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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 24637507, member: 24314&quot;]jeffB, asked:</p><p><br /></p><p>1) Are these flecks really &quot;copper colored&quot;? [<span style="color: #ff0000"><i>Take a look at the edge of a BU 2023 25c and uou&#039;ll see their actual color.</i></span>]The color balance on the original photo makes the coin look almost like brass or bronze. When I try to correct it so that the main body of the coin is neutral (as I&#039;m assuming a dime would be), I get this:</p><p>Those flecks look a lot less coppery in what I <i>think</i> is a more natural color balance. But, of course, I didn&#039;t see the original coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>2) What leads you to believe that these flecks originated at the Mint? My first <b><i>assumption</i></b> was &quot;pocket or cup debris&quot;, and without knowing more about the coin&#039;s provenance, I find that a <i>lot</i> more plausible than &quot;metal flakes deposited at the Mint&quot;. [<i><span style="color: #ff0000">The press floor at the Mint was a dirty place. The coin preses were filthy.&nbsp; This was in the 1970&#039;s.&nbsp; Imagine how it was at the turn of the century forward to the forties! I&#039;ll post an image of the crap that gets on to coins from the minting process.&nbsp; I imagine this modern example of Mint &quot;gunk&quot; results when clad coins are forced out of a collar</span></i>.]</p><p><br /></p><p>Whatever they are, it looks like the flecks are <i>casting shadows</i>, so they must have landed on the coin <i>after</i> it was struck [<b><i><span style="color: #ff0000">YES!!</span></i></b>](they don&#039;t look like any sort of lamination, especially not being a different color from the underlying metal). Were they easily dislodged? [<i><span style="color: #ff0000">Yes</span></i>]If not -- if they were &quot;sticky&quot; [<span style="color: #ff0000"><i>They were sticky and we left them on the coin as it makes the coin more interesting</i></span>] -- that makes it seem even <i>less</i> likely that they&#039;re metal flakes from a Mint mishap. Doesn&#039;t it? [<i><span style="color: #ff0000">Probably from the normal minting process.&nbsp; The fact that the coin is an error that did notfill the die chamber helped caused this deposit is my guess.</span></i>]</p><p><br /></p><p>rte, posted: OK. Yes 80x microscope is better than 5x cheater glasses.</p><p>BUT, first thing you do is look at the GIA certificate. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Second a 10x/20x loupe would do.</p><p>That&#039;s all the people who certify said diamond used when I got to go diamond hunting <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie47" alt=":greedy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p>After all what good is a laser inscribed diamond without a certificate? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: #ff0000">...AND COIN GRADING STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED.&nbsp;&nbsp; a large majority of Top TPGS coins in slabs from the 1980&#039;s have upgraded.&nbsp; What happens when the GIA decides a diamond will need to be flawless at 20X to get the flawless grade?&nbsp; Don&#039;t come <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie23" alt=":bigtears:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> whinning to me when the diamond I picked out of the group was</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #ff0000">flawless AT 50X! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></span></i></p><p><br /></p><p>As far as coins, a 10x loupe is good enough... anything else is overdone.</p><p>My opinion if you can&#039;t see it clearly with 10x, the value of the coin does change.</p><p><br /></p><p>You are welcome to use any tool you wish to look at coins.&nbsp; Most professionals in a grading room use 10X or lower and much of the time their eyes alone.&nbsp; That&#039;s why l enjoy being able to help long-time professional graders when they ask me for an opinion several times a week about somethig they just are not quite sure of with their 10X glass.&nbsp; I&#039;m able to give a very fast answer because I&#039;ve always had a stereo scope on my desk <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> to examine coins at every place I&#039;ve worked for over fifty years.&nbsp; I like to see everything there is to see <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie99" alt=":watching:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> on a coin before I view it at 7X. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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