NGC Damaged My Medal - What do I do?!?

I'm not so sure those hairlines weren't caused when you placed the medal in the flip. I believe you that you inspected it well before submission (before the flip), and sent it off securely in the box, but there's no proof that you didn't cause the hairlines when you placed a large and bulky proof medal into a oversized flip. In other words, perhaps a clear picture in the flip would have settled all this. I'm not trying to be harsh, i just think NGC's response is warranted if you cant prove otherwise.

 

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joecoincollect, posted: "I'm not so sure those hairlines weren't caused when you placed the medal in the flip. I believe you that you inspected it well before submission (before the flip), and sent it off securely in the box, but there's no proof that you didn't cause the hairlines when you placed a large and bulky proof medal into a oversized flip. In other words, perhaps a clear picture in the flip would have settled all this. I'm not trying to be harsh, i just think NGC's response is warranted if you cant prove otherwise."

Joe, I'm 100% sure those marks were not caused by the container. Furthermore, the OP seems to know a lot more than your average grocery store fruit and veggie stocker! Therefore, when he says the marks were not on the coin, they were not.

Furthermore (This is the important part of my long-winded post for which I'll apologise to the "Ex-Perts" here), the things we see on our coins usually occur in stages or degrees. Take a look at the OP's coin again. The marks on that coin are too severe to be called "hairlines." When they get this noticeable and affect the surface in this way, most would call them minor scuffs. That raises the marks into the realm of PMD.

 

I'm still not so sure. We don't know how tight the fit was in the flip, how he handeled it putting it in, etc. In any case, there's no proof he didnt damage it then instead of NGC.

 

joecoincollect, posted: I'm still not so sure. We don't know how tight the fit was in the flip, how he handeled it putting it in, etc. In any case, there's no proof he didnt damage it then instead of NGC."

Joe,

I admire your skepticism. Don't lose it! However, an opinion is just that UNLESS due to skeptical doubt sometime in the past, it can be backed up by experimentation and experience.

Unfortunately , I'm not a know-it-all , thus my opinion should be considered to be just as good as any grocer selling rotten fruit.

Now, you (and others) have a choice to make. Keep believing whatever you wish OR through experimentation to prove that your OPINION is valid and not just some misinformation stated all over the place FOR SEVERAL DECADES , do a test. Since the acquisition of knowledge usually costs something, buy a BU SE (it will always be worth close to what you paid for over the a short time you'll use it). Now get a flip and try to put large scuffs into it. You can squeeze it as hard as you can while you put the coin in and out. Keep track of the time it takes and note how rough you need to be during the test to get any results. If no scrapes appear, throw it like skipping-a-stone across a rug. Heck, before you even try the flip, throw it into a wall an see what happens.

PS I've done this and more in classes to show how tough coins are and to dispel common numismatic myths.

 

I find myself suspicious of “jostling” in transit. Pieces that big don’t ship like dimes and cents. It ALSO might be why NGC doesn’t accept pucks as show drop-offs at all.

 

Logically, how could a flip which is much, much softer than the medal possibly scratch the medal? Remember Mohs’ Scale?

 

It's true. We are so conditioned to want to protect them that often we seem to forget they aren't newborns and are actually made of metal. Another good example would be how coins don't automatically become AU just because they were in a cash register

 

Just look at the flips that NGC hands out at shows for submissions. They are COMPLETELY capable of scratching any coin if the coin jiggles inside it. And those are normal weight coins. It’s hard NOT TO SCRATCH a 5 ouncer depending on what it’s in.

 

Have you tried the experiment? Or is this more conjecture?

 

I’ve never 1) tried to mail a 5 oz. coin, nor 2) figured out why I’d want to. I have seen a crown sized coin scratched by careless flip technique WITHOUT shipping. The only approx 5oz I own is a Panama 20 Balboa.