Hi, I just received my first ever gold coin shipment from APMEX and am not sure about the quality that I paid for. I bought 2015 brilliant uncirculated gold eagle coins, but the eagle side of each the coins has a circular discontinuity that I wasn't expecting. I would have expected and even tone throughout the entire coin. What do you all think? At first I thought it was condensation on the coin, but all 10 of them have this, nearly identical discontinuity on the tone. My primary purpose is just for gold bullion investing, not really numismatic. But I was a little disappointed since this was my first ever coin purchase. Is this typical of new gold coins? Will it affect value? Worth it to send them back? See attached photos.
i am not positive what caused it but i would not keep them, the little numismatic value they have is totally ruined by those spots!! I would have them sent back and replaced ASAP !! I would personally be angry, i have heard a lot of bad stories lately about buying from the mint!
I'd agree that it's normal. However if you want higher quality bullion only eagles and are buying the 1 oz variety I've noticed that the ones the mint itself sells 1 oz uncirculated tend to be better examples than the bulk bullion ones out there. I'm not sure if the mint keeps the best ones for itself or what but just an observation. Although you end up paying more for them so it's a trade off. You could also buy the gold buffalos or proof gold eagles if you wanted quality as these are one product the mint seems to keep quality high on; albeit probably because they don't want expensive returns lol.
@doehl1 You are buying a coin that is given a generic grade of BU. It's not Gem BU, nor is it a coin deemed to be perfect. This is a common classification assigned to coins that would not grade high and be worth certifying. APMEX is not trying to mislead you. You got what you paid for. If you want to send them back hoping for better specimens, that is your privilege, but it is probable that the replacements won't be much better. Chris
Exactly, you should be more concerned about the gold price than the possible grade of a bullion coin. You could also get into old US gold and have it all: 90% gold and collectible coins
Thanks Treashunt for the comment. Wasn't really 100% sure what I should have be concerned about as a first time buyer, but the feedback on this post has been valuable. Gotta start somewhere...
Yup. That's what I received also. Reading the customer reviews, there were a few comments about this for the 2014 & 2015. Someone said it's because they don't replace the die sooner. They said it was worse for Silver Eagles. While disappointing to see this kind of quality, it still is 100% BU "bullion". The obverse is flawless though.
Wow, your first gold coin buy is 10 ozs!! Dang, thems some deep pockets around my ghetto. My first gold coin buy was a dos pesos coin. For security reasons don't let anybody know, oh no too late. Well anyways, don't let too many friends and neighbors know. Hate to hear about somebody getting ripped off. Don't worry about the condensation spot, it's not like they're collector coins.
Call me crazy but I actually think it adds to the coin. It kind of looks like the sun is trying to come out behind the eagles after a storm. Hey, there you go.. Call them the "Storm Eagles". At the very least they are different from all the others that basically look the same. Heck, I'd buy one off you.
Yes, there are companies that will supply exactly what you want...at a cost. Other option is to ask for replacements and take your chance.
APMEX and MCM will sometimes sell "defective" coins as bullion that might only grade MS65-67. Even if you don't buy it as a numismatic investment, it should still look good and any imperfections should not be THAT glaring. For another $50-$100 you can get an MS69 or MS70.
