Probably the nicest looking slab I've ever seen. The slab, that is, not the coin with the PVC damage all over the reverse. It took 2 bidders to get this one that high. What could the bidders have possibly been thinking?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUSTRIA-5-Kronen-1908-PCGS-MS65-/400685022530
I didn't check pop reports so can't speak to "finest known", but I'll bet the bidders were thinking this coin is a GEM being offered by one of the most reputable world-class German dealers in the business....which it is. Not the most flattering pic for sure, but most knowledgeable collectors know enough not to completely judge a coin from a pic. They also rely on the reputation of the seller, and they communicate any concerns they might have before bidding. This GEM was delivered by the world-class dealer to the world-class buyer at the recent CICF in Chicago. It is an amazing coin with beautiful toning that includes green highlights and not a hint of PVC. Keyboard commandos should think twice before posting disparaging comments regarding things about which they know nothing. If you ever saw the buyer's collection, you would probably melt yours. Have a nice day
Everybody is entitled to their opinion I suppose. It's an ugly coin even if the surfaces aren't covered with goo if you ask me. And it wouldn't be the first coin to make it in a holder with PVC damage either. Reverse of this 20 Lire (below) is covered in PVC, but at least it's a nice looking coin otherwise, which you sure couldn't say about the 5 Corona. And then even if said 5 Corona didn't have the "green mystery substance" look to it, the coin simply isn't worth nearly $400. There are bag marks all over the neck as well as the head behind and below the ear. The leg on the reverse has a hit that would keep a Walking Liberty Half out of anything above a MS63 holder, yet this coin finds its way into a 65 holder??? Be sure to click on the image to get a full screen view of the coin. It's in an MS63 holder btw.
you're a riot . I've never seen anyone so obsessed with a coin they've never seen, didn't want and didn't buy .
Just observing a certain phenomenon regarding TPG coins that defies explanation, that's all. Not that I'm complaining, to be sure I've sold a few coins in MS65-67 holders that fetched four times what the coin was really worth. To the extent that the buyer was happy with the coin no injustice done.
It may be the highest graded, but it's certainly not the "finest known". I despise when sellers use that phrase!!! I agree with you -- I love the reverse of that coin design in question, but I have seen MS62 and MS63 graded examples with much higher eye appeal. I'd rather have any of the other lower graded pictured examples on the PCGS CoinFacts page.
What a great link(!) The coins get uglier as the grade climbs, 58 is the nicest, the 63 already looking kind of brown and toasty.
Happily agree; additionally I would definitely take the 58 any day over the 65 example linked Fantastically designed coin though; another one to add to my want list for sure
We are discussing the coin amongst ourselves We aren't discussing what the seller did or did not say Frankly I don't see the necessity of your posts. The only thing I have drawn from them is you have a symbiotic relation with either the buyer or seller with the coin in question.
He/she didn't say that in the listing. But, this is the highest graded example from PCGS -- and in my opinion it's a dog based on those images. It might be beautiful in hand, but it's eBay and so we are all going from images alone. What this thread reaffirms for me is that some dealers are ok losing money. If you're selling top end coins on eBay, why the heck not pay someone to take decent pictures of the coins? There are many dealers who have superb selections of coins, very high end and scarce items, but they are either too lazy, too cheap, or too ignorant to realize that the bidding on a venue like eBay (where there is no in hand low viewing) would be much more to their benefit if they took proper images. So, to recap, the dealer can be the nicest and most trustworthy in the business -- that doesn't mean they can't improve. And, this one could improve massively on his/her images.
What's wrong with a little green goo? LOL. And I think MS65 for that example is a stretch. Looks to have had some old cleaning done - maybe a long time ago, but still. Cant always tell from photos... I agree with some of the other posters - I would rather have a MS63 with better eye appeal than a rough looking MS65.
Obviously I know the seller but I certainly have no stake in his business and no reason to give him false praise. I've simply known him for more than a decade, and we have a friendly dealer/collector relationship. I've bought many coins from him over the years, slabbed and raw, including several sight unseen, based only on his word regarding the quality and eye appeal. If a coin is a dog, regardless of grade, he will be the first to say it, and in fact, he will probably never have bought it in the first place. He also bids for me at German auctions, and I bid or pass based solely on his recommendations. Could his pics be better? Absolutely, just as I said in an earlier post, although some of his images are decent. Many folks, including myself, have difficulty taking good pics of some toned coins. Is he losing money because of it? That I most seriously doubt...he is far too savvy a business man for that. Have I seen PCGS and/or NGC graded coins with active pvc contamination? Definitely yes. I recently returned some coins to NGC for pvc removal, which was done at no cost to me. Do I care about top pops or a so-called "finest known"? Absolutely not. Many times I've sold or traded higher graded coins and kept "lesser" pieces I like more. Would I have liked the coin in the OP based on the ebay image? No, not at all... But if the seller told me his image was bad and the coin was really nice, I'd trust him. I'd also trust him to honor his terms for returns if I didn't like the coin in hand.
I don't know that anyone in the thread has questioned the integrity of the seller. I doubt he picks and chooses what he is going to buy. More likely, just like every other dealer out there he buys whatever someone brings to him, though his buying price might be a lot lower if it's something he thinks is junk. The thrust of my original post is that many collectors rely entirely too much on the TPG services when deciding what is and what isn't a desirable coin.
