Broken Slab - I've been had!

I bought this coin several years ago off of eBay. It's an ICG slabbed 2000 Silver Eagle with the grade MS-69. As I recall, I only paid around $20 for it. Back then, it didn't even occur to me to question the integrity of a slab, especially for such a low priced coin.

I didn't notice this until just a day or two ago when I photographed it in preparation to sell it on eBay myself. Now, as long as everyone here agrees with me that it's been tampered with, I'll break it out and sell it as a non-certified run-of-the-mill 2000 American Silver Eagle. A pretty cheap lesson for me.

Take a look at the pictures, it appears that the slab has been opened and super glued back together. The coin itself doesn't appear to be MS-69. You can clearly see decent hits on the face and breast that would no way allow it to be such a lofty grade.

 

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I would be pretty sure that is the result of the sealing machine. If you really think that that is super glue, break off a tiny piece and put it in acetone. Super glue is soluble in in acetone. I will bet that you find little to nothing happens to the piece.

 

So you think that it wasn't tampered with?

 

It doesn't look very suspicious to me... I would have to agree with rlm.

 

Absolutely NOT!

 

So, if it's not tampered with, then why would ICG give this coin a 69? Look at the last picture. The cheek has a hit and the breast has a very strong hit in 2 places.

If the coin would have been clean to the naked eye, as I would assume MS-69 coins would be, then why the visible marks?

 

And I had a 69 DC from PCGS with obvious spots on it and it was less than a year old. (It got returned and replaced.) No one is perfect. That is why you buy the coin.

 

A lot of the older and some of the newer slabs look just like that rlmscents is right , your slab looks fine .
rzage

 

Next time you go to a shop or show look at a lot of slabs , then you'll know when they've been tampered with .
Rusty

 

doesn't look tampered with to me.

 

I just didn't want to rip anyone off on eBay if this wasn't a legit slab. To my surprise, it sounds as if nobody here thinks it's tampered with. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to tamper with a slab on this particular coin since, at the time that I bought it (2004 maybe?), it wasn't going for much, even in MS-69.

 

Looks like a normal slab to me too.

 

Because ICG is not PCGS or NGC. It is not uncommon for ICG to overgrade coins. As far as MS69's having abrasions visible to the naked eye, that is acceptable as long as they are very minor and not in focal areas of the coin. Here is a PCGS MS69 1993 Jefferson Dollar Commem with a very minor mark that is visible to the naked eye.




And no, I don't think that slab has been tampered with either.

 

I'm sure someone snuck in an MS-68 and then put the slab back together PERFECTLY except for that one spot! That HAS to be it :goofer:

 

Slab looks good. I've seen several ICG slabs like that, I think it is they way they get sealed.

 

The slab looks fine to me! and the coin at bad either.

 

Since your planning on selling that coin, don't worry about what appears to be tampered with. Just say dinged slab as you bought it.
And as to being tampered with. I've seen one slab that said a MS graded Lincoln Cent and had a beat up Mercury Dime in it. A dealer I know did it to show people it could and has been done. And no one could tell how he did it.
Of course too they are now making those things in China and they do look real.

 

I was just about to ask him that!

 

ICG. Are you asking who slabbed it or who sold it?