Who Ya Gonna Believe...PCGS or Your Lyin' Eyes? 1835 Half Dime

I posted on this coin last week after I won it in a Heritage auction for a $68 hammer and got bit by Heritage's $29 minimum buyers premium.

Well, the coin arrived Saturday and I sat down this a.m. to do my write-up, take photographs, etc. As I proceeded through my verification of what I originally thought was a Large Date, Large 5C variety with an LM-2 die marriage, it quickly became apparent that it was not LM-2 but rather the Large Date, Small 5C LM-5.1 variety and die marriage.

I'm not really disappointed in the coin and I don't have this die marriage but I bought it for a Rarity 4 coin and it turns out to be a Rarity 3.

Twice bit on this purchase!

 

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I'm not defending heritage or PCGS but occasionally misattributions slip out and are incorrectly listed in the auction catalogue. Perhaps other bidders looked at the coin and noticed it was not a large 5. Anyway, in spite of quality control, stuff still gets out. At ICG whomever set up the catalogue used to input coins when they are received listed a large number of rare coins fist in each type/date/mint category. So for example, graders must constantly change a coin sent to them in a 1795 Reeded edge Brown cent holder (Redbook: 9 known 100K + in AG) & listed that way on the grading screen to the common cent that was submitted. YIKES!

 

Oh, I am not attacking Heritage or PCGS. I understand that when thousands of coins are being processed, mistakes happen. I am noting my own blunders for the amusement of fellow CT members and maybe that someone can learn from my experience. Always pay more attention to the coin and less to the holder, I think and try to follow.

 

In situations like this maybe think of the successful cherry picking you have done over the years. Are you ahead, even, or behind? Something tells me a man of your knowledge is ahead.

 

From "Through the Looking Glass"

"Well, in our country," said Alice, still panting a little, "you'd generally get to somewhere else—if you run very fast for a long time, as we've been doing."

"A slow sort of country!" said the Queen. "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"

 

Have it attributed correctly. You may find that it will be done at no charge.
Were the bid photos not of a quality to discern the difference of the 5C?

 

Frankly, it's not worth my time or trouble to fix the label. I have it identified with a sticker on the slab and in my database/photos so the next owner won't be able to claim ignorance.

The bid photos were more than adequate to properly attribute the coin. The problem was that I took their "Large 5C" label at its word and then only looked at the actual coin hard enough to confirm my assumption/prejudice. There were just enough commonalities to the 5.1 that it fooled me. This is what is known as "confirmation bias" and I fell for it even though I like to think I am on the lookout for it in coins as well as other areas of life.

No, this mistake is all on me.

 

PCGS is not noted for being one of the better TPGs when it comes to die variety attributions. I think that NGC is better, but as we noted with Jack Young's 1796 half cent fiasco, they can also make big mistakes. I've seen PCGS blow Red Book varieties when the mistake amounted to some serious money.

You always should check the variety and not go by the TPG label.

 

Probably would be rejected as a "Best Answer" so...

A sign of greatness: Publius2, posted: "No, this mistake is all on me."

 

That's definitely not whats in the slab...I cannot say anything negative as a human I make my share of mistakes esspecially when one is trying to do an attribution from a photo.
But the 5 is is a small 5 to my eyes as well the C a large C.
I believed that I had picked an 1858 002 the other week. From the photo it sure looked like there were items in the loops and the date placement looks spot on.... can you return?

However the nature of this hobby is one that some days you cannot do no wrong, picking a great specimen, other days its like you're a YN not knowing or finding anything.
But yes I can understand the frustration as a h 10 collector I've have heard more times then 100 ...how and the hell can you see anything on those little things?
My reply the same as you can on a larger coin.... you look for what's going on, then do your homework...
Sometimes you get it right.... other you back to being a picker.

 

Oh you mean like this one?

 

Well, I do all my attribution from photographs. When I get the coin, I take high-resolution photos with my DSLR setup and then use Photoscape to do the geometric portion of attribution. I simply cannot see these wee'uns well enough even with a loupe to do a proper job. Below is a typical workup of the reverse.

I have a friend in my LCC who is a Bust Half Nut. I bring him my half dimes so I can have a laugh as he struggles to see them.

 

I do mine in hand, I find that the photos play tricks on these old eyes.... I don't have a camera set up like yours so i rely on my phone or scope for imaging. The scope tends to distort , years ago I had a point and shoot Nikon that took great images...my Nikon DSR takes great photos of the hair on a flys butt a quarter of a mile away...but its horrible at taking any micro shots with the lens I have.
But I did have a good day yesterday at the flea market...picked an R-7

 

Apparently an equal opportunity mistake @johnmilton !

 

That confirmation bias gets me all the time. I'm looking for the 1801 NC-5 BEFORE THE MASSIVE BREAK and keep thinking I found one. And then I realize it's not. I've got three S-76Bs thinking I found S-76As from photos. But I've also spotted a few good ones. I just hope I'm breaking even.

 

When it comes to varieties, I do believe that no one beats ANACS.

Especially on VAMs.

 

@Treashunt I whole heartedly agree!! They did 45 VAMs for a couple of years ago. Excellent job and the right price.

 

I believe the ANACS guy is John Roberts, who writes a column for Coin World on VAMS, or he did

 

What's the opposite of a cherry pick called?

 

Cherry bomb?