Do you think this Barber Half was professionally conserved?
Crackout
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I was browsing the upcoming DLRC auction and came upon this Barber Half. I went to the PCGS cert verification page and there are two previous appearances of this particular coin at auction. The first was in 2008 and the second in 2009. In 2008 the coin had an older green label and toning around the periphery. In 2009 it was in a blue label holder and the toning is gone. I am guessing that since the cert number has not changed, the coin was maybe conserved by PCGS? (as opposed to being cracked out, dipped and resubmitted where the cert number would be different)
2008 auction:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/barber-half-dollars/1913-d-50c-ms63-pcgs/a/1104-1293.s?hdnJumpToLot=1&x=0&y=0
And of course in the upcoming DLRC auction, the coin has a green CAC sticker and the horizontal hairlines on the face no longer show in the pics.
https://davidlawrence.com/rare-coin/2276086
Is there another explanation for the toning to disappear and the cert number to stay the same other than conservation?
Comments
I'd like to know how they made the horizontal hairlines on the face disappear. Did they just change the angle of the lighting to make the coin look more flattering?
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
May have not been intentional but yes, thats why they don't show.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Marks? Some might say you could use a neutron microscope and you wouldn’t see them.
At a minimum it was dipped.
If the slab number didn't change, it must have been professionally dipped.
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
If you compare the whole-slab shots, there are transverse scratches on the reverse PCGS label that are present in both images. There is also a very small ink-blob near the period in 6528.63 that is visible in both. I vote that the slab is unchanged, except for the addition of a green sticker. It's probably just a difference in photography.
Parallel hairlines are EASY to hide by adjusting the angle of the lighting. I'm not saying they did it deliberately, but I'm quite sure those lines are still there, along with the toning.
Besides, how would you "conserve" hairlines?
Tell that to all of the dip burned proof CAM/DCAM Morgan Dollars and stripped matte proof gold from the Richmond Collection.
Edited: Oops that was NCS.
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i'll post a comp but they appear virtually equally as strong blown up. now the "vertical ones" i'm not so sure about.
Perhaps the PCGS policy was different in the past, but at least for the past five years or so, the current policy is for coins that undergo Restoration at PCGS, they insist on creating a NEW cert number. I’ve had a small handful of coins restored by PCGS, and since they’ve had CAC stickers, I tried my darnedest to have PCGS retain the same cert number (but to no avail), so that I can more easily get the stickers reapplied. While I ended up in each case getting the CAC’s reapplied, the coins had to requalify.
Do others agree that when coins undergo Restoration at PCGS, new cert numbers are assigned?
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Based on communications I have had with two people that had restoration performed, the cert number did change.... I believe lighting angle would explain the hairline difference. Cheers, RickO
Very interesting! Good info to know.
And I agree with others that the hairlines can still be seen in the DLRC pics (if you look real hard!).
If something is done to the coin that changes its appearance (like conservation, perhaps), it only seems reasonable that the coins would have to requalify.
I had 2 pieces over the last couple of years ... 1 was upgraded when they did .... both had new cert numbers.
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I’m wondering how they would have handled the situation if the owner of the coin did his own conservation of the coin? Some of the toning around the rim of the coin was fairly dark. If I understand correctly what takes place during a dip, you’re not reversing the process that created the toning but removing material from the coin. Is this a case where “cleaning” acceptable.