Spots and Market Acceptability

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by KSorbo, Jul 29, 2020.

  1. KSorbo

    KSorbo Well-Known Member

    Here is one of my more recent acquisitions that I bought in its PCGS AU53 holder. Note the black spot next to the lower right portion of the bust. I often wonder about these types of spots, as I know that they can emerge after slabbing, unlike other types of damage like scratches that I can be sure were there when the coin was slabbed.

    My question is, would a spot like this cause a coin to get a details grade upon submission? Or would it even affect the grade at all of a circulated coin like this one? I understand that spots affect eye appeal and that part doesn’t bother me. I just want to be sure that, even if the spot had emerged after slabbing, that it would still be market acceptable at the assigned grade. BTW I didn’t pay particularly strong money for it.

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    Peter T Davis likes this.
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  3. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    If your “spot” is the small black area above the curl on Ms. Liberty’s neck, that looks like a nick below the surface of the coin to me. You might wish that it wasn’t there, but it is consistent with the assigned grade.
     
  4. KSorbo

    KSorbo Well-Known Member

    I’ve looked closely under a loupe and it is not a nick, it appears to be a black spot on the surface.
     
  5. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    I see raised metal to left of the black spot, which looks like a nick to me, but you have the coin in-hand.
     
  6. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    I think he's talking about the spot at the back edge of the hair in the field - not the one on the neck.
     
  7. KSorbo

    KSorbo Well-Known Member

    Actually I see what you are referring to, the nick on Liberty’s neck above the curl and below the ear. I was asking about the larger spot next to liberty’s hair across from the 12th star.
     
  8. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    No, and I've never seen it happen.

    Not likely on a coin like this one.

    Yeah, it should be if that was what happened. But I don't think that is what happened with this coin.

    This coin looks to me like it's been dipped, and the darker areas, seen in many places - both spots, around the edges of the stars, and in a few protected areas like the deepest recesses of the curls - are merely dark toning that wasn't completely removed by the dip.
     
    KSorbo likes this.
  9. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    It’s out of the line of sight in the design so it doesn’t amount to much. If this were graded MS-63 or higher, it’s a problem.
     
    KSorbo likes this.
  10. messydesk

    messydesk Well-Known Member

    No problem with it where it is on an AU53. It would probably bug me more in a prime focal area.
     
    KSorbo likes this.
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