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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;treehugger, post: 1181445, member: 28451&quot;]It seems the Big-2 grading companies may be relaxing their criteria, at least in terms of the 5-ounce pucks. My impression has always been the average person should not be able to tell the difference between a 69 and a 70-grade without some magnification. If any of the Hot Springs coins ever receive a 70, it will be interesting to see if it has the line or not. I have 2 69-graded ATB bullion pucks by PCGS that are definitely not up to the standard of all of my other 69-graded coins. If they are lowering their criteria in general, or even just in terms of this particular issue, it is disappointing to those of us who are more interested in the quality of the coin than the number grade assigned to it. Last year, I purchased a 2010 ASE proof online. It was graded 69 by NGC. When I received it, it had milk spots on it, which I absolutely despise. Needless to say, I returned the coin. Maybe coin grading is not the panacea many seem to think it is. I think if you are a collector who is truly interested in the coin and its quality, the grade is not as important. I received a Hot Spring collector&#039;s coin from the Mint and it had the line on it. I have already sold it, as that line was a &quot;deal breaker&quot; for me. It could have graded a 70 and I still would not have wanted it, regardless of what it was worth, because, to me, it was just another reminder of the Mint&#039;s poor quality control. I am in no way a coin grader, but my feeling is there is no way a coin with that line in it should be a 69-grade. To me, regardless of whether the line affects the grading or not, it is, in reality, still a substandard coin production. In terms of visual beauty, I&#039;ll take a 5-ounce Libertad over 1 of these pucks anyday.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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