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*** Old thread updated *** Please share your favorite Details or problem coin.
BryceM
Posts: 11,739 ✭✭✭✭✭
In a recent thread, @Walkerguy21D posted a nice Seated Half possessed of both a nice look and unfortunate hairlines.
I suppose I have two favorite "problem" coins. Each has been submitted twice and each has come back the same way from the graders twice. To be precise, one is in a straight-graded holder at a grade that is vastly below what I and at least three dealers expected. Maybe it's a slider but I can't see it.
The other is this beautiful coin which I stole away from @lkeigwin a few years ago. Can anyone guess what the graders said about it?
Please share your examples.
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Here's a 1831 Capped Bust Half. I've looked for CBHs for a while and have found 2 problem free ones that I liked, but never sprung for those. Will have to next time.
Bought this one raw, then sent it with two other draped bust halves to ANACS for certification. (They were cheaper!)
Came back as cleaned.
When I crossed them all to PCGS, I made the ill advised decision to not crack it...so it remains "Cleaned".
And, maybe it is. I don't see it. Still haven't decided if I'll someday try it raw again...but it's probably throwing good money away at this point. I probably just need to accept it.
This 1797 half cent got kciked back to me as "cleaned" by one of the serivces, I forget which one.
Cleaned and recolored was the verdict on this 1800 half cent.
This 1802 half cent, which was in the Garrett Collection, also came back in a body bag.
Guess everyone here collects only problem-free coin.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
Not everyone! I’m building a dansco type set with problem coins that still look good (at least to me
).
Here are two examples:
(AU and VF details respectively)
Here are two AT examples that I liked (I no longer have the Peace Dollar).
Excelsior Club 22 Elm St/ Good For A Scent, 1863 PCGS Fine Details
It will have to do; it is the only one in existence!
It could just as easily went VG-8 problem free, in my opinion. It is just heavily circulated with corresponding marks.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
"The detriment of a defect decreases as the square of the rarity increases."
Hemispherical - that coin looks nearly "as struck." Should be MS-70....
(What's with the "moderator approval" bug?)
That’s a beautiful Peace Dollar. What didn’t they like about it?
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Great thread!
I guess we at times get caught up in quest for perfect coins, or are embarrassed (at least here) to post
our problem coins.
That 21 Peace dollar has a tremendous strike, but the luster seems strangely flat. I'd guess it was cleaned or
has altered surfaces?
Like Billjones, I have a number of early copper coins (large cents) that are either in genny holders, or would be if submitted. I don't have any of my Lib Caps or Wreath cents photographed, but here are a few others.
This first coin was purchased from one of the major EAC dealers, and bbagged at both services.
I only have two details graded coins. This 1879-CC $20 is in an NGC XF Details holder labeled "Rev Rim Filed". The rim filing, also called test mark, is on the reverse above the ‘T’ in states. Test marks were sometimes cut into the rims of CC gold coins from the 1870’s as a way to ensure their authenticity and gold purity. The major grading services will often encapsulate CC coins with minor rim defects, perhaps this one will be in a problem-free holder one day.
@BryceM Did you also submit the '21? You know if you sold it, you'd someday see it in a straight-graded holder.
I was miffed that PCGS bodybagged this bust half as cleaned. It's a struggle to see any hairlines. I intend to try again soon.
Lance.
@lkeigwin Yeah, I sent it in once. It came back *.92, cleaned. While I think something light once happened to the surfaces, it’s certainly a very close call. It would not surprise me at all to see it in a straight-grade holder someday. A couple more years in the brown envelope would probably do it.
I’ve looked it over quite carefully and there aren’t any focal defects like rim issues, hairlines, or evidence of metal movement. Perhaps the down of a newly hatched snow owl once lightly fluttered over the coin.
If anyone can load a picture of HA 1231-5304, it's the Parmelee 1792 Silver Disme (3 known) which @DrDuck, @MrEureka and I bought in a Stacks sale in 2000 at $103,500. Sold by Bob Simpson HA 1/16 at $329K.
One of the coolest coins I've owned. Described as "smoothed, polished, remnants of an old inscription" .
My notes
"FUBAR
135 (in auction code)
must I?"
http://ha.com/1231*5304
This Small Stars has a lot going for her.... and some going against her.
But I still like this coin.
1614 8 reales, Segovia (aqueduct mintmark), ex Huntington collection.
I have a few, this bust half has an unfortunate rim bruise and has been subjected to a cleaning or two in its life, now sitting in my 7070 album. I also have a couple of Lincolns that I was fooled on but no pics of those right now.
And I have a seated qtr in an old ANACS holder with a few issues.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Lots of CBH coins in this category. Too bad. They're beautiful coins anyhow.
The disme..... we'll that's just too cool.
Early copper is one area that I don't judge as harshly when it comes to a light cleaning or a bit of planchet erosion. Some of them weren't all that great when minted.
1921 Peace Dollar
1876-S Trade Dollar
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
My favorite "problem" coin story is one I've told before. Some newer members might not have heard it. No longer own the coin though.
PCGS MS64 $10 Lib bought out of a major NY City auction around 12-14 yrs ago for $2200. Nearly mark free, no hairlines, nice satiny look. Looked like a no brainer 65+. Cracked it out and sent in again.
First sent back to PCGS......no grade....altered surfaces.
Second trip to NGC....no grade.....altered surfaces.
In showing it to several PNG gold wholesalers who were some of the best in the business, they couldn't identify anything wrong with it.....though "felt" it had something about it that might not be quite right. And I told them its history before they looked at it. Since I couldn't get anything more than $1500 for the coin raw as 63+, I had no choice but to consign it auction and hope someone else might see the "MS65" potential I once did.
Unknown to me the major auction house really loved the coin and resubmitted it. Voila. First time in NGC MS66. The price realized at auction was $5500.
4 times graded...........64, NG, NG, 66. So what was it really? Well, it wasn't an MS65 as I first thought....lol.
INYNWHWeTrust-TexasNationals,ajaan,blu62vette
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Just purchased this off of eBay to lick my wounds and fill a pesky Dansco hole after being the underbidder for a 57-S in EF40 a few weeks ago.
Scratched... I get it. But still a nice coin...
My current "Box of 20"
One of my favorite store cards. It’s a R-10 so being improperly cleaned doesn’t bother me.
"A penny hit by lightning is worth six cents". Opie Taylor
I have a holed 1955 double die I like very much, got to find photos.
One great strike IMO.
I'd like to see it in hand.
I would hope it wasn't details cleand. If not it's gotta be above 65 is my guess.
old anacs holder, rev. graffiti; lightened the images so you can see the marks under the right wing.. barely.
This 1874-P Trade $ was most likely bagged for the drill test mark and might grade if resubmitted. Notice how the word surface is misspelled.
Bought in the ANACS slab, cracked for a Dansco, submitted to PCGS figuring they might call it ED.
I turned down a straight trade for the same coin in MS65 when it was in the ANACS slab, and I’ll never get a better offer than that for it anyway regardless of what slab it’s in. Love the coin... that trade offer sure was a test of my inner collector, though admittedly it was not an attractive 65.
Picked this unattributed from an auction than cracked it out. Sent it to NGC to get it in a holder.
Damn, i get so much mileage out if this one little silver coin the size of my pinkie fingernail..
"Post a problem coin, post an early coin, post original surfaces, post draped bust, post a holed coin, post a low pop coin, post a favorite coin...
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
ust one?
Reasearch has dried up, and so too has this,36 S cent. Notice below LIBERTY. ...(of) ?
In a font, called Pristina. I'd show it but do not have it in my type faces.
Can't clean it, rub it or, even cuddle it.
I'm Stuck..!
For the record, the coin in my first post is no longer a problem coin. It apparently changed, and now resides in an NGC MS64 holder.
I find all of this amusing. I'm sure some will find the inconsistency appalling, and I'm sure some will imagine that this is evidence of the superiority of one TPG over another. I think it's a "tweener" with the look of an MS65 and some slight issue (perhaps slightly subdued luster???) that bothers some graders more than others. Seems right at home in its new holder to me.
ATV or AVT ?
36,24,36 only the shadow knows.
LOL.
Speaking of problem shadows.
FG and it's shadow of the strike. Problem.
AM touching or not. Problem.
The Fox and the Hound comes to mind.
But this is for another day.
I just picked up this Trade dollar earlier this evening:
I'm going to pop it out of the slab and place it in a Dansco type set I am building.
peacockcoins
Mr_Spud
Really cool transitional obverse, semi-PL under a thick patina due to being struck with proof dies. Marginal cleaned designation with very few hairlines... it'll get another shot soon.
PS - @TennesseeDave If you still have that 74-P hanging around, irritating you in the details holder...shoot me a DM😉
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US Gold Showcase --- World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
I've shared this one before. I took a chance and bought this one raw at a local show. PCGS said it had been cleaned with AU details. I couldn't look at the slab without regret and irritation so I cracked it and put it in my type set album.
Maybe there's a hairline in there somewhere, but I cannot see it. The tru-view looks nice.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
I keep thinking I’m going to resubmit this one again someday. I can’t see any evidence of cleaning, but acknowledge there might be “environmental damage” - water related. True Views not used as they’re way too dark.
“The thrill of the hunt never gets old”
PCGS Registry: Screaming Eagles
Copperindian
Retired sets: Soaring Eagles
Copperindian
Assigning the word graffiti is harsh. I have seen an example, recently, with unappealing, haphazard runic lettering, that was gifted the beloved 'engraved' descriptor. I refuse to accept 'Graffiti'. Oh, but I was pleasantly surprised by the classy, solid gasket that surrounds the coin.
Matt Snebold