One Less PCI Slab in the World...

This might have been a collector's item considering the PCI TPGing company went out of business. Never the less, there is one less PCI slab in the world. A pair of pliers was used with ease...

Take Care
Ben

 

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Looks like an old 10 digit slab.
Was it graded correctly?

 

I have a few PCI slabs in front of me but they will remain intact. I'm sure they were a second tier grading company because so many folks say so, but I always thought they were about equal to ANACS and ICG, and better than the real second tier companies like Numistrust.

 

Bonedigger=Wallace on Braveheart. :loud:Freedom
Let the coin be free. Nice job. Coin looks great.

 

I think it was by 5 pts; VF-35 now. And, there's no argument on my end, so... LOL

 

Sweet Freedom

 

Good deal. Nice coins btw!

 

Red Label. What problem did they say it had?

 

Cleaned as you can probably deduce, but the BONEDIGGER GRADING STANDARD doesn't recognize or deduct points for cleaning/toning alterations. I've always felt that those areas are vastly too subjective and are self corrective given time...

Take care
Ben

 

yeah, I tend not to mind cleaning as long as there arent steel wool scrape lines going across the surface...So often I get a nice cheap coin because the rabid anti-clean people wont touch it...it will tone in time.

 

Ben...thanks for off of that one! BRAVO!!!!


RickieB

 

"Let my people go!"

Thanks, Ben!

 

I completely agree. I've always thought that cleaning was essentially the same as wear. So while a cleaned MS coin might not be MS anymore, cleaning on a circulated coin is no big deal. The coin has probably already been through worse already.

I've also noticed the "self-correcting" effect. A group of circulated coins with the same date and mintmark and grade at the same dealer might be listed as $25-cleaned, $35-cleaned and retoned, $40-normal uncleaned. This makes me think that the cleaned coin is the one to buy. Just store it in an environment where it will retone and it grows in value.

The idea that an otherwise semi-valuable coin is reduced to bullion value by cleaning is very subjective. So while an uncleaned coin is obviously more valuable than a cleaned coin, the idea that the cleaned coin is valueless is pretty extreme.

 

I think precisely the same way about damage (except obviously it doesn't correct itself lol). I can understand minor damage making a coin less valuable, but I don't buy that it automatically makes it worthless. I have a couple nice coins in my collection that I got a t bargain prices due to some minor damage that otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford. That should include a trade dollar soon hopefully...

 

I beg to differ, however each coin is a different situation. I've seen cleaned/dipped coins tone up relatively fast (3-6 months) when exposed to various (natural) enviromental factors. It looked better than before and fooled the members of our coin club as well who couldn't believe it had once been cleaned.

Ben

 

Here is the same coin, a 1957 Franklin Half. Before and after a six month visit to a 'Hava-Tampa' Cigar Box.

 

see here is where you see how completely subjective this trend of cleaning phobia is...to call a coin that has been cleaned an 'alteration' just seems like hyperbole used to make it sound worse than it is....nobody is tooling the coin. One could easily say that the reason older collectors cleaned coins (some poorly some not) and still do clean those old coins is that it is closer to how the coin is supposed to look and that the toning is in fact corrosion and that is, in fact, altering the coin and...to be honest...harming the coin.

The fact is, the older the coin is, the more likely it has been cleaned and the farther you go back, the more likely until it gets to a point that ALL coins have been cleaned.

Both of these coins have been cleaned...to say they havent been would be insane because of their age and the state of the coin and medal:





But they are still very nice and no less valuable and desirable, they are probably far closer to how they were meant to be seen than if they were still coated with corrosion that made them brackish...in fact I think the medal has been polished, it shines like the sun. Both are great coins/medal and no less valuable...not altered in any way.

I have been getting coins from old collections compiled pre-1900 and I find these old collector often had no problem cleaning the coin to make it look presentable Which shows how trends change...they may change back and then all of us that just buy beautiful coins and not bother with whether it has been cleaned or not (if it is not glaringly apparent or distract from the aesthetics) will have some real gems.

It should be avoided if you can help it but unless it is harsh and abrasive, a bit of cleaning is not so bad if the coin needs it. If its done right, nobody will know or care. I have a slabbed silver coin from the 1600's...there is no doubt in MY mind its been cleaned but its not listed as cleaned on the slab, nor should it...its a great looking unaltered coin...thats all that matters. All just opinion of course...we all have our pet peeves and biases...