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what causes this (spotting? smearing?) on proof gold and can it be conserved?
AlanLastufka
Posts: 188 ✭✭✭✭
The seller's pictures weren't great. Coins arrived today and I found this weird smudge/spotting on the coin. Haven't seen this on proof gold before.
Curious if you can identify what it is and whether it can be conserved easily by PCGS or if I should just return it? I planned on having the coin reholdered anyway for TrueViews, so adding in the conserving wouldn't be a big deal. It's graded PR69DCAM so I would assume it developed after it was holdered?
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All sorts of things. Depends on the grade of the slab. That's one way to guess when the "characteristic" developed. Gold is noble - it's tough. Conservation will remove virtually anything on it.
I'm not sure what the gunk is, or whether it could be conserved fully. Risky. I'd return it and find another.
Lance.
Looks like fingerprints/smears to me. Plus a scratched (mishandled) slab.
Send it back. There are plenty more out there to choose from without any issues.
Messaged the seller about a return, he says he's never seen that smudge on there and wants to check his hi-res images at the office tomorrow before moving forward with a solution. The listing says he doesn't accept returns, but I think it's safe to say this is not as described. This would not grade 69 if broken out and resubmitted.
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Try to work with the seller to get a refund.
That's a fairly rough coin for a PR69.
Sounds to me like the seller is starting the 'stall'. Don't go for it.
Return as 'not as described' if he doesn't agree to an amicable return. Dot every 'I' & cross every 'T' with this seller. If his pictures in the auction are different than yours then something is hinkey.
are you sure it's real?
appears authentic
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Typically, how a certified coin might grade, if broken out and resubmitted, doesn’t answer the question of whether it was “as described”. If a seller doesn’t describe a coin beyond its assigned grade, the coin is, in essence, as described.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Looks like it would easily be conserved.... If raw, acetone would probably remove that residue. That being said, I would return it....You have the sellers pictures, you have your pictures....file a claim, you will win. Cheers, RickO
Aren't the pics part of the description? If the coin has a problem and the pics don't show that problem, wouldn't that be considered as "not as described"?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Yes, but I believe it would be a matter of degree and circumstances. For example, if it turned out that images had been manipulated in order to hide flaws, that would be very different from untouched images, which might not show everything as clearly as desired.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The images of a coin can be manipulated by the type of lighting and how it's angled on the coin. It's the seller's responsibility to take pics that show all significant flaws.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I generally agree. Of course, we don’t know what the seller’s images looked like in this case.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
This is true. Also, it's incumbent upon the buyer to carefully examine the seller's pics.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Here is the seller's pic, where you can see the angle and lighting make it difficult to see the smudge, but it is there. It was so light (and I know from experience taking pics of proof coins with phone cameras is tricky) that I assumed it was a scuff on the slab. Especially given the grade and no mention of it in the description.
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And that first pic looks bad, but the second pic he posted definitely made it look like just a scuff on the slab. Attached here.
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I don't know, to me based on that picture I would assume the smudge is on the coin. If there wasn't much premium over spot price I'd just live with it as a learning experience.
However, this picture is a completely different story.
Was this also a seller picture?
Collector, occasional seller
Yes, that was the second picture in the listing, that second picture is why I assumed it was on the holder.
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I generally never purchase coins online without a return policy, but if and when I made an exception, I would absolutely message the seller in advance asking for his/her in-hand assessment. Never assume the photos are showing you everything, and especially never make assumptions about whether a blemish is on the coin, the slab, or simply a photo artifact.
If online sellers don’t accept returns I don’t do business with them.