PCGS Restoration Service

Wanted to share a Before/After of PCGS's restoration service removing a few copper spots.

I'd purchased this 2016-W Standing Liberty Quarter from a jewelry store back in early 2022 basically at spot, still in mint packaging. I'd sent it to PCGS hoping that they'd overlook the copper spots, but they graded it SP69 and had the audacity to ship it back to me with a sticker that said "restoration recommended." (I thought I'd taken a picture of the sticker, but now I can't seem to find it...)

Before:


I'd accumulated a few additional coins I felt could benefit from restoration and sent away in December of '23. After a little *ahem* touch-up, she graded SP70.

After:


I was fortunate enough to order a full set (2x Mercury dime, 1x Standing Liberty quarter, and 1x Walking Liberty half dollar) from the mint back in '16 -- and all were/are absolutely spotless, without any copper spots at all. Those 4x all graded SP70, but unfortunately are not accompanied with TrueView. If PCGS ever has another good reholder special, those might get TVs.

This is my 4th or 5th time using their restoration services, with mixed results. Have you ever used PCGS restoration or NGC preservation; what were your experiences? Or do you strongly feel any such action is an abomination to the hobby?

 

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Just an aberration.......

 

And it is indeed past my bed time. Nite all.......

 

Looked through my photos going back to when I received the PCGS order; seems I never took a picture. For reference, here is what the sticker I mentioned looks like:



(Not my coin; borrowed image from Reddit to show sticker.)

 

Very cool triangle coin - never seen that one before!!

I was curious what the clean up process actually involved. Random gentleman on YouTube makes it look very easy:

To each their own, but I'd personally never risk doing that myself to my gold coins, not even gently/softly as he demonstrates.

 

Up until a few years ago it was "Never clean or mis-handle coins, never, never, never." Now the magic word is "Restoration." Bullcrap!

 

Now, now. When I was a little kid, it was "shine up your pennies with a pencil eraser". And before that, it was "be sure to polish your coins regularly to keep them presentable". Just ask the Smithsonian...

 

Oh heck no. Maybe he can't see marks on a PROOF surface after RUBBING IT WITH AN ERASER, but I'm thinking that says less about his technique and more about his eyesight.

I figured the safest approach for "copper spots" would be dilute nitric acid, which can't touch gold but makes quick work of copper (and iron oxide, in case the guy in the video is actually right about the spots' composition). But I'm chicken to try it myself, on my own coins.

 

@GDJMSP, thank you for the information and especially your professionalism.

 

I have used NGC/NCS restoration services in the past with pretty good results. Fortunately they ask if you are interested before the coin is returned to you.

 

I personally would have rather seen the copper spots. The coin lost it's deep golden luster (original surfaces). I have been looking at more gold lately than ever. That original look is hard to find.

 

Do all the top four (NGC, PCGS, ANACS,and ICG) have coin restoration services? Not counting mail to and from what are the fees charged? Are there any guarantees you have such as improvement, or coin not destroyed/worse before they got it? What llittle I know about TPG's any guarantees are far and few between in my opinion.

 

PCGS charges 3% of coin's final value plus usual grading fee. If the coin is already graded by PCGS, I believe it cannot return any lower. Meaning, it can return same grade or upgrade, but never downgrade.

 

I believe here (and I'll have to confirm once coin is back in hand) the Trueview brightness/lighting are wildly different between the two photos. Hopefully, I'm able to confirm once it's back

 

Yes; excellent points on both counts.

There is certainly a bit of clever marketing by the TPGs in play here... "cleaning is wrong, but we're professionals and we can 'restore' or 'preserve' the coin for you."

 

Wow. It's hard to tell from photos but............

 

This reminds me so much of the political state of the Constitution of the USA that I'm not going to comment.