depressing news from john wexler

If you don’t have any numismatic friends close by, sounds like you’ll have to take everyone’s advice and bite the bullet to send it in.

 

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If it's 'one of a kind',
isn't it worth $100 to
be certain, and certified?

If not, you've got a bunch
of people here who are very
willing to view your photos,
discuss what you see on your
coins, and offer you knowledge
about your coins for Free.

The Third Option is to not submit
them (I understand it's expensive),
not to understand and believe what
most of us say here, but instead
do nothing with your coins except
believe you have a rare, valuable,
one of a kind error that you can
believe is genuine and worth a small
fortune, and enjoy them in that manner.

Door # 1 ?

Door # 2 ?

Door # 3 ?

 

when I go to my normal dealer he said he does not waste his time with an error unless it is the red book. that tells me he needs that picture to look at for comparison because he would not know himself.

 

I understand what you are saying. and I appreciate you taking the time to help. however, I am only able to work about 25 hours a week because I am more or less house bound taking care of my elderly grandmother. so I only have limited funds. if they are not what I wish them to be that is wasted money that could have gone towards my car payments, or groceries for the house, etc. I have to do what a responsible adult in my situation would do instead of what I want to do. when the come back from john which he said he mailed yesterday I will gladly post pictures. the lady at PCGS said you sometimes do a "pre-approval" service? is that something I can partake in?

 

I think its time to find an new dealer...

 

Yes, at a coin show I will be glad to view
coins there, and give my opinion.

I do not, and cannot, provide that service thru the mail.

I fully understand your situation, and that's why I gave
you the 2nd choice - post the photos here, and you will
receive numerous opinions and views - and I'm fairly
certain they will be 98% the same, or some might say
'I can't tell from a photo'...

I will do my best from the photos - but please keep these few things in mind:

1. A full photo of both sides of the coin is also needed, not just
a close up.

2. A short description of what you see, and think, the error is on the coin.

3. We might need to know the weight of the coin, but don't worry about
that right now.

4. Some of us have been studying, collecting, buying, selling, certifying Mint Error
coins for decades; we see folks online, on the phone, and at coin shows
who are not familiar with the minting process, and aren't coin collectors,
who believe what they think is an error HAS to be an error; that, in many,
many, if not most cases, simply isn't true.

We all try to be helpful with information, but many novices who are looking
for error coins just don't want to hear the truth about their coins. They might
read about this or that rare error coin or doubled die, and think they have it,
but they don't, in the vast majority of situations.


I've been doing this (mint error coins) since I was 10 years old, and have been
a full-time numismatist/dealer for over 46 years - I'm 67 now, so as they say
in that Car Insurance commercial - I've been around a lot, and I've seen a lot.

Let's see exactly what you have, and go from there.

 

Two other options for you are to hold on to them until you learn enough to make a fair judgment yourself OR join your local coin club if you really want to get in the hobby. There is a wealth of knowledge on the local level and most are happy to help a newcomer!

 

@bryantallard I looked at your other thread, and think that it got clouded with the WDO. I think that a simple dip in acetone for a minute or two would be worth it. Roll a q-tip over the entire surface and see if it changes.
I think what you see is stuck to the coin.

 

Much less for free. I hate to use the analogy, but it's like throwing a five spot to the local crackhead; do it once and they'll keep coming, and coming, and coming with every insignificant nothing imaginable. Not all, of course, but enough to make anyone who has lived it think again.

Why? Is it a dealer's responsibility to not only become knowledgeable about every niche aspect of this hobby, but to be willing to help anyone who contacts them free of charge? Contrary to what many here seem to assume, "dealer" is in no way synonymous with "expert", and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Just because this may be a hobby for you, this doesn't make it the same for everyone, and is something all would be wise to remember. Unfortunately, there is a number of so-called "collectors" and/or "strike it rich" types who perfectly fit the above analogy, and are more than willing to expect a mile for every inch given them. No one would expect a doctor to see the local hypochondriac, free of charge, over every little concern they may have, so why should a coin dealer be any different?

 

With all due respect; welcome to the real world. Please don't misinterpret as I'm not trying to single you out here, but this is something that each and every one of us who submits either faces or has had to face at one time or another. I don't blame you in the least for being frustrated, but it's part of the game and must be accepted by anyone wishing to play it, especially if hoping to flip them on the bay.

That said, I realize you're exaggerating to make a point, but even for your stated purpose, it doesn't have to cost anywhere near your initial $420 claim to have the coins looked at. If willing to consider all options, it should be significantly cheaper, but you cannot expect a business to give you both their time and expertise, paying them only if things turn out in your favor. This is why and where you have to ask yourself what it is worth to YOU to have a coin or coins placed under the eyes of accepted experts, even if not employed by your preferred TPG.

I would, most respectfully, urge you take Mr. Weinberg's suggestion to heart and do whatever necessary to post clear quality photos once the coins are back in your possession. Perhaps you haven't yet considered this, but you now have more than one very knowledgeable individual willing to look at your coins free of charge, so I suggest you not look a gift horse in the mouth, which is exactly what you have been doing thus far.

As an aside, kudos for caring for your grandmother. It's tough, I know, but it can help build character and be a priceless experience if you look at it the right way. I was blessed with having a grandmother at an age when most lost theirs long ago; even though it was often difficult and cost a ton of money, it was a priceless experience and something I wouldn't have changed for the world.

 

Looks like corrosion or environmental damage to me.I think you should contact someone and correspond with them before you send out your coins.

 

I think a lot of these problems would be solved if you posted some pictures and took the members advice with the acetone...

Thanks,
Jacob

 

It might at PCGS. $70 for the membership, shipping and insurance both ways, the invoice fee, the grading cost for each coin, and since he would be wanting them identified as Mint errors $50 each for that. (although the $50 may include the grading fee and not be in addition to it, I don't know.).

 

Indeed, but is also why I qualified it with "if willing to consider all options". The entire point was that the OP is obviously bothered by the potential expense of going PCGS, but as you know there are other, significantly cheaper options available. It's kind of a "you can't always get what you want" type of thing, but "sometimes you'll find you get what you need"...

 

Ahh Jeez.

I'm surprised that Fred did not mention this ( or maybe he did but I have not read it just yet ) but John Wexler handles and validates "varieties" but CONECA handles and identifies 'error coins".

Visit their website. http://conecaonline.org/content/coneca_examinations.html

You do NOT have to be a CONECA Member to submit coins but you DO have to pay a fee for examination.

If you want you CAN Join. It's only $25 a year. http://conecaonline.org/content/join.html

Plus you get access to the Errorscope Magazine.

Mike Diamond is a primary attributor for CONECA.

 

Although Wexler's specialty was clarified, I don't believe anyone brought up or addressed CONECA. Excellent post!

 

I am quite surprised that @Fred Weinberg didn't mention it and instead suggested TPG's.

IMO, unless the error is as obvious as two-bills on a duck, the TPG's don't have the resources nor the least bit of experience in attributing errors much less identifying them which is why they sometimes use Fred as an Expert.

I sent in one coin to PCGS only to have them take my money and claim that the coin was not an error. Complain long enough and Don Willis will send you a degrading email challenging your credibility.

Fred may recall when I sent them a "disk clip" on a 1971-S Eisenhower Proof. PCGS would not touch it even though I pointed them to the specific error in Fred's Error Encyclopedia. My objections were eventually met with a snarky email from Mr. Willis stating that I reminded him of Demi Moore in the movie a Few Good Men where she "strenuously objected". The only problem was is that my coin was in fact a bonafide error that they simply thought was too "minor" for their prestigious name to be on. (Tell that to the Speared Bison Folks!) And yes, it still pisses me off that PCGS thinks they are so high and mighty that they can offord to turn their noses up at the obvious! (I really miss David Hall!)

IN short, joining a TPG specifically with the intent of them attributing or identifying an error on a coin is just silly because they simply do NOT have the expertise to make such a call.

Join CONECA because these folks DO have that expertise and they live and breath Coin Error's fromn every Country on the Planet. It's what they do.

If a coin is a suspected new variety (for CONECA) they'll even submit it to ANACS for slabbing under the new designation/attribution.

You really cannot go wrong.

 

I trust you guys know that Fred Weinberg (see his post above) is the error authenticator for PCGS. You can fully rely on his opinion.

I’m sure we all have a small collection of fakes we got in our early days of error collecting. Nothing wrong with being fooled. Lots of really bad poop out there. The first major book on errors, was primarily fake errors. Anybody recall Frank Spadone?

 

Not primarily fake errors, mostly minor errors, but there were a good number of fake and altered coins listed in the book as errors.