Strange 'Spots/Blemishes' on Slabbed 1910 Gaudens
stownsin
Posts: 76 ✭✭✭
Hello, Everyone!
My name is Sean and this is my first post. I am really excited to return to numismatics after a very long hiatus, having made one of the biggest mistakes of my life in selling my grandpa's old silver coin collection years ago to pay for some personal expenses. Now, I have a job as a school principal and am in a better place to begin collecting what I have always wanted to collect: pre-1933 US gold coins.
Anyway, I purchased a slabbed 1910 MS63 Saint from a reputable seller on EBAY with the authenticity verified, as this was a PCGS-approved seller. When I received the coin, I just noticed some odd, bluish/grayish blemishes on the obverse side of the coin, below Liberty's left foot on the stone. I am likely being a bit paranoid, but wanted a few extra sets of eyes on what I am looking at. I understand that copper spots can be very common, but the coloring does not speak to that.
Sincere regards,
Sean
Comments
Welcome. Without better photos I am not able to determine what the spots are. But you came to the right place and someone here should be able to help.
Welcome to the forum.
Each picture gives a very different impression. However, the last (obverse) photo makes it appear that the area at the lower right might be a depression/mark/gash. Are you able to provide clear closeups of the areas in question?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Couple additional pics--probably the best I can do!
Welcome Sean!
Hopefully someone with better eyes can explain what they see. I zoomed in but the resolution of the pictures makes it impossible for me to determine.
If what I think I see is correct, there are probably a couple of scuffs on the coin at that area, which is a higher point of the design. This would not preclude the grade if they were considered "not from circulation".
As you describe them as bluish / grayish, I might be concerned they are from PVC, but that is not the usual color seen from my understanding. However PVC residue does leave a film, and can and does change color.
The coin, overall looks about right for the grade, and nothing else jumps out at me.
Good luck!!
edited to add - newer pictures look like scuffing to me - lots of reasons it could have a slight off color
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
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Sorry, the best I can guess is embedded dirt or crud in one or more areas and a depression/mark/gash in another/others. With respect to the latter, try a magnifier to look for displaced metal.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
To me, it looks like some of the dark grunge that is often seen on Saints that were stored for years in bags in European banks.
Overall that coin doesn’t look bad for a 63 to me.
With the new photos it looks like it could be some grease or crud. I do not think you need worry as it is most likely stable.
Thank you, everyone. I purchased this coin because I thought it was a good "starting point," as I did not want a super common date like 1928, 1926, 1924, 1908 NM, etc. to kick things off. At the same time, I had to balance the associated cost with MS slabbed coins that do not fall into those common dates against getting, for example, a better looking, slabbed 1928 in a higher grade for the same price.
Either way, these are expensive and collecting a decent set without the 'key dates' that are out of reach for many collectors is still a barrier for me. Perhaps I can grab 2 or 3 of these each year, but my main goal right now is to put together a complete set of slabbed Indian quarter eagles, as even the two or three key dates are well within reach of budget.
Either way, I appreciate all of your help.
Best,
Sean
Welcome back Sean, glad to have you.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
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Welcome to the board, @stownsin , and best of luck in your nascent collecting endeavor. Please keep us posted on your progress along the way. My one piece of advice for you would be to focus on quality over quantity. Don't be in a rush, and look at lots of candidate coins instead of just buying the first thing you see. If something about a particular coin nags at you, it's often prudent to return it (even for a modest restocking fee) and reinvest in something that you're totally satisfied with.
Still a very nice double eagle!
.
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@stownsin ....Welcome aboard...and welcome back to the hobby. It looks as if it is a slight discoloration from some type of storage....Cannot be 100% sure without the coin in hand. You could always send it in for reconsideration or restoration....If it bothers you, either do that or return it. Cheers, RickO
Welcome aboard Sean! Looking forward to seeing your progress as you add more gold to the collection. Nice Saint BTW.
The nice thing about gold is that it's pretty much non-reactive.
You can have the coin conserved for about $100 and that includes a regrade, re-holder & TrueView.
Dirty gold doesn't really bother me that much. My 15-S has some dirt on it and it's one of my favorite coins.
For Saints, you can collect 18 out of 23 (date set) in MS63 without huge premiums over melt.
My Saint Set
There are so many options, that I wouldn’t recommend buying one for which you feel a need to spend extra money for conservation.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
For your viewing pleasure, here is a very nice MS63 date set featuring some less easy to find coins.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/20-gold-major-sets/st-gaudens-20-gold-date-set-circulation-strikes-1907-1932/publishedset/112241
My Saint Set
Welcome to the forums! It looks like dirt on the coin, I wouldn't worry about it one bit.
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"Anyway, I purchased a slabbed 1910 MS63 Saint from a reputable **seller on EBAY with the authenticity verified, as this was a **PCGS-approved seller. "
Saints tend to be a minefield, even slabbed ones. I'd work on bringing your own expertise up to speed as quick as possible rather than ever relying on any Ebay seller as reputable or "approved." For that definition to truly apply (imo) they must be looking out for your satisfaction and value BEFORE their own. The goal for most of those bigger retailers is to get the coin in the highest holder they can get. I'd recommend getting the most beautiful and clean coin you can get in the assigned grade rather than looking at "semi-better" dates....which are nearly extinct due the price of gold. Be fussy and look for coins that are very strong for their grades but not yet assigned a + or a CAC sticker. And for the most part, not many 63 saints get sent in for stickers. The odds of finding such coins with some of the bigger retailers is pretty low since it's their job to achieve the highest grade possible, and not leave any meat on the bone.
While the PCGS price guide lists the 1910 in MS63 at a 7% premium to a common date like the 1924, good luck getting that back when you go to sell. The only time that might occur is if you buy an exceptionally clean and eye catching one in a 63 grade....not easy....yours wouldn't meet that cut. The best leverage on the 1910 is finding really clean 64's for not premium...as true 65's are quite scarce. The 800 lb Gorilla in the room is the price of gold. Figure that if $2500/oz or higher ever shows up, you can figure most premiums on semi-scarce $20 Saints will disappear in the 63/64 grades except truly scarce dates at the threshold of the 13-s, and 22-s. Others will probably getting sucked down to nearly common pricing. In a nutshell, quality and higher grade over just "dates." Everybody loves to buy dazzling looking Saints, even if they only grade MS62. But so-so looking better dates, not so much. You're basically buying bullion. But make your Saints stand out from everyone else's....while being very stingy with any premium to what common dates bring in those grades....certainly not any higher than 5-10%.
There are millions of Saints and $20 Libs out there.....ensure yours are the top 1-5%ers for whatever date/grade/holder era combo you are chasing. Be fussy as heck looking for that "pop" and color in whatever you buy. Don't rely on Mr. Reputable, if such a thing even exists. Spots and stains DO lower the value...figure a $50-$100 deduction unless CAC certified....no matter how those spots and stains got there. That's one of the ways the "reputable" retailers get you. That 1910 probably doesn't quality for sight-unseen/spot-free trading prices. Seasoned gold dealers have eagle eyes when finding spots on gold coins. I went looking for your coin on Ebay and couldn't find it. Checked every sale of a PCGS 63 gold coin in the past 90 days.
Nice coin, and welcome!
Welcome to the forums. I like your double eagle as well. Best wishes
I think it would be interesting to put together a set of 64's rather than 63's
There isn't much difference in price but a pretty big difference in preservation.
You'd have to approach it as a long term project because it would require sorting through piles of coins.
I have seen this recently as gold took a little jump.
The gold price just swallows up the tiny premium and the rising tide does not lift all the boats.
Maybe it would if the price had more time to stabilize but I haven't been able to observe it more than once.
What I did see is a lot of MS63s disappearing. I don't know if the sellers pulled them or if people bought them all.
There were pages of low grade 1924's on CU and I only counted 8 coins total in that grade after gold went up.
My Saint Set