Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 1138271, member: 112&quot;]Ask yourself this - are you filling holes and looking for bargains or trying to buy nice coins ? The answer to that question gives you the answer to your other question.</p><p><br /></p><p>Or to look at it in another way - </p><p><br /></p><p>You have three coins to choose from. Two of the coins are scratched, the third is not. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now one of the coins was scratched at the mint with a file in an effort to adjust the weight. The other coin was scratched by some guy with a knife trying to see if the coin was genuine or not. Now the placement of the scratch on both coins is roughly the same. The depth and severity of the scratch is basically the same on both coins. Thus the look of the coins, the eye appeal is equal. But because the nature of the scratch on one is different than the other - the coin with the adjustment mark costs twice as much as the coin scratched with a knife.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now you have the third coin. The 3rd coin is equal in all respects to the other two coins except for one thing - there is no scratch. And the cost of the 3rd coin is only slightly more than than the cost of the coin with the adjustment mark (scratch).</p><p><br /></p><p>Which coin will you buy ?</p><p><br /></p><p>Now I don&#039;t know about you, but I sure know which coin I&#039;d buy.</p><p><br /></p><p>You see, that&#039;s the thing about flaws. People, educated people, numismatists, try to justify the value of coins, the very desirability of coins with flaws by the cause of the flaw. And if the flaw was caused by the minting process then we as collectors as supposed to ignore that flaw.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now does that make sense to you ? It sure doesn&#039;t to me. I don&#039;t care what caused the flaw - I only care that the flaw is there.</p><p><br /></p><p>So to me, and I would think to other sensible people, any coin that has a flaw, regardless of its cause, is less desirable than another coin just like it that does not have that flaw.</p><p><br /></p><p>So what are flaws ? Adjustment marks, die cracks, weak strikes, struck through errors, (or any error for that matter) - all of these things and more are part of the minting process. But every single one of them is a flaw ! It is something that takes away from the desirability of the coin. I see that as being undeniable. </p><p><br /></p><p>Example - how can a coin with a die crack, when it is equal in every way to another coin just like it but without a die crack - be graded (have its desirability &amp; value determined) exactly the same as the coin without the die crack ? Does that make sense ? I mean how can a die crack be considered to be anything but a flaw ? When that die was made there was certainly no crack in it. The crack developed because the die was worn out and it was beging to fall apart. Thus the die was flawed. Thus the die crack can be nothing else but a flaw !</p><p><br /></p><p>Same thing goes for adjustment marks. The adjustment mark is there because the coin was flawed - it was too heavy. So now to correct that flaw, another flaw is made and made intentionally. But it is still a flaw !</p><p><br /></p><p>Yeah I know, that&#039;s not what the books say. That&#039;s not what most collectors say (because that&#039;s what the books say). And that&#039;s not what the TPGs say (again because that&#039;s what the books say) !</p><p><br /></p><p>But what do you say - once you sit down and think about it, and actually look at it from the point of view that I have presented ?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in