Dealer Stickers are Damaging the PCGS Hologram on the Reverse of OLD GREEN HOLDERS
DisneyFan
Posts: 2,856 ✭✭✭✭✭
In researching my latest acquisition I noticed the deterioration of the PCGS halogram caused by the auction houses' lot stickers.
2/2026
2/2023
4/2014
Possibly this can be avoided by putting the lot sticker over the reverse of a coin after the picture is taken?
1
Comments
For auction houses that allow in person viewing, the covering of the reverse with an auction sticker would not be ideal. Perhaps a smaller sticker, off to one side, would work better. I have always thought that once the integrity of the PCGS sticker starts to get compromised that it begins to flake and peel away too quickly.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
To be fair, it could even be the collectors stickers. It was a design flaw of the earlier slabs that the hologram was on the outside.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Yeah, I have seen many a damaged OGH due to the auction houses / online dealers slapping their stickers on them. Its a shame. RGDS!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
Retiring at 55, what day is today?
I have to give props to Great Collections. This is how I received this coin from them. They understand the collector and their nuances.
I would posit that it's not the application of these stickers that is ruining the hologram, but the improper removal of the stickers.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I have a hard time buying plastic varieties from GC as the sticker covers the reverse hologram.
This one tempted me until seeing the reverse.
not sure how much the piece would cost ... if you like the coin and won it, just ask GC to send it back to be re-holder ... minor added costs . I have done this with Heritage, GC's and in the past with Legends auction - sometime the holders are very scratched or even chipped.
OMG ... My Mother was Right about Everything!
I wake up with a Good Attitude Every Day. Then … Idiots Happen!
We're now at "but the holograms, not the coin"...
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Good to know, I did not know the OGH PCGS stickers were on the outside. I will have to watch I just started collecting OGH coins. I would think anyone dealing with collectible coins would be smart enough not to put there sticker on the PCGS label, I would think when you go to put your sticker on it you would notice. Just A thought
If you're putting a sticker on a larger coin (like a silver dollar, maybe), where else would you put it?
I prefer slabs intact but am i the only one who doesn’t really care about them. If the coin is the all there the slab can’t bring me down
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
retirednow:
Some of us prefer the vintage holders - worth less re-holdered.
What's the best way to remove the stickers?
The adhesive is usually soluble in oil. I get them off with a soak in paraffin lamp oil. If the stickers are plain paper, it will soak through the surface. If they're glossy paper, scuff it first. If they're plastic, it'll be slower going, because it can only go through the edges.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Goo Gone, mineral oil, WD-40 (don't spray directly on the slab), vegetable oil, and olive oil also work.
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
Goo Gone is the solvent I use. Drip a few drops onto a clean soft microfiber cloth, placing the cloth directly onto the paper label. Let it lightly soak in for a minute, be patient and when the label looks “peelable”, gently lift a corner to lift the label off. Works every time for me. There may be residual sticker gum left, just work the microfiber cloth in a circular motion and it should all be gone. Remember, patience and a light hand is the name of the game. I also leave the holder out of a box of 20 for a few weeks to dissipate any smell from the goo gone.
The old NGC slab devices are far more fragile than the old PCGS holograms.
What if I really don't give a blank about a silly hologram? Back in the day, they weren't vintage holders.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
This!
It’s like folks bemoaning how someone could have put initials or graffiti on an old coin, or drilled a hole in it. At the time, it wasn’t an old coin, it was just worth FV.
Well, then great! This is exactly the mechanic that makes things scarce and collectible in the first place.
Or even simply circulated it in commerce...
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Tis, true.
I'm sure people would also be mad if, tomorrow, I cracked out my no-line fatty or Regency holder to put the coin in my album.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
I wouldn't be mad, just disappointed in you since you presumably understand the nostalgic market value.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress,
running like a water color in the rain...."
The most gentle substance to remove dealer stickers and residual old sticker paper or adhesive that I've found through a lot of experimentation is isopropyl alcohol -- but not just the usual liquid, the thickened stuff called Purell hand cleaner, which can be kept to the area desired and it does not seem to affect the old hologram if you do not rub it with a cloth but very gently with your index finger. For areas without a hologram, just put a few drops on and then wipe off the adhesive with a microfiber cloth. This was on positive to COVID, it introduced me to my slab cleaner.
This is why my cherished coin is safely stored in a Zircon holder.
I never did understand why some people don't take better care of their slabs, or those in their custody.
I'm not a big old holder guy but I did buy one Zircon holder specifically for my one OGH. Other people take an interest in the holders and it does add value, so a modicum of preventative care makes sense to me.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I have passed on many Gold CAC Mercs because the holder and hologram were not of my liking.
That Zircon holder is pretty cool. Might need to find one or two of those.
Successful BST with drddm, BustDMs, Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Soon the Zircon holders will be vintage, and you'll need another holder to hold the holder holding the old green holder.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
BHNC #AN-10
JRCS #1606
I cannot fathom spending what it would cost to put 40-50 of the 20 slab boxes of coins into those special holders, plus all my other coins and sets.
I just keep them in a sealed safe nowhere near any people activity with a large box of fresh silica gel that is changed periodically (you can get really big bags of it from furniture stores for free in many cases, then oven on low heat to dry it back out), seems to work the red cents are still bright red after 3-4 decades and the red coins in 2x2s after 5-6 decades and none of the silver has changed. I don't really worry much about gold coins, they are fairly stable, but they too are stored with the other stuff.
I already have a soft cloth pouch for the Zircon case.
Go watch Antiques Roadshow Show or American Pickers and see just how important original ‘pristine’ packaging is to a collector. Heck, the OGP for the V75 AGE is up to $800 if you can find it. 😉 That Zircon case looks great! Going to have to get a few! Cheers, karl
PCGS slabs are not "original packaging", pristine or otherwise.
That’s really awful, sorry to hear. How would u write off the loss?
Sold off all my stickered yrs ago just buy CACG in that arena.
You never buy slabbed coins that have dealer or auction house stickers on them?
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Well guess left in dust there.