One thing keeping me from getting coins graded...

Questionable color. I would pay a handsome price for this coin raw. I see these quite a bit in slabs: Questionable color. Questionable. Doesn't seem very authoritative. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Enlightening observations? Is it just a crapshoot? Or do you see this coin differently with your more experienced eye? Do you think it's questionable? If not authentic color then how was this produced? Heat? If it's questionable then there's some unknown probability that this is actually authentic coloring. Do people just keep sending certain coins in until they get a grader or graders who think it looks good and straight grade it? It looks damn good to me. Why is it questionable? Why is it not Definitely Artificial Coloring? Etc etc etc...

 

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This looks like an unnatural color for a 105 year old piece of bronze. It seems to have been chemically altered. A natural perfectly kept 1913 cent should be farther to the reddish end of the spectrum than this yellowish color.

 

Ah ok...so questionable for the age.

Safe to say they aren't going to straight grade any Cent from this year or era with this color? Pretty sure I've seen them straight graded with similar (lack of) tone...

 

Unless the white balance is off on these pictures, always a possibility, there is NO age of Lincoln cent that should be THIS color.

 

This one is close...and straight graded...definitely "different" but similar...I have to figure out this difference.

 

The MAIN difference here is tone variations. Contrast that with the monotone of the first one.

 

There’s at least some color variation from that photo. The plastic prong color is off from what they look like in hand

 

Yeah, that's why I said it. It's hard to answer questionable color questions with questionable white balance.

 

Agreed. I think I’ve made a cent look about 12 different colors in pictures before when I couldn’t get that right

 

Questionable the right way to put it. A lot with toning is experience and educated guessing. Nature and do crazy things under the right conditions with the right coins.

More importantly though collectors can’t even agree on what artificial toning actually means. Most would agree applying a chemical to the surface to cause toning is artificial but that’s generally where vast agreement ends. Is it artificial if something tones on a desk or near a window? What about if it’s stored in an envelope or napkin? How about if you lose a coin and when you find it it had toned under the computer? Most agree that if a coin tones in an album that’s fine but then some of them will think an elevelope or desk or napkin isn’t fine. Everyone has their own variation on what they do and don’t consider artificial which is a major reason why the trend has moved away from nt vs at and is market acceptable vs not

 

So there really is something to this? It seems arbitrary to me. But I have a lot to learn. I'm seeing such a variety of accepted colors...just wondering why that first one doesn't get a pass. I have to learn how to differentiate...

These are all straight graded:

 

Yes, and at some point, it appears arbitrary to everybody. It just depends on your line.

 

Line?

 

Where you decide it's arbitrary. Remember, the TPGS's claim they don't MAKE market judgments, they merely REPORT them.

 

Line: An opinion based on experience, knowledge, and TPGS policy where opinions between different examiners separate.

The more you know, the closer you will match the actual truth and the opinions of your peers and the other "experts" who may not be correct all the time.

There is a reason "QUESTIONABLE" is used.

 

Crack it out of the PCGS slab and send it to NGC. That's what I did with one of mine and NGC straight graded it.

Or crack it out and send it back PCGS as raw. Ive always wanted to see someone try that and see what their results would be.

 

Better to try the other service. Questionable toning, authenticity, and color are usually things that will turn out the same.

 

It's disheartening. I like to buy raw. I thought I had a good feel for it. This really plays into TPGs hands...it's damn near impossible for a laymen to recognize authentic color...the difference between straight graded and questionable are mysterious, therefore you better just pay for graded coins--pay that premium. I know they don't guarantee red and all that anymore but if they tell you it's authentic color by straight grading it, is that guaranteed?

 

Agreed. The one exception might be if you put a good one in with a bunch of bad ones on a submission where it might have gotten hit with some guilt by association.

 

I guess that's moot because how could you prove it? You can't prove it! That's why it's questionable.