How is this a PR-68 DCAM?

PCGS graded this coin as a PR-68 DCAM. I know that proof coins get a bit more leeway when it comes to scratches on the fields, but the marks seen on this proof coin appear to be a bit too severe to deserve that grade.

As you can see from the photos, there are a series of scratch-like marks that's seen on the letter "L" of LIBERTY and across to the right of it. Are these marks die scratches? But, wouldn't it be the inverse shape of a scratch then? Or, are scratches like this allowed on a proof 68 grade?

Thanks in advance!

 

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How is this a PR68DCAM? They're incompetent, that's how. Those aren't scratches, they're gouges.

 

That coin should never even have passed the Mint's quality control. That must have been part of a bulk grade submission. I bet a grader didn't even really look at it and just assigned the 68DCAM grade as a random assignment.

 

The graders were asleep at the wheel on this one. No excuses, those are hideous scratches/gouges.

 

How can I be sure I'm not looking at scratches on the plastic? I've been hoodwinked by that before.

 

68s a pretty terrible grade for those, I also agree that should have never made it out of the mint

 

It's not a mark on the slab, I quadruple checked. One way I do it is to see that no matter the angle of view, the marks stay at the same position. I tried to take pics from different angles to show that, but the mirrored surface of the coin and the reflection off the plastic slab make it a bit hard to take a clear pic of the coin's surface.

 

Here's something that might work for distinguishing marks on the coin from marks on the slab in photos: stick a post-it note onto the slab with one corner exactly over the mark. Shoot from two different angles. If the mark stays in the same place relative to the post-it, it's on the slab; if not, it's on the coin.

 

If it somehow got on the INSIDE surface of the plastic, it would be harder to determine. Less parallax to see.

 

Yeah, but if I'm in the middle of a pasture and see hoofprints, I'm going to look for horses and donkeys before I look for zebras.

 

Jus' sayin'. That's at least as plausible as someone (or 3 someones) giving a coin with gouges like that a PR68DC. Maybe they saw a clean coin and some noob scratched a slab half.

 

There should be clearly-visible shadows cast by the gouges in the plastic; from a Macro standpoint, there's a lot of vertical distance between the outer surface of the slab and the fields of the coin.

 

The grade you get is influenced (often heavily) by who you are, and who you know.

 

Not even remotely true

 

I know you said its not the slab, but sctaches dont look like that on a coin. Those look like plastic stratches.

 

Crack it open to be sure the grade is wrong anyway right?

 

No. Not really but it is possible on really high end coins that the grader might know who owns the coin.

 

I can't think of any good arguments against. PR68DCAM for an issue like this is like a No-Grade.

 

It's pretty easy to tell that those gouges are on the surface of the coin and not on the outside or inside surface of the plastic slab. The focal point is the surface of the coin at the L in Liberty. Notice how quickly the depth of field falls off in the foreground and background? Had those gouges been on the plastic, they would not be as sharply focused as they are in the first image above. They are on the surface of the coin and no where else.

 

Often stated, never with evidence.