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Dipped Saint Gaudens
Deb048gold
Posts: 192
For all the Saint collectors out there. Are Dipped Saints becoming more of a frequent
problem. Are they always easy to spot, and what do you look for in identifying one?
Also, just curious as to how much loss in value or not for one that is dipped?
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I'm curious to find out if PCGS graded Saint that have obviously been dipped sell
at a discount. Some dipped PCGS graded Saints can be hard to detect especially if
there is still some nice luster and pristine fields.
It doesn't hurt them at all. Just rinse them off
with water.
The notion that someone can guarantee that an
80+-year old coin has never been dipped, is a bit
optimistic.
My understanding is that the reason coins like MS Morgans were dipped was to get rid of "ugly" toning - since gold coins are so much less reactive than silver, toning isn't usually an issue, so neither is dipping.
Check out the Southern Gold Society
It doesn't hurt them at all. Just rinse them off
with water >>>
Incorrect and incorrect.
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I defer to your expertise.
I have dipped scores of them during the past
30-years, and have never had a complaint about
any damage; and, have never had a post-sale
report that any of them were body-bagged.
Hold the oars, people.
There are "some" dipped Saints...certainly a small percentage, and from my experience most are generics.
A poorly dipped Saint looks like a shiny piece of jewelry. Sometimes they can be "casty" looking and actually can look chemically spotted under light magnification.
There are also some professionally dipped coins that, according to the best experts, are just fine as they are. I would definately shy away from one if I recognized it beforehand, but I have owned a few, unbeknownst to me at the time. They looked very nice.
The point is that there is poorly dipped, and professionally dipped. Big difference.
What I look for in a Saint is original skin...which is like a transparent orange 'stain' on the majority of the surface...I also love COPPER spots...they only turn on gold within the first few years after the coin has been minted and once dipped they often disappear. So if a coin has copper spots it's a good indicator that the coin hasn't been messed with...and copper is "as made" it's 10% of the alloy, so the anti-copper brigade falls on deaf ears with me and the people that I learned from.
I also like GEMS with the no-so-crusty "crusty" look. By that I mean a coin that looks old, maybe has antique toning, could have a tiny grease mark here and there and has an overall great old look. It takes an eye to know what I refer to, but if you saw one and it was pointed out you would see it in a second.
Bottom line...if it's REALLY shiny, PASS. If it looks stained, PASS. If it looks unusual or funky for a gold coin (which we all know is non-reactive), PASS. No one ever got burned by passing on a coin.
<< <i>"Incorrect and incorrect. "
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I defer to your expertise.
I have dipped scores of them during the past
30-years, and have never had a complaint about
any damage; and, have never had a post-sale
report that any of them were body-bagged. >>
I'm not sure why anyone would dip out scores of Saints as it gives them an unnatural shiney and brassy look like cheap jewelry as pointed out here, and would be avoided by most people when spotted. You were incorrect, and only a small percentage of Saints I've seen over the years have been dipped and I avoid them like the plague. Dipping gold serves no purpose as I see it, and actually makes the coin unsaleable to any experienced collector in my experience whether it holders or not.
<< <i>All good points SG... however, I would challenge you to spot an electoplated coin (not proof)... if done right, there is zero evidence. Cheers, RickO >>
I wouldn't know electroplated from contemplated.
<< <i>Or mastu__ated....
I selected MY word carefully.
That's sigline worthy.
Excellent manifesto, too.