Hello, I am new to CoinTalk and coin collecting. I decided to start my collection with silver eagles and I purchased a San Fran mint 2013 (S) Silver Eagle NGC MS70 and noticed it looks very different than my other silver eagles (all NGC MS70). I am most concerned with a mark that is on the sun on the coin that almost looks like a fingerprint. I was hoping some experts at CoinTalk could help me identify if it is a fingerprint or not. I spoke with NGC and they said I would have to pay for shipping if it was NOT a fingerprint (if it was, they would reimburse me and fix the coin). Given the lower cost of the coin, I'm wondering if I should take the risk sending it to NGC and having it not be a fingerprint. Attached are photos (the one looks kind of gold because I was shining a desk lamp on it). Also, there is a weird "ring" looking mark under the Y and T in LIBERTY and a mark near the rim of the coin next to the Y in LIBERTY. The odd thing about this is I found a coin on ebay that has the exact ring and mark as my coin. Why would this happen to more than one coin? My coin is on the left, the one I found on ebay is on the right. So, 1) do the top pictures show a fingerprint? If so, what do I do? and 2) Why does my coin have a mark near the Y and a ring under the T and Y like the coin I found on ebay? Thanks! I'm excited to be a new collector. Mark
1) I can't see a fingerprint but that may be because of the picture brightness. If there is indeed one on the coin, and they're (NGC) willing to replace it with another '70, I'd go for it. And I mean replace. There's no way they can 'fix' that coin if there's a fingerprint on it. It's etched into the metal. 2) I've seen that effect before and I think it might be due to the way the planchets are washed and rinsed, but I'm not 100% sure. Others will chime in with thoughts and comments soon...... Oh. And welcome to the forum.
Thanks for your reply. In the first two pictures the "fingerprint" I'm talking about is on the sun and mountain, right where the coin would be fit into place in the NGC holder. it's not very big at all. If you follow the NGC holder tab to the coin, you will see the spot. Does that help?
OK, I think I see what you mean. I dinked with your picture a bit. Hope you don't mind. I'm not so sure that's a fingerprint. It's some sort of smudge though. Without having the coin in hand it's very difficult for me to tell what it is.....
Thanks for doing that, it's much improved. If it isn't a fingerprint... would some smudge like that on a coin indicate that it is not MS70? NGC graded this as MS70.
I think a mark like that might affect a graders opinion of the coin. If it is indeed a fingerprint it would most definitley grade lower which leads one to believe that the mark showed up after the coin was slabbed. It does happen......
The blemish also appears to carry onto the rim of the coin. Is this so, or is it just your photograph? I would contact the seller who sold the coin, since you indicate you bought it as a MS70. Perhaps they would exchange it. Things like this make selling the coin more difficult in the after market. And if you can sell it, you may have to discount it somewhat.
Yes the blemish is on the rim of the coin too. I bought it from APMEX and they are investigating my pictures. If they don't exchange the coin free of shipping charges, then I will send it to NGC who may or may not charge me shipping depending on their analysis.
