The "Lincoln Mint" plates coins and I see they are plating the State Quarters (gold and platinum). Does this take away the value ($) and the collectability or does it add to it?
I guess it depends on whom you ask. For most collectors it takes from the value. There isn't enough of the precious metal to make it more valuable in that sense, so it is just the appeal.
In my opinion when they plate the coins they are considered altered and it takes away any extra numismatic value from the coin. The coins will always be worth 25 cents but nothing more. The amount of gold that is plated onto the coin would be equal to a tiny speck of gold. Gold can be manipulated and and made extremely thin .... one of the metals that can be made the thinest! This is why they sell beverages with large flakes of gold in them. It looks like a bottle filled with a massive amount of gold but in reality it is so thin that when rolled between your fingers it would probably dissappear. Jason
