Would you rather have a slick coin with barely any details, or a holed one with good details?

Given both cost the same.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Holes. Long as they’re not hugely distracting they allow for appreciation of the artistry of the coin.

a slick doesn’t really give you anything except the satisfaction of owning it, while the hole gives you satisfaction if actually being able to see something

 

I would rather have the holed one with good details but then I'd want the hole repaired.

Sure it would get the "REPAIRED" designation but it would look much better without a distracting hole.

 

A hole instead of slick ones . At least you see the details for the most part . Found this horrid coin while , what else, Metal detecting . 1818 Large .

 

Here is an example of a coin that had a hole and the hole was repaired.

I don’t think it looks too bad because it was filled with the correct gold content so the filled hole is hard to see.

Whereas when the hole was still there it looked butt ugly.

 

None, as my min. grade for any coin in my collection is VF30 and holed coins wouldn’t even qualify.

 

Some VF30 coins are extremely expensive.

Ive always thought of problem coins as a way for people with lower budgets to get coins they can’t afford in problem-free condition.

 

If you’re on a budget, just wait and save your money instead of spending it on a totally ruined coin. If you’ll never be able to afford a specific coin in VF30/35, then you should look at different types of coins. It’s that simple.

 

You can’t really tell someone “then you should look at different types of coins.”

Some people like what they like and if it’s a choice between a repaired coin and no coin they will choose the first.

There is still value in repaired coins even if it’s not the same value as a problem free coin of the same grade.

I mean if you could get an XF-repaired coin for the same price as an F-12 problem free coin why not?

These damaged & repaired coins need somewhere to go. Most of them are definitely worth more than melt.

 

Where did you find that one metal detecting?

Im guessing the East Coast?

1818 is decades before coinage really went into circulation on the West Coast.

 

I found it in Eastford, CT around a "cellar hole" next to a fire pit someone made , Probably a deer hunter .

 

I don't see a hole on that Gold coin .

 

Yeah it was a good repair!

It was repaired by a jeweler and the jeweler had to make sure the gold used to fill the hole was exactly right and had the correct ratio of gold/silver/copper.

They sell gold grains that look like little BBs and melt those mixed with copper to fill the hole.

 

Ah yeah I figured it was the East Coast xD.

 

I tried to give good advice to inexperienced collectors. I am not going to encourage newbies to buy heavily worn, cleaned or damaged coins, just because they can’t afford problem-free examples. Senior collectors know what they want and don’t need advice.

 

I know what you mean, but it sort of comes off a bit elitist.

For example, some people really want to collect gold coins but have very limited means. Since most old gold is worth more than melt, they may be out of luck. But if they can find a nice gold coin at melt (or below!) it allows the collectors of more modest means to find something they can enjoy at a budget they can stomach.

I like hard salami. Some days I can’t really afford Boars Head so I go with the cheap store brand. Should I instead save up for Boars Head, or should I rather enjoy my sandwich of Oscar Meyer or store brand instead?

 

Well, sometimes a holed coin is scarce enough that I feel lucky just to have any
kind of example of the type. Example, I bought this Colombia 1821 8 reales for the "MDQ" countermark. There are a few on eBay for hundreds of dollars, but I'm
happy to have one from an in-person seller I trust for about $20.

 

If someone is of very limited means, they ought not be looking to buy gold coins to begin with in my opinion.

I do agree with @micbraun on this. Unless the collection you are trying to assemble is full of problem coins, why would you add one to it just to fill a hole? Most are going to regret doing it unless of course, as already stated, that is the look they are going for.

 

I have no problem buying problem coins as long as the price is right.

Some of the problem coins that I own are full of all kinds of problems - bent, holes scratched. I still struggle to replace them after a whole decade!

So my advice is that if you know a certain coin may be scarce, problem coins are definitely an option.

 

I would never purchase a holed coin, even if it was cheap, because it is now a bauble, a piece of jewelry, not a coin. However, if a holed coin is something you need as a hole filler and cannot afford an unaltered coin, go for it if you wish.I would rather have something like this: