Featured Two counterfeit coins in counterfeit PCGS holders.

Yes, the TPGs should have pictures posted of ALL of the coins that they have certified that are worth some amount, say $500 or more. Furthermore there should a close-up. The NGC site has a lot of pictures, but it is of the whole slab. In many cases, the detail of the coin is very poor.

 

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If you threw in a 4K scan of the coin....noting every detail....and this was recorded in posterity....you could theoretically eliminate 99.9% of all fraud.

That might be worth it.

 

I was wrong ( not even mis-informed ; just wrong ) ; it SEEMS that tho' the card isn't powered , it uses EM energy from the scanner to 'transmit' back to the scanner .

Still makes no sense why physically inserting the chip [card] into a reader often fails .

Hmmm.......................................

 

Failure to the read the chip when the card is inserted is probably due most often to dirt and grease. I'm assuming that when the card is inserted, the electrical contacts surrounding the chip are used for all the communication rather than wireless. So with use and age, dirt and grease build up on the contacts of the chip and readers. The grease is from skin ... and these days, from hand sanitizer too. The active ingredient in hand sanitizers is usually an alcohol. But alcohols dry the skin, so sanitizer makers put in emollients, like mono- and di- glycerides, aloe, etc. When the alcohol evaporates, these are left behind on fingers and can be transferred to other things like credit cards. As dirt and grease build-up on contacts, their ability to function becomes variable, which why a card may work in some readers and not others.

Sometimes some of the contacts work well enough for the scanner to read the card ID, but not complete the transaction. Recently my wife used a credit card, and it was declined, so she used another and it worked fine. Neither was anywhere close to the credit limit. However, I got an email from the credit card company concerning the first card that the chip couldn't be read properly and the mag stripe should have been tried. Well obviously, the chip was partially read. And yeah, she had been using hand sanitizer on her hands and also on the card itself. She washed the card later.

Cal

 

Oftentimes all it takes is rubbing the chip on a rough surface like jeans. I do that often. Never failed me.

 

I re-slab everything I buy if it isn't GoldShield/TrueView already.
The dealer must give me return privileges until it comes back clean or no sale.

The registered mail + express level service & re-holder cost me about $100 for a single coin.
You may think this is excessive.
Agree to disagree

 

Some members who are strictly against slabs probably have never bought a coin worth $100 :-D I have re-holdered a number of coins just to replace a scratched/damaged slab and to use the imaging services.

 

There are some members who buy coins in slabs, then break them out and put them in albums. They or their heirs will be disappointed someday when in it's time to sell. Their privilege of course ... they can melt them down to make napkin holders if they want.

Cal

 

I'm under no obligation to provide my heirs with a windfall. And how can they be disappointed? They have no idea what I paid or what they are worth. To them it will be like "found money!" If they can't find it all, that's not my problem.

 

I've seen otherwise generous, forgiving people turn into greedy curmudgeons over inheritances ... and in addition to fighting among themselves, cursed the deceased for not managing their wealth better. But yeah, I agree one is under no moral obligation to provide for heirs other than spouse, special-needs children, and minor children. The money I've spent on coins would have been better left in equities to improve my worth, but my sons are healthy, grown men and my spouse has independent wealth ... so I'll enjoy my hobbies.

Cal