And the Russians interfered in the presidential election....... Gonna get my donkey kicked for that one....
I have a hrad time telling the difference between Mules/ Burros/ Donkeys/ Jackasses But then I have a Boxer and a Rottie.
green - behave yourself ! Else you find yourself running out of chalk from writing on the blackboard ! As to the question asked by the OP. I suspect it would take countless reams of paper to print out all the discussions on the subject of the difference between a 69 and a 70. And there's little doubt that it takes gigs of digital space to store them all. And no doubt the same question will be posed hundreds and thousands of times yet again in the future. But here's the thing. It seems to me, it's always seemed to me, that there is a question several orders of magnitude more important, and that question is rarely if ever asked and answered even less. What is it ? Can anyone here tell the difference between a 63 and a 65, or between a 64 and a 66 or 67 ? Or even an XF or AU and an MS ? Or any other grades you wish to name ? Ya see, those grades, or rather mis-grades, occur millions of times more often than do the 69 vs 70. And those mis-grades account for millions and no doubt billions of dollars that come out of all your pockets ! And yet those questions rarely get asked. All the while being the questions that should be asked the most for that very reason ! And of course it is those questions that truly deserve being discussed the most. So the next time the question of 69 vs 70 arises in someone's mind, please consider what I have said above. For you will be doing yourself and the hobby a great favor
How many "collectors" send in a batch of 1000+ coins at a time? They may not know who they are, but they probably know its a "biggie" and they can do each coin as fast as they pick it up and put it down, rather than the normal 15 seconds. I only knew one former coin grader at PCGS, the person was transferred to another grading area. IMO, Jim Green, better be careful or you may get the "sack" avatar again
Telling the difference is easy! The 70 will always cost more than the 69! Well, almost always...,,.. Interestingly enough, the coin in the 69 holder is often times superior to the the exact same coin in a 70 holder after a few years of environmental entropy. This is especially true of large (10 ounce and greater) gold or silver proofs like Pandas. (I've handled enough of them to say that with some authority). Another interesting item, for some modern foreign issues the population in 70 is actually greater than it is in 69.
I can only speak for US coins, but put a PR69 in one of my hands, and a PR70 in the other and, more than likely, you can watch me sit here with my mouth hanging open.
Auction houses like Heritage/ Stacks/ Great Collection deal mostly in TPG coins. They would want the outfits like PGGS/PMG/ANACS/NGC to grade accurately. If coins/ notes are overgraded, not good for their reputation. CNG grade really strict/ more in line with UK/European auction houses, thus coins have great eye appeal. My defination of a MS coin=absolutely no wear from circulation/ poor handling. Thus when you see a MS-61 US 1893-CC Double Eagle, it does not look MS but EF. A truly MS one would look more like a MS-67+. When you see slabbed "hammered" coins, some MS-64/65 definately look EF. John
I certainly won't claim that I can tell the difference. And as the saying goes, if you can't tell the difference, don't pay for the difference. I remember having in my hands two ANACS graded Chinese silver pandas, one graded MS69, one graded MS70. I stared at them for hours under high magnification. I gave up trying to figure out the difference, and was convinced either the 69 deserved a 70, or the 70 only deserved a 69, because I couldn't see how one was significantly different than the other. Anyone remember when PCGS refused to give any coin MS70? And then, primarily for market reasons, they eventually gave in, and admitted that in theory, a coin can be close enough to perfect to warrant a 70, and then they gave some coins that grade? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Yup, some hammered coins look EF and some look MS65. Then again, maybe struck with a screw press, I can't say for sure.
Yes, the Salut d'or seem to have been really well executed. I got one from Gallery51 Auction....absolutely perfect. I wonder if a nobleman back then stashed a small hoard away, just after they where struck.
Well they are certainly available, that's for sure, and it would appear a hoard has hit the market the past 4 years with multiple examples showing up in several auctions, though to be sure most are not quite this nice. It's centered perfectly, has no strike doubling evident in the legends, and has most of the devices fully struck. The coin presents a bit of a conundrum in that it is cataloged as a French issue, though it is attributed to the rule of Henry VI as King of England. My own personal take on it was that it was struck during the time of Joan of Arc and is special for this reason alone. Never the less, from a purely investment vantage point, were the coin considered a British or English issue instead of French, it would no doubt be worth several times more than what it trades for as a French issue.
Not if they are spending 20 seconds per coin on new stuff as has been reported. I think even new coins need at least 45-60 seconds.
I have 69s that look better than 70s from PCGS and NGC. I think that sometimes they come up with a percentage and separate them that way. Funny how the 70s70s are always grouped together in sequential numbering.
Grading isn't an absolute science you mean They don't when you do it all the time. All you'll do is start talking yourself into different grades. Attributions, authentication, doctoring detection can need more time, but if it takes you 40-60 seconds for stuff you know is directly from the mint (which is what knocks down the estimated averages which are guesses anyways) than you probably shouldn't be being paid to grade. Everyone at their jobs has things where they'd be fired if it took them as long as a novice to do it, this is no different. As much as most like to think they're as good as the legit pros the vast majority are not.
Can anyone here point out a PF-70 fron a PF-69? Easy -- I just look at the label! The difference is so minute that a good cup of coffee is often the difference.
I think that 70 vs 69 is easier than 69 vs 68 for example. 70 should be perfect (under 5x magnification or whatever). As soon as there is something wrong with the coin, it is not 70 anymore. Very easy binary decision. 69 vs 68, on the other hand, is much harder in my opinion. The coin is obviously not perfect, but when is it good enough for 69 and what drags it down to 68 or even 67?