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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 1018028, member: 112&quot;]Yes you are. </p><p><br /></p><p>PVC on coins can look any of several different ways, and have several different stages that can each look different as well. When the plastecizer in PVC first begins to break down it&#039;s almost impossible to see. It will be a clear and very thin film that starts to develop on the coin. As it progresses the film often thickens and become viscuous and sometimes slimy. It can sometimes even take on a greenish cast. And while it may sound disgusting, at its worst it can kind of look like a big blob of snot on the coin. Left unnoticed, it will eventually begin to dry out and become a thin layer again and it can be clear, greenish, or even brown. It can become dry and crackly looking, sometimes flakey.</p><p><br /></p><p>Trying to describe how PVC can look on coins is difficult, it&#039;s one of those things you have to learn by experience.</p><p><br /></p><p>Harder to detect is when someone has tried to remove the PVC by dipping the coin in acetone. When freshly done, there may be a thin residue on the coin that is again almost impossible to see since it has been changed by the moisture of the acetone. And over time, as it dries out again, then it becomes more opaque and cloudy looking. And again, it can be any of several different colors. This is when it is seen and becomes obvious. </p><p><br /></p><p>That is what I think happened to the Saint. Or, it is also possible that the Saint merely had some ordinary dip residue left on it. The same kind of thing happens when you dip a coin and don&#039;t do do it properly. Over time, as that residue dries out it becomes visible.</p><p><br /></p><p>Putty, which is what many thought was on the Saint, has an entirely different look. Well, that&#039;s hard to quantify because it is similar in some ways but at the same time it is also different. What made me reasonably certain that it was not putty on the Saint is that putty, when applied to a coin, is usually applied in very small quantities. Imagine if you will that you are trying to cover up and fill in contact marks, or small scratches &amp; hairlines with the putty. That <u>is</u> its purpose. So when apply it you do it with minute quantities and cover only the mark, the scratch or whatever. You strive to not get any on the adjoining areas. You do not spread it around over a large area of the coin like the way that Saint looked. Unless you are an idiot anyway. Because if you do, even a novice will be able to see it at a glance. Properly applied, putty is very difficult to see even for trained and experienced eyes when it is freshly done. But it is not impossible to see, merely difficult. It is only after time when the putty begins to dry out that it becomes more visible and easily seen. That&#039;s why the TPGs are often fooled. And that is part of the reason why the TPGs are now using the technology they are now using, to detect things like putty that their graders miss because they either 1 - don&#039;t have the experience or 2 - just plain miss it because they are not looking carefully enough. </p><p><br /></p><p>You see, putty, even though it may match the color of the coin perfectly, it can never have the same reflective qualities that the metal does and so it will show up as small spots or tiny thin lines that break the luster. You just have to look for it and know enough to recognize it when you see it. Few people can do that.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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