How appropriate is it to “call out” a misattributed auction coin on this forum?

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renomedphys
renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited August 6, 2026 1:30PM in U.S. Coin Forum

Okay to start with, I’m not gonna do it without some serious support here. What I can share is:
-It is graded as a proof (and Cameo, AND CAC!), and it’s undeniably a business strike.
-As a CAM proof, it’s worth about 5 times what it would be worth properly attributed.
-As it is, it’s a better variety, commanding about a double premium at that grade level.
-It’s still a very nice coin.

I have notified the auction company. Let’s see what they do.

Thoughts?

Empty Nest Collection

Comments

  • JimTyler
    JimTyler Posts: 4,100 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    You’re supposed to wait until after the auction closes but now you have as curious.

  • renomedphys
    renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @JimTyler said:
    You’re supposed to wait until after the auction closes but now you have as curious.

    The clues are there

    Empty Nest Collection

  • lermish
    lermish Posts: 5,001 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @FlyingAl said:
    Usually I let the auction company have a chance to pull it.

    This.

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,068 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Let the auction site know. There shouldn't be a debate here and let them decide, jmo

  • jacrispies
    jacrispies Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    ^Notify the auction house, that is priority.

    "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.
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  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,041 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    it is good to post it publicly if it can be shown to be wrong. of course the first contact would be the auction house, but feel free to post it here

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • PerryHall
    PerryHall Posts: 47,752 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 6, 2026 2:32PM
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    Rather than "call it out", post it here and explain why you think it may be misattributed and then solicit addition opinions from other forum members. It sounds like it would be an interesting topic that should generate a lot of discussion.

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  • Sapyx
    Sapyx Posts: 2,616 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I would say that if you are sufficiently knowledgeable about a certain coin series that you can say, with certainty, that an attribution by an auction house is incorrect, then doing as you have already done is the best course of action. Especially if you are already a customer in good standing with that auction house (rather than an outsider who's just poking holes in their business).

    If however you are uncertain, but have suspicions, then posting your doubts on a forum for more eyes to check it would perhaps be acceptable.

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  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,167 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @FlyingAl said:
    Usually I let the auction company have a chance to pull it.

    Agree.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • BigAl
    BigAl Posts: 1,279 ✭✭✭
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    @Typekat said:
    Auction houses generally respond appreciatively to a polite, to-the-point message pointing out an error in their write-up,

    Very true.

  • Desert Moon
    Desert Moon Posts: 6,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @renomedphys said:
    Okay to start with, I’m not gonna do it without some serious support here. What I can share is:
    -It is graded as a proof (and Cameo, AND CAC!), and it’s undeniably a business strike.
    -As a CAM proof, it’s worth about 5 times what it would be worth properly attributed.
    -As it is, it’s a better variety, commanding about a double premium at that grade level.
    -It’s still a very nice coin.

    I have notified the auction company. Let’s see what they do.

    Thoughts?

    When I have notified both GC and Ha about misattributions, they have taken the auction in question down. Quickly. So let us know what happens. It only happens rarely, but does happen...............

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  • Aotearoa
    Aotearoa Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 6, 2026 8:01PM
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    I have advised both HA (via Mark in at least one instance) and GC on multiple occasions of misattributed Large Cents. In every case the coins were immediately pulled from auction (and were presumably relabelled).

    Smitten with DBLCs.

  • renomedphys
    renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2026 3:42PM
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    They have not taken the coin down yet. There’s about 30 days remaining before it goes off. As for doubt, there is none. In fact, it becomes incredibly obvious once you know what you’re looking at. Let’s just say that THAT shape “O” wasn’t used on proofs of that date, and all the proof die pairs are known.

    There were a lot more red flags. The first clue was the weakly struck obverse lettering. Next was clear and present re-punching on the date. Hardly ever see that on a proof. Once I started parsing through the known varieties the answer came quickly. I didn’t even notice the shape of the O until I had it correctly identified.

    I have no doubt that the auction will be pulled soon. The auction house has all the information they need.

    Too bad for the owner though. It’s been in that holder for at least 25 years.

    Edited to add:
    Also… CAC? Maybe JA will buy it. Does he stand by his sticker if the attribution was wrong all along?
    Later edited to change strike doubling to re-punching.

    Empty Nest Collection

  • TrickleCharge
    TrickleCharge Posts: 497 ✭✭✭✭
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    I used the 'inquire' button once to alert Heritage about a misattributed coin. I received a reply back from none other than Mark Feld that same day. I was impressed how quickly they responded and took action.

  • ajaan
    ajaan Posts: 18,005 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I wonder if it was an eBay auction the responses here would be different.


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  • Maywood
    Maywood Posts: 4,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I think a different approach in this thread may have been better, maybe a picture or link asking for help in assessing the coin.

    "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin

  • Stooge
    Stooge Posts: 4,700 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    PCGS graded a non-variety Roosie dime recently (probably one of those mechanical errors) and I notified GC about the coin. They stated that they would have their expert look at the coin. It was never pulled and sold for quite a bit of money. The coin itself was merely pocket change. I feel bad for everyone involved.


    Later, Paul.
  • coinkat
    coinkat Posts: 24,542 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Not appropriate.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • Maywood
    Maywood Posts: 4,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @CaptHenway said: I appreciate that he is trying to do it discretely to begin with.

    Sure, that's good, but if the OP is 100% sure and already knows what to do why ask us?? He's been around the block more than a few times and is in what old-school would be the "CircleOfTrust." Either contact the auction house or ask the membership here if it's miss-attributed as he thinks. Everyone does things for their own reasons, I just can't figure out what the reason is here.

    "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,047 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Maywood said:
    @CaptHenway said: I appreciate that he is trying to do it discretely to begin with.

    Sure, that's good, but if the OP is 100% sure and already knows what to do why ask us?? He's been around the block more than a few times and is in what old-school would be the "CircleOfTrust." Either contact the auction house or ask the membership here if it's miss-attributed as he thinks. Everyone does things for their own reasons, I just can't figure out what the reason is here.

    He wants to point out that he spotted it but doesn't want to upset anyone by how he reveals it. I don't think it's that complicated.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,047 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @ajaan said:
    I wonder if it was an eBay auction the responses here would be different.

    Not from me. I never publicize problems on eBay until after I have unsuccessfully contacted the seller.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • renomedphys
    renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Still not pulled. Maybe I'd better save a photo of the listing in case it goes poof so I can share it later.

    Empty Nest Collection

  • FlyingAl
    FlyingAl Posts: 4,470 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Maywood said:
    @CaptHenway said: I appreciate that he is trying to do it discretely to begin with.

    Sure, that's good, but if the OP is 100% sure and already knows what to do why ask us?? He's been around the block more than a few times and is in what old-school would be the "CircleOfTrust." Either contact the auction house or ask the membership here if it's miss-attributed as he thinks. Everyone does things for their own reasons, I just can't figure out what the reason is here.

    It's bad enough that I found the coin based on the info in the OP.

    I'm sure you could do the same if you wanted.

    Coin Photography

  • renomedphys
    renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 7, 2026 5:21PM
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    Wild! I just researched the cert and it has sold at auction (at Heritage) twice in the past 20 years for kinda like proof money. Both times Heritage used the same description plainly stating the correct variety attribution right up front. Anybody with a proper attribution guide would know right away that's not a proof, regardless of the holder, but it still brought in excess of 4 times what a correctly attributed example would sell for.

    I mean, aren't people doing their homework? I know I wouldn't spend over a grand on a coin without knowing for real real sure what I was buying.

    Edited to add: Okay I know we've all seen this before, and there's always more to the story. This coin has, in defense of the past buyers, brought less than full money each time it sold, and even brought less the last time it sold than it did almost 20 years prior. Clearly there wasn't and bid support at the top of the price range, so no serious buyers. I'm sure whoever picked it up both times figured they got a great deal and never even considered that the attribution was wrong. At least at first.

    Also, this is a tricky series, proof-wise. I have seen it both ways where proof coins have been called MS, and have benefitted greatly from the occasional auction cherrypick. This though, is not a cherrypick. It is a trap.

    And believe you me when I say that if the case were reversed, say where the 20K coin was in a 5K holder, I would remain tight lipped about it. I don't talk about my cherrypicks. Nobody should.

    Empty Nest Collection

  • P0CKETCHANGE
    P0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,728 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    So, what was the outcome here? Was the auction pulled or did the coin hammer?

  • Copperindian
    Copperindian Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @POCKETCHANGE: the auction went off unchanged from the original listing. So, yes, it did hammer.

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  • P0CKETCHANGE
    P0CKETCHANGE Posts: 3,728 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Can we discuss the coin for educational purposes now that it's off the block?

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