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A layman guide for how to tell when a coin is in its final resting place

mercurydimeguymercurydimeguy Posts: 4,625 ✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
A lot of us have a way of knowing when a coin up for sale/auction is in its final resting place (a.k.a. its coffin), without having the ability to review the coin in hand.



What are some of the tips/tricks you are willing to share with the forum members, which help you determine whether or not a coin is in its coffin or if the coin might be a B+ coin for the grade (without having a CAC sticker).



Thanks!

Comments

  • SonorandesertratSonorandesertrat Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Grading coins using images is a fool's game, and in no event should this be taken seriously. Why? There is the matter of the edge of a coin. There are frequent difficulties that are encountered when attempting to assess a coin's luster, based on static images. On more than a dozen occasions, I have held coins in hand, thought they were great, and then rotated/tilted them and wham! A long, thin scratch became visible. Etc.



    Anyone who thinks that coins can be accurately graded from images is kidding himself.
    Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA

    RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'

    CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,956 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Coins that are absolutely headed for their final resting place.



    image

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 12,475 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ms70...now that is tacky and should be buried.
    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

    BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When I own them.... they will not reenter the market at least until after I am long gone..

    Cheers, RickO
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,609 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's a simple answer, but the secret is to learn to grade coins. To do that you need look at as many graded coins as you can, and if you can find one, learn from a good teacher.


    The best way to see a lot coins is go to a lot of shows and examine as many coins as possible. That's why confining your self to "Internet only" purchases is not a good strategy to become a well versed collector.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • shylockshylock Posts: 4,288 ✭✭✭
    image

    Sometimes you can track a coin through the years and know when it has maxed out.
    Paul <> altered surfaces <> CoinGallery.org
  • mercurydimeguymercurydimeguy Posts: 4,625 ✭✭✭✭
    I have a simple example...



    Coin in slab flavor A, appears in Auction Venue X and doesn't sell.

    The same appears in very prominent dealer inventory and doesn't sell.

    The very prominent dealer typically sells 70% slab flavor B, and 30% slab flavor A.

    Coin appears on eBay (same dealer) over and over in variety of formats and price points, and doesn't ever sell.

    Coin appears in another prominent Auction Venue Y and doesn't sell.

    The same coin again appears on eBay for a few months in a variety of formats/price points and doesn't sell.

    Coin appears in less prominent "collector friendly" Auction Venue Z and doesn't sell.

    Coin reappears in the same slab flavor A on eBay and sits at the same BIN as before.



    I see this happen all the time and know this is a coin to stay away from, as this dealer would have already had this coin in slab flavor B and sold if the coin was at least up to par with the assigned grade. No in-hand viewing ever needed...



    /mdg.

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,609 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Price is everything. If a dealer constantly wants PQ money and it doesn't sell, that only means for sure that it is over priced, but perhaps not over graded. The important issues for you should be, do I like it or not? Does it fit in my collection? Is the price in line with the market? Knowing prices and following a coin's history as you have done is only the beginning. You have to know how to grade.



    Looking at the 1877 cent in the graveyard, I'd from the little picture that it does not have enough red color to be called red. It looks to be R&B.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • shylockshylock Posts: 4,288 ✭✭✭
    Bill - That may be partly due to Heritage's poor copper images back then. But when it sold in Goldberg's sale a grade lower that looked about right.
    Paul <> altered surfaces <> CoinGallery.org

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