@WaterSport said:
So three people - two graders and finalizer, saw tooling the first time and the second time around - no one sees tooling....
I understand subjective grading, so now I must add subjective damage observation to my list as well??
WS
If there is tooling, it’s possible it was noticed each time. But that in one instance, it was considered inoffensive enough to still award a straight grade.
As I like to say: Often, the decision whether to award a straight grade vs. a details grade can be just as difficult, subjective and inconsistent as the decision regarding what specific numerical grade to assign to a straight grade coin.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
As soon as looked at the coin, the "LIBERTY" on the head band looked like it had been strengthened to me.
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 ... ?
Bill, I thought the same thing until I scrolled down and saw the comparison. my conclusion is that either nothing was done to the coin --- or --- that tooling had been done to both coins, a quite remote to the nth degree possibility.
that means that I assume if there's tooling it's somewhere else.
Had the OP received AU-55 the first time and posted it proudly here, I doubt there would have been the comments that it:
-- had LIBERTY tooled
-- looks counterfeit
-- UNUM enhanced
-- nose doesn’t look right
-- whole obverse has been smoothed
-- wing feather details have been added
-- the star radials
-- Hair behind and below the ear
-- tried to clean off...black spot centered between the letters "OF"
I still suspect dcarr was right with that last one and it was borderline enough so that it was decided the second time to be worthy of a straight grade.
Looks like we better not go into business together opening an assessment service based from photos only.
Tell us there is a problem and many of us will see one.
Might be a fun and dirty trick for someone to post a coin as having a problem that definitely has none and has been seen in-person by multiple non-PCGS experts also. We will likely find many problems with it.
As erwindoc said earlier, this has been a very educational post.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
Comments
If there is tooling, it’s possible it was noticed each time. But that in one instance, it was considered inoffensive enough to still award a straight grade.
As I like to say: Often, the decision whether to award a straight grade vs. a details grade can be just as difficult, subjective and inconsistent as the decision regarding what specific numerical grade to assign to a straight grade coin.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
As soon as looked at the coin, the "LIBERTY" on the head band looked like it had been strengthened to me.
the "LIBERTY" on the head band
Bill, I thought the same thing until I scrolled down and saw the comparison. my conclusion is that either nothing was done to the coin --- or --- that tooling had been done to both coins, a quite remote to the nth degree possibility.
that means that I assume if there's tooling it's somewhere else.
This was an excellent Rorschach test.
Had the OP received AU-55 the first time and posted it proudly here, I doubt there would have been the comments that it:
-- had LIBERTY tooled
-- looks counterfeit
-- UNUM enhanced
-- nose doesn’t look right
-- whole obverse has been smoothed
-- wing feather details have been added
-- the star radials
-- Hair behind and below the ear
-- tried to clean off...black spot centered between the letters "OF"
I still suspect dcarr was right with that last one and it was borderline enough so that it was decided the second time to be worthy of a straight grade.
Looks like we better not go into business together opening an assessment service based from photos only.
Tell us there is a problem and many of us will see one.
Might be a fun and dirty trick for someone to post a coin as having a problem that definitely has none and has been seen in-person by multiple non-PCGS experts also. We will likely find many problems with it.
As erwindoc said earlier, this has been a very educational post.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin