Another One Bites The Dust... Prongs Serial Kill White Metal :(
Broadstruck
Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
What a shame as this is a rarer mule struck with two obverse dies of both Henry Clay & William Harrison which was in wonderful condition 
If you are new to hearing this white metal requires equal peripheral support or over time the rims square in at the prong points.
On this examples you can see it's already there, but can be salvaged from getting worse.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
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A strap of leather and a mallot will fix that one right up.
I am really surprised at this. I figured the pressure would not be nearly enough to impact any metal.
Ignorance of WM attributes or an unfortunate oversight?
After I alerted NGC's exonumia manager at a show pointing out the damage they came out with this full silicone supporting ring insert for white metal. Although I noticed it now nearly a decade ago there's still many hundreds if not thousands in pronged holders. It occurs to thin and very thick planchets alike.
Man, that would tick me off like my Indian cents in 80's dansco albums
I LOVE MY HOST!!!!
I bet it happens when these types of medals are dropped on the ground or repeatedly into a slab box. Repeated downward pressure over probably exacerbates the damage. The silicone rings are the best way to redistribute the pressure over more of the edge/rims.
That’s unfortunate and is also educational for myself.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with the forum.
I doubt that is the main issue. Likely just sitting vertically in a slab box causes it, thanks to gravity.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Next question: what exactly is white metal?
I always thought it was an old name for aluminum. Or is it a lead or tin alloy?
What kind of garbage is white metal made from?
Collector, occasional seller
Tin considered a junk metal or PC wise the most affordable.
Aluminum became the hot new metal introduced and raved about at the Columbian Expo in Chicago.
Prior to 1892/3 aluminum was more costlier an ounce than gold.
That is why I included the term "exacerbates" in my explanation.
At the risk of catching some kind of virus I ventured onto the World Wide Net to fund a precise definition of "white metal".
Wikipedia (based on their name I am sure they are never wrong
) said this:
"The white metals are any of several light-colored alloys used as a base for plated silverware, ornaments or novelties, as well as any of several lead-based or tin-based alloys used for things like bearings, jewellery, miniature figures, fusible plugs, some medals and metal type. The term is also used in the antiques trade for an item suspected of being silver, but not hallmarked.
A white metal alloy may include antimony, tin, lead, cadmium, bismuth, and zinc (some of which are quite toxic). Not all of these metals are found in all white metal alloys."
I haven't handled raw antimony, cadmium, or bismuth, but the other metals mentioned have at least some level of strength and are used in various applications elsewhere.
The damage shown in the OP is real and it is obvious, but I am still having trouble accepting that a plastic prong could do that sort of damage to a medal of any substance without other factors involved. I usually think of damage to metal as being caused by a specific force/strike, not a prolonged exposure to pressure.
Are there any examples of these white metal medals that are not damaged by prongs? Are there any other factors at all that could have contributed to the impact of the prongs (repeated hits to the slab, as suggested previously)?
Very informative post! Thank you for sharing, and its awesome you were instrumental in the holder change
AKA Pakasmom
Yeah it's like the Head Cheese of metals.
Has anyone done any research with regards to the effect the prongs might have on the surface of the coin at the contact points? Toning for instance.
Effect of affect? Never quite sure.
I am not interested in any coin/token/medal made out of a substance that can't defend itself from a rubbery plastic substance from a rigidity perspective.
Don't quote me but I think an "effect" on the medal can "affect" the value. (Or vice versa, or none of the above, or....).
Here's a thread about another sad example. The Norweb 1792 quarter.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/997485/partrick-norweb-1792-quarter-j-13-in-white-metal-crossed-from-ngc-to-pcgs
I never cared for 'white metal' coins/medals/tokens.... always seemed like a trash alloy....I know that is not a good way to think of it, but that was always my impression. Though I am surprised that the metal would be soft enough to flow from such a mild constraint. Cheers, RickO
Thanks as I forgot about my photo
So, does this effect just happen with the NGC pronged holders or are white metal pieces in PCGS plastic in danger, too?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Well I really can't answer that as I haven't viewed enough PCGS white metal examples that hadn't just been slabbed prior to auction. Secondly since knowing this I mostly purchase and keep any white metal tokens and medals raw. What I can say is I at first thought the damage was caused by pressure of the item being forced in. NGC however does not buy their holders in and every prong is part of the main white acrylic body which is specially per diameter custom CNC cut with enough of a tolerance for the item to just hover between the prongs.