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Some questions about slabbed inherited coins …

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    airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 21,993 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:

    @TomB said:
    I'd like to add one more thing, which may or may not be obvious to you, but the 1911 half eagle does not appear to need any type of conservation. No way, no how. That coin looks the way it should look, in my experience and from my interpretation of the images. If the 1911 half eagle were sent in for any type of conservation then it would likely be rejected for the work by NGC/NCS or, if they did proceed with work, it would likely come back to you with an appearance that experienced eyes would find negative.

    I strongly agree with @TomB.

    Additionally, each year of the 1908-1915 Satin (1909-1910) and Matte (1911-1915) Proof gold coinage had its own unique color and appearance. However, over time, many of these gorgeous coins have been altered and their surfaces no longer exhibit their original characteristics. And that’s a shame.

    The Proof gold coinage of 1911 happens to be my favorite year. Here’s a portion of a Heritage lot description which touches on what I like so much about 1911 gold Proofs:
    “… When examined with a loupe, thousands of tiny, sparkling facets illuminate the surfaces and give the coin its subtle matte effect”. It reminds me of sifting through sand on the beach and seeing all of the tiny sparkles when the sun hits some of the grains of sand just right.

    And now I'm picturing 3 year old Mark, with his bucket in his hand and his nose slathered with sunscreen, sitting on the beach looking at sand.

    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
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    airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 21,993 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl said:

    @airplanenut said:
    Do you mind saying where (in general—state or nearest big city—no need to be super specific) you live? While folks have rightly talked about going to a dealer who can help ship the quarter eagle for conservation, if you live near where one of the big coin shows is held, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone: there will be expert dealers who can give you guidance, and you may be able to drop off the coin with NGC and not need to worry about shipping it.

    Not at all. I am in the greater Los Angeles, California area. I looked up major coin shows and could plan on attending the show that takes place in Long Beach, but it would have to wait for a bit until my personal life settles down. For the here and now the two coins are in a SDB, because someone very close to me is a coin enthusiast (amateur) and when they looked at the coins they recommended I get them out of my home and secured until I had them looked at and evaluated.

    Long Beach is definitely a good show and will have all the resources you need.

    In case it would give you peace of mind to get insurance sooner rather than later, it should be a really quick process, especially when you have only a few coins and know their general value. You can join the ANA at https://www.money.org/, and once you do, you'll be able to sign up with Hugh Wood for insurance (another pretty quick form). Their rates don't go up a huge amount as the value rises, so if you want to be safe, for now get a policy at the high end of the estimates given here, and when things settle down you can decide if you need to change that coverage. It will probably be a couple hundred dollars per year for the value of these two gold coins.

    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @TomB said:
    I'd like to add one more thing, which may or may not be obvious to you, but the 1911 half eagle does not appear to need any type of conservation. No way, no how. That coin looks the way it should look, in my experience and from my interpretation of the images. If the 1911 half eagle were sent in for any type of conservation then it would likely be rejected for the work by NGC/NCS or, if they did proceed with work, it would likely come back to you with an appearance that experienced eyes would find negative.

    Thank you! The 1911 coin, in slab, does indeed look fantastic, but that was only to my extremely untrained and novice eye. When I say I’m planning on conserving/preserving the coins I have misspoken - I mean to say I plan on sending or taking (possibly through a major coin show?) the 1895 to NGC for this course of action.

    The only thing that I understand to have been suggested that I do with the 1911 coin is to possibly submit it to CAC for additional (is this correct term? I’m such a newbie!) grading.

    I really am here to learn, so PLEASE do not hesitate to correct me when I’m confused, misinformed or wrong. I am truly excited to be here and I recognize that I am an empty vessel when it comes to numismatics - that’s why I’m here!! I believe that these coins are, in fact, what they appear to be (knowing my Grandparents, particularly my Grandpa who was a gold/coin dealer his entire life) and I want to make sure that they are preserved not just for myself and/or my own family, but for the numismatics community at-large as well :)

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:

    I strongly agree with @TomB.

    Additionally, each year of the 1908-1915 Satin (1909-1910) and Matte (1911-1915) Proof gold coinage had its own unique color and appearance. However, over time, many of these gorgeous coins have been altered and their surfaces no longer exhibit their original characteristics. And that’s a shame.

    The Proof gold coinage of 1911 happens to be my favorite year. Here’s a portion of a Heritage lot description which touches on what I like so much about 1911 gold Proofs:
    “… When examined with a loupe, thousands of tiny, sparkling facets illuminate the surfaces and give the coin its subtle matte effect”. It reminds me of sifting through sand on the beach and seeing all of the tiny sparkles when the sun hits some of the grains of sand just right.

    The 1911 literally took my breath away! Of course, when I opened the envelope it (and the 1895) were contained in, I had NO IDEA what I was looking at; I just knew I had never in my life seen such a glowing, beautiful coin in person :)

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @johnny9434 said:

    Don't be a one and dine, keep coming 🙂

    I plan on it!

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @airplanenut said:

    Long Beach is definitely a good show and will have all the resources you need.

    In case it would give you peace of mind to get insurance sooner rather than later, it should be a really quick process, especially when you have only a few coins and know their general value. You can join the ANA at https://www.money.org/, and once you do, you'll be able to sign up with Hugh Wood for insurance (another pretty quick form). Their rates don't go up a huge amount as the value rises, so if you want to be safe, for now get a policy at the high end of the estimates given here, and when things settle down you can decide if you need to change that coverage. It will probably be a couple hundred dollars per year for the value of these two gold coins.

    I will do this! Thank you!

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    airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 21,993 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl said:

    @MFeld said:

    I strongly agree with @TomB.

    Additionally, each year of the 1908-1915 Satin (1909-1910) and Matte (1911-1915) Proof gold coinage had its own unique color and appearance. However, over time, many of these gorgeous coins have been altered and their surfaces no longer exhibit their original characteristics. And that’s a shame.

    The Proof gold coinage of 1911 happens to be my favorite year. Here’s a portion of a Heritage lot description which touches on what I like so much about 1911 gold Proofs:
    “… When examined with a loupe, thousands of tiny, sparkling facets illuminate the surfaces and give the coin its subtle matte effect”. It reminds me of sifting through sand on the beach and seeing all of the tiny sparkles when the sun hits some of the grains of sand just right.

    The 1911 literally took my breath away! Of course, when I opened the envelope it (and the 1895) were contained in, I had NO IDEA what I was looking at; I just knew I had never in my life seen such a glowing, beautiful coin in person :)

    I think matte gold is stunning (and way, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my league). For what it's worth, while I'm sure I've seen a random one here or there at a big show in the case of a dealer with a high-end inventory, the only time I can really remember seeing matte gold was at the Smithsonian. Even among high-value pieces, they're definitely not your everyday coin by any stretch.

    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
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    logger7logger7 Posts: 8,227 ✭✭✭✭✭

    On the $2 1/2 Lib. compare images of coins from prior auction results:

    https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1895-2-50-cam/87921
    https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-quarter-eagles/1895-2-1-2-pr65-cameo-ngc/a/1125-1556.s?hdnJumpToLot=1&x=0&y=0

    It may only require an acetone dip depending on what is on the surfaces.

    On the $5 Indian I'd run it by the cac company to get the sticker, or have GC or HA do it for you prior to sale/auction.

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    MFeldMFeld Posts: 12,379 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @logger7 said:
    On the $2 1/2 Lib. compare images of coins from prior auction results:

    https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1895-2-50-cam/87921
    https://coins.ha.com/itm/proof-liberty-quarter-eagles/1895-2-1-2-pr65-cameo-ngc/a/1125-1556.s?hdnJumpToLot=1&x=0&y=0

    It may only require an acetone dip depending on what is on the surfaces.

    On the $5 Indian I'd run it by the cac company to get the sticker, or have GC or HA do it for you prior to sale/auction.

    I know I’m being picky but I’d change that to : “On the $5 Indian I'd run it by the cac company
    to attempt to get the sticker,…”

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 31,712 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Welcome. Congratulations on your inheritance. So far you are doing exactly the right thing in doing research before anything else.

    A question about the odd finish on the $2-1/2. Is there any indication that it, or anything else in the inheritance, ever got wet? Those holders are often not waterproof, and it looks as if water got on the coin after it was graded.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
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    skier07skier07 Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl said:

    @airplanenut said:
    Do you mind saying where (in general—state or nearest big city—no need to be super specific) you live? While folks have rightly talked about going to a dealer who can help ship the quarter eagle for conservation, if you live near where one of the big coin shows is held, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone: there will be expert dealers who can give you guidance, and you may be able to drop off the coin with NGC and not need to worry about shipping it.

    Not at all. I am in the greater Los Angeles, California area. I looked up major coin shows and could plan on attending the show that takes place in Long Beach, but it would have to wait for a bit until my personal life settles down. For the here and now the two coins are in a SDB, because someone very close to me is a coin enthusiast (amateur) and when they looked at the coins they recommended I get them out of my home and secured until I had them looked at and evaluated.

    I do agree that it should be conserved, but if it’s turned in the holder and in its present state no longer warrants its grade, their guarantee may cover the conservation for free. Just make sure they know that no matter what you want the coin back, rather than a check for the value and they then deal with the coin.

    Thank you! I lurked in/on different coin boards for months and KNEW I chose the correct forum to post in when I started reading here! The knowledge, guidance and intellect on this board is, in my opinion, second to none.

    I would highly suggest showing both coins to Doug Winter when you’re able to attend a Long Beach show. He’s a top US gold coin expert.

    https://raregoldcoins.com/

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:

    @logger7 said:

    I know I’m being picky but I’d change that to : “On the $5 Indian I'd run it by the cac company
    to attempt to get the sticker,…”

    Right! Nothing is guaranteed :)

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @FlyingAl said:
    On a side note, if you'd ever like these coins imaged professionally, I'd be happy to lend my services for free if I'm available. Of course, this is completely up to you.

    Wow. I can’t thank you - and everyone here - enough for all of the sincere kindness and help! When I am ready I will reach out :)

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:
    Welcome. Congratulations on your inheritance. So far you are doing exactly the right thing in doing research before anything else.

    A question about the odd finish on the $2-1/2. Is there any indication that it, or anything else in the inheritance, ever got wet? Those holders are often not waterproof, and it looks as if water got on the coin after it was graded.

    I found the coins in a large envelope labeled with my name in the top a drawer of a filing cabinet. I have no recollection of where they had been stored prior to my finding them nor does anyone in my family have any memory of them whatsoever. We had NO idea these coins existed until I opened the envelope. It’s entirely likely that somewhere along the way they were exposed to water either indirectly (like high humidity) or directly (maybe a leak or drip at my grandparents house).

    To be perfectly honest if my Grandma knew the true value and/or rarity of these coins she would have left them in a SDB at a bank OR found an appropriate seller to take them on. The fact that they were left for me to find the way that I did indicates that she didn’t understand their value OR that she had retrieved them from safekeeping (a SDB) when she started declining. Either scenario lends itself to water damage, I suppose …

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @skier07 said:

    I would highly suggest showing both coins to Doug Winter when you’re able to attend a Long Beach show. He’s a top US gold coin expert.

    https://raregoldcoins.com/

    Will do! Thank you :)

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 8,227 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @skier07 said:

    @WyntersGirl said:

    @airplanenut said:
    Do you mind saying where (in general—state or nearest big city—no need to be super specific) you live? While folks have rightly talked about going to a dealer who can help ship the quarter eagle for conservation, if you live near where one of the big coin shows is held, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone: there will be expert dealers who can give you guidance, and you may be able to drop off the coin with NGC and not need to worry about shipping it.

    Not at all. I am in the greater Los Angeles, California area. I looked up major coin shows and could plan on attending the show that takes place in Long Beach, but it would have to wait for a bit until my personal life settles down. For the here and now the two coins are in a SDB, because someone very close to me is a coin enthusiast (amateur) and when they looked at the coins they recommended I get them out of my home and secured until I had them looked at and evaluated.

    I do agree that it should be conserved, but if it’s turned in the holder and in its present state no longer warrants its grade, their guarantee may cover the conservation for free. Just make sure they know that no matter what you want the coin back, rather than a check for the value and they then deal with the coin.

    Thank you! I lurked in/on different coin boards for months and KNEW I chose the correct forum to post in when I started reading here! The knowledge, guidance and intellect on this board is, in my opinion, second to none.

    I would highly suggest showing both coins to Doug Winter when you’re able to attend a Long Beach show. He’s a top US gold coin expert.

    https://raregoldcoins.com/

    He may be a top gold coin expert but not the top buyer, also Winter has said he has trouble grading incuse gold; that's why selling through the top venues is recommended.

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    skier07skier07 Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @logger7 said:

    @skier07 said:

    @WyntersGirl said:

    @airplanenut said:
    Do you mind saying where (in general—state or nearest big city—no need to be super specific) you live? While folks have rightly talked about going to a dealer who can help ship the quarter eagle for conservation, if you live near where one of the big coin shows is held, you may be able to kill two birds with one stone: there will be expert dealers who can give you guidance, and you may be able to drop off the coin with NGC and not need to worry about shipping it.

    Not at all. I am in the greater Los Angeles, California area. I looked up major coin shows and could plan on attending the show that takes place in Long Beach, but it would have to wait for a bit until my personal life settles down. For the here and now the two coins are in a SDB, because someone very close to me is a coin enthusiast (amateur) and when they looked at the coins they recommended I get them out of my home and secured until I had them looked at and evaluated.

    I do agree that it should be conserved, but if it’s turned in the holder and in its present state no longer warrants its grade, their guarantee may cover the conservation for free. Just make sure they know that no matter what you want the coin back, rather than a check for the value and they then deal with the coin.

    Thank you! I lurked in/on different coin boards for months and KNEW I chose the correct forum to post in when I started reading here! The knowledge, guidance and intellect on this board is, in my opinion, second to none.

    I would highly suggest showing both coins to Doug Winter when you’re able to attend a Long Beach show. He’s a top US gold coin expert.

    https://raregoldcoins.com/

    He may be a top gold coin expert but not the top buyer, also Winter has said he has trouble grading incuse gold; that's why selling through the top venues is recommended.

    The OP is not looking to sell her coins. Doug will provide his expert opinion free of charge.

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    MFeldMFeld Posts: 12,379 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl, in case, by chance, you didn't see my previous post, I have sent you a Private message.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

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    NeophyteNumismatistNeophyteNumismatist Posts: 925 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl - by now you know you have something very special. I am so happy for you. Congratulations, and may they bring you fond memories every time you look at them. <3

    I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.

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    BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,250 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow.

    It's kind of too bad your grandfather was a trader and not a "serious" collector. If he had focused on collecting, with his eye, we would be talking a platinum / signature night where we would all be drooling over the catalog.

    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
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    CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,469 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow, those holders are from the early 2000s ish as a point of reference for your family. As others have stated the 1895 looks to have been puttied which luckily is reversible as it typically doesn’t react with the gold only the air. Treasures for sure

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    Hi guys - I am OP and I’m still here. I will reach out as soon as I can - we are having a lot of personal issues (probate regarding my late Grandma’s estate , moving out of my Grandma’s home in the next couple of months and hubby transitioning from active duty career military to civilian life on the other side of the US) that are taking all of my time and attention. The coins are currently in a SDB and I can’t wait to start my numismatic journey as SOON as I am able. I will periodically check in here on this post and update with new posts as I start my journey as the steward of these coins and reach out to/get into contact with all of you wonderful people who have offered advice and assistance here.

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:
    @WyntersGirl, in case, by chance, you didn't see my previous post, I have sent you a Private message.

    DM finally sent! Thank you so much!

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @Crypto said:
    Wow, those holders are from the early 2000s ish as a point of reference for your family. As others have stated the 1895 looks to have been puttied which luckily is reversible as it typically doesn’t react with the gold only the air. Treasures for sure

    My Grandpa passed away in 1994 - is it possible that they could be from the early 1990’s? If these holders are, in fact, from the early 2000’s then it was my Grandma that procured them which would be simply … AMAZING! To my best knowledge, she knew NOTHING about numistmatics, but it’s entirely possible that one of my Grandpa’s friends sold or gave these coins to her after he passed away!

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    TomBTomB Posts: 20,901 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The holders the coins are in were used from about 1995-1997.

    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @TomB said:
    The holders the coins are in were used from about 1995-1997.

    So it’s quite probable that my GRANDMA was the one who procured these coins! Or maybe they had been submitted for grading at the end of my Grandpa’s life and my Grandma received them in slab after he passed … either way … the plot thickens!

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    Quick update - @MFeld has put me in contact with a trusted NGC professional. I am beyond excited to share this journey of happenstance, numismatic learning and now conservation with all of you!

    As an aside, I think that I have become painfully aware (through reading these boards and other people’s stories) that until a reputable grading company or a numismatic professional has these coins IN HAND and is able to truly CONFIRM that they are what we think they might be, it’s entirely possible that they could be clever fakes OR worth a lot less than they appear to be in MY hand or pictures!

    I don’t anticipate this outcome but I am ready for ANY information conveyed to me about these coins, and regardless of outcome I will treasure them as an incredible part of my family’s story! I look forward to sharing this journey with anyone on these boards who is invested and or interested in it … so stay tuned!!

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    JimTylerJimTyler Posts: 3,161 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I just scanned the comments I may be repeating. Looks like nothing wrong with the 1911 preserve the older holder CAC bean a good idea CACG holder is not in my opinion you lose holder history. You’re going to have to give up the old holder on the $2.5, it’s got to come out and be conserved. If they can fix the shipwreck $20’s they should be able to make your coin look amazing.

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    WyntersGirlWyntersGirl Posts: 27 ✭✭✭

    @lordmarcovan said:
    Welcome!

    I second the suggestion to send the Liberty Head quarter-eagle back to NGC for conservation by their NCS service.

    https://www.ngccoin.com/

    https://www.ngccoin.com/ncs-conservation/

    Hopefully our PCGS sponsors of these forums will not object to my recommendation of the competition, given that in this case the coin in question was already encapsulated by NGC and they are the ones with the conservation service.

    I recently used NCS for the first time, on a modern proof gold coin that had some carbon spots. They did a great job, not only on the conservation but also with the Photovision images, which I also heartily recommend you spend the extra ten bucks or whatever to get. Proof coins can be tough to photograph.

    In the beginning, I was concerned about PCGS being upset and/or removing my post due to the reasons you posted above. I had been lurking in all corners of the internet trying to soak up as much numismatic information and knowledge as I could, but I couldn’t find a better forum to lurk and post on than THIS one. So I finally made the leap and posted here, assuming that if my post was inappropriate it would be removed by mods. I have to say - I have been BEYOND impressed with the professionalism and high level of knowledge and advice I have encountered here, and I am very grateful that I chose this particular forum to post to.

    Thank you for the advice about the service; I plan on paying extra for all of the extras with the (hopefully) conserved 1895 coin! With the advent of the internet and online databases, really good pictures of ANY object becomes invaluable!!

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    BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,250 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @WyntersGirl this board is generously provided by PCGS.

    As long as we're polite, and focused on US coins, they are generally quite reasonable with allowing us to go beyond PCGS slabbed coins. It makes this a better place for all of us.

    TomB's note above is the icing on a very nice cake. I'm sad that the Liberty has issues, but we all assumed it from the photos. The Indian is a real treasure, and thanks for sharing it with us.

    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")

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