Warning for all "coin doctors" Well it looks like the age old practice of doctoring coins will soon be much harder to accomplish. Especially for the older and rare coins that are often "doctored" to sell at a higher value. Through modern technology a new process being introduced by PCGS for their "Secure Plus" grading will soon be in affect. This process uses dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), Fournier Transform Infra-Red Spectral analysis (FT-IR), Raman Spectroscopy and other analytical techniques. In laymen terminology, it is similar to scanning with an electron microscope To boil it down into a nutshell, it means it will now be harder for coin doctors to use various materials to conceal problems with a coin or alter its surface to improve its appearance in an attempt to artificially increase the coin's value. Coin doctors have been know to use metals to enhance the head on a Standing Liberty quarter and even go as far as creating "full bands" on Dimes. Some of the items used are potassium, solder, indium and even Clorox® . Perhaps this new process even though an added cost, it will be well worth it especially if one wants to purchase a 1930 Standing Liberty with the designation of "full head". You will know your coin has not been doctored and as another bonus, the current PCGS price guide for this coin already slabbed in MS-69 is $1,450 while one graded utilizing the Secure Plus system is valued at $2,000. In the long run, a "sniffed out" coin is definitely a plus for any collector.
