Hello all, Before I begin, there is the one thing all coin collectors learn, which is that you hold coins by the rim not the faces. That being said, how do the TPG's put high grade coins in the plastic inserts that go into slabs? Like PF-70 coins, with flawless mirror surfaces where a gust of air blowing on them would lower the grade by a point; how do they put those those things in those plastic inserts without touching their faces? They must have some special kung fu that lets them do that without marring the surfaces.
I'm sure they handle coins better than Joe the typical coin collector. If you look at a slab, the tri-points hardly touch the coin.
Just on the part of the coin where they actually touch! They have to touch the coin so it could keep it from moving around
They usually have the minimum wage employees doing that. They don't know anything about coins, but they are shown what to do. I got the fingerprint of one of NGC's employees right in the middle of a mint-red Newfoundland Cent once. I asked them who it belonged to, and they told me it was on there before I sent it in. I asked them how a coin covered in a brown fingerprint could grade MS65 Red, but they couldn't answer the question.
NGC's website has an interesting video on the grading process. If you watch how the graders handle the coins you probably won't want to send in your proof/MS 70's.
Thanks for the responses! In surprised they don't wear gloves. Any link to that video, im having trouble finding it.
As long as their hands are clean and oil free, there should be little problem...aaaaachoo...now that would be a problem.
