Brutal day at PCGS...

Incidentally, here are the five clean coins:


AU58BN


MS62BN


MS64RD


MS64RB


MS65RB

Happy with the grades on these, although that Smith's I feel could come back as a low grade MS on any given day, too.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

They all appear correct to me. "Questionable Color" on the Cent indeed.

 

What am I missing on the Dix and the 2C?

 

The 2cent I'd have to see in hand looks ok to me. I find pcgs impossible to get a grade on toned ihc for some reason. Anything with nice color comes back qc even when I pop them out of an album where they been 30+ years still qc. I don't even bother buying them anymore

 

Just speculating here, as I don't know what goes on in the cloud-shrouded summit of coin grading's Mount Olympus, but I think they felt the Dix was just too bright. The 2c looks nice in the photos, so maybe it was an issue of lack of luster on an apparent MS coin, or some hairlines best seen with a point source light?
Copper is always a roll of the dice with the TPG's.

I really like the Smith's, one of my favorite designs.

 

@jester3681 , thanks for posting the pictures. Very cool HT's and cents.

I agree with @ksparrow on the Dix and 2c pieces.

When do you get the coins back? I'm sure you'll take another look once they're back in your possession.

My favorite is the Smith's Clock HT. Very nice!

 

Thanks for the input guys. I'll have to take a closer look when they come back. They should be in the mail now.

 

Be sure to tell us what you think after you have time to study them! I find this very interesting.

 

Where is the scratch on that first one? Not being familiar with the design, I'm not seeing it.

The cleaned ones are all fairly obvious, especially the 2 cent. The color is *very* wrong on the 2 cent. It is known as "pink" copper... when the original surfaces have been stripped away, the underlying bare copper often has that color.

And not to rub it in, but for the education of everyone, the color on that Indian is just plain odd. (Have you posted that one before? It looks familiar). Immediate red flags: those colors are highly unusual. The orange crescent at the bottom on the obverse is highly unusual. The speckled orange around the outside of the reverse is just wrong. The obverse and reverse don't match. The whole feel of this coin is wrong.

 

Regarding this coin:
Questionable Color:



I guess on this one, if I had to step back and be picky, the obverse and reverse are not toned in a matched way. The "questionable color" designation always kind of irks me. This one has a sister in another batch that is more evenly toned. Hopefully she comes back as a clean grade.

It should be remembered that often coin STORAGE (method, manner, location, holder or no) can play tricks with coin toning. Frustrates and irks me to no end when someone criticizes the toning as if to say it might be artificial.

 

While that may be true, there are certain colors and patterns that are red flags. They aren't commonly seen, or are common to coins that are known to be enhanced (artificially toned). This coin exhibits these colors and patterns (especially on the reverse).

 

I'm sorry to hear about your bad results. I usually try to have at least two sets of experienced eyes look at a coin before a major submission if there is any doubt. Our minds can trick us into believing anything, history is replete with that reality.

The grading services are getting tougher and tougher with certain coins, especially cents, etc.. You can always try the cheaper options like Anacs and Icg, both have $10 specials going on now, sure as heck beats the $$$ charged by Pcgs. I have had bad results with IHCs at Icg, they are all though on cents.

Their statistics show low percentages of grading problems; under 5%, so you were extremely unlucky: http://www.pcgs.com/Statistics/

 

The scratch on the first one is on the obverse. In the fields. Believe it or not, PCGS's photos actually hide them. I referred to the seller pics before these were posted.

 

We wouldn't crack them out if they put a LEGIT grade on them to begin with.Potential byers can "pass" on purchasing them if they don't agree,I do....

 

I'm with others here when it comes to the Dix and the 2Cent pieces..... to me, they just look too "perfect" not too be cleaned...... I can't put my finger on it, but it seems the best way to describe it.

 

But see, that's my point, you send a coin in to be graded when you yourself either cannot grade it or rather make it official and let a TPG grade it. Why bother when you have a set grade in mind and will go to the ends of the earth, no matter what an expert says, until you find that grader that chooses the grade you are happy with.....

I have no doubt that some coins do come back the wrong grade.... accidents happen, but I also believe, that stubborn sellers who own some said coins see more then what is really there. And when you believe you know more then a TPG does.... why waste everybody's time.... not to mention, your money.

 

I have some raw Barber dimes to submit. Don't really know yet which TPG to send them into yet. They are AU and BU. I'll have to get pics up when I get my laptop back.

 

Sending copper to PCGS is always fun. They question color that is not the normal. They are tough but for good reason. At least today they come back in a nice holder. In the old days they came back in a little bag and you still paid the full fee.

 

that " time is money" piece is fantastic! Love the detail and the whole clock face on the obverse. Very neat.

 

I love it to! Not terribly rare, but this piece is lovely. A keeper, for sure.