. What if they destroyed that coin?


Also, they shouldnt have that as the picture for the sale. It shows a lack of qualtiy service from an Industry leader. We get that from the damn Mint.
Also, I wouldnt dare send a slab like that to a buyer. Big time dealer or not. Thats crap.

adamlaneus

<< <i>Some people bang the slab on a table to tilt it in a holder for photography, so yes, picture taking can theoretically be a risky activity. >>



WHAT?!? What do you mean?

Do you mean they are trying to get the coin tilted with respect to the slab surface so that they can catch the reflection on the coin without the glare on the slab?

If so, that is a HORRIBLE practice!!! There are ways to do that without the physical violence.

desertgem

Wow, I certainly hope that beautiful coin came through with no damage, but it seems difficult to
expect that. A star pattern in hard plastic doesn't come from falling on a floor or surface. It more
likely that some some stepped on it or a macro lens came loose from the camera and the edge hit
the slab. Certainly it should be reslabbed, and if it is damaged, replaced fully.

Jim

TheNoost

Totally agree

Bochiman

<< <i>Wow, I certainly hope that beautiful coin came through with no damage, but it seems difficult to
expect that. A star pattern in hard plastic doesn't come from falling on a floor or surface. It more
likely that some some stepped on it or a macro lens came loose from the camera and the edge hit
the slab. Certainly it should be reslabbed, and if it is damaged, replaced fully.

Jim >>




Yep, that kind of damage is most likely from someone dropping something on it, not dropping the coin/slab itself.

I would agree with the above that it shouldn't have gone up with a cracked slab for the picture....unless it was accompanied by a new slab and was done just to show it was originally in an older holder (though, now it is exposed to the environment and should really no longer be considered the same as it was before )

WoodenJefferson

I have another theory…when the Misses found out how much he paid for 1¢,
she took it and smacked him across the forehead with the slab and now
you see it for sale again on Heritage. End of discussion.

MoneyLA

Under normal circumstances you send it back to PCGS to be reslabbed. I once bought a slabbed coin from a dealer and in the mail the slab cracked in half -- fortunately the coin remained in the gasket even though the bottom of the slab came separated from the top. I sent it back to PCGS, paid the reslab fee, and it came back good as news. And this was a high grade proof and there was no damage and no question about having it reslabbed.

However, with that said, if the coin was damaged in some way... then "oops."

SaorAlba

<< <i> I once bought a slabbed coin from a dealer and in the mail the slab cracked in half -- fortunately the coin remained in the gasket even though the bottom of the slab came separated from the top. [ /q]

Sounds like the coin had less to do with the damaged slab and some overzealous or careless postal person had more to do with the damage. Coins generally do not try to damage themselves unless they are possessed.

Boom

Ooooh! Bummer!

darktone

RBinTex

Sweet Coin.

I would insist on an expedited reholder & reimage ASAP.

darktone

Oh, I get it. The breakage occurred between pics obviously- yeah they owe you an explanation and a reholder at the very least.

Steve27

Looks like a gun shoot wound to the head; was the photographer's last name Booth?

itsnotjustme

That would take a pretty good impact to creat that star fracture.

Tyler1924S

<< <i>My question is this. Should the auctioneer leave the old cracked holder up there for prospective buyers to see the older holder and also show the reholdered coin and just explain that the slab got cracked during a most unusual handling accident? >>



Personally, I wouldn't display the older holder. If anything, might just have them provide the simple explanation that it's been reholdered because of a crack. Also, I really think they could do better with the close-up pic(s).

Dodged a bullet there. Don't think it was pushed into the coin to have remained flush like that. Possibly some very small plastic shards which need to be blown off. In any event, I'm sure it will be inspected for damage when reholdered. Are you sure about 1998, or is that slab more circa 2001?

oreville

Tyler:

Actually we are both wrong. But I am closer to the right date than you are.

I checked my records and I purchased the coin from Ellesmere Numismatics on July 7, 1999. I would imagine the coin was slabbed in the early part of 1999 after they changed the holder from the very early blue holder in December 1998.

PerryHall

Looks like a few of the windshields on some cars I've owned. Definitely needs to be quickly reholdered.

Tyler1924S

Thanks! Seems like they were out earlier than I thought. By the way... After looking at some camera stands, it would seem that the photographer may not have adequately tightened the camera. It may have slid down the shaft on it's mount, hitting the slab. That hit is so close to dead center, possibly struck by one side/edge of the lens. Just a thought.

mbspiegel

My first post...I saw this thread so I checked on this.

Update: The coin is fine and we already had it reholdered. A new scan will be posted online shortly. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the slab must have been damaged sometime after it was photographed but before it was imaged on a flatbed scanner. But, the coin looks just as good as when it was originally photographed.

Max

TomB

If this were my coin, I would want HA to put not only the newly reholdered image of the coin in the slab within the lot description, but I would also want them to put the damaged image there, too, so that folks can see that the color was stable from 1999-2009 even though this does not guarantee that the coin will remain stable and without damage from the latest reholder.

stinkinlincoln

<<My first post...I saw this thread so I checked on this.

Update: The coin is fine and we already had it reholdered. A new scan will be posted online shortly. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the slab must have been damaged sometime after it was photographed but before it was imaged on a flatbed scanner. But, the coin looks just as good as when it was originally photographed.

Max >>


And you are who?

mbspiegel

A cataloger for Heritage.

anablep

So no big deal...

The coin is safe & intact.

TomB

<< <i>So no big deal...

The coin is safe & intact. >>


In truth, this may be a relatively big deal for the price realized on the coin. There are buyers who would prefer RD designated copper to be in an older generation holder so the color or surface can be infered to be stable. However, those same buyers might bid less or not at all on a newly slabbed RD designated copper coin. Therefore, if you exclude one or more of these buyers then the selling price may drop dramatically.

lusterlover

Maybe it was done on purpose to distract the buyer from the fingerprints.

notwilight

Took the closeup with the big heavy macro. Switching to the shorter lense for taking the slab photo the macro was apparently dropped. --Jerry

yellowkid

No problem, get some SlabRenew and rub until you get through the plastic.

sinin1

I am glad all worked out - am sure Heritage does plenty of bisiness with PCGS


they may even have someone fly vack and forth for deliverys





seeing the crack, it reminds me of trying to get my camera a little closer, but then too close

oreville

You mean all of you guys get to discuss all this with the auctioneer before I find out about this?

This is the first I am hearing of this.

Boy they work fast and efficiently.

telephoto1

Am I the only one who sees what look to be tiny carbon spots/ light fingermarks on this piece? And they gave it a 7 grade???