Mucky fingerprints

[Red Riley 2]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

[pies 33]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

[brauereibeck 1]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

My biggest fear when receiving back slabbed coins is fluff. You send off a 100% lint free specimen only for it to come back to you with a piece of what can only be described as belly button fluff stuck to the coin. Almost invariably this problem occurs with a prized coin which the grading company have duly recognised as such by giving it a high grade and valuation. There lies the dilemma... do I de-slab it and lose the grading, do I send it back and risk coming across as an OCD complainer, or do I just learn to live with it?

[Colin G. 147]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

My biggest fear when receiving back slabbed coins is fluff. You send off a 100% lint free specimen only for it to come back to you with a piece of what can only be described as belly button fluff stuck to the coin. Almost invariably this problem occurs with a prized coin which the grading company have duly recognised as such by giving it a high grade and valuation. There lies the dilemma... do I de-slab it and lose the grading, do I send it back and risk coming across as an OCD complainer, or do I just learn to live with it?

OCD complainer every time, if I saw something wrong with a coin I had submitted, I would expect it to be slabbed correctly and therefore would complain and return it

[Peckris 579]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

My biggest fear when receiving back slabbed coins is fluff. You send off a 100% lint free specimen only for it to come back to you with a piece of what can only be described as belly button fluff stuck to the coin. Almost invariably this problem occurs with a prized coin which the grading company have duly recognised as such by giving it a high grade and valuation. There lies the dilemma... do I de-slab it and lose the grading, do I send it back and risk coming across as an OCD complainer, or do I just learn to live with it?

OCD complainer every time, if I saw something wrong with a coin I had submitted, I would expect it to be slabbed correctly and therefore would complain and return it

Agreed. It's not OCD to expect the high standard you're paying for.

[Red Riley 2]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

I gave it AU60 on the Gouby system (where 60 is the % of lustre).

Edited March 13, 2013 by Red Riley

[Paulus 1,975]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

Can I ask which TPG it was?

[Peckris 579]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

Can I ask which TPG it was?

Transferred Print Grubbiness?

[Nick 329]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

Can I ask which TPG it was?

I think Red already told you. AU78 rules out NGC and PCGS, so it's gonna be CGS.

[pies 33]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

I gave it AU60 on the Gouby system (where 60 is the % of lustre).

Was that coin on london coins website under "choice coins" if so im amazed it got a 78, it didnt have the eye appeal for me, and graded better than my 1890 which has one carbon spot and only graded a 75

[Red Riley 2]

Was that coin on london coins website under "choice coins" if so im amazed it got a 78, it didnt have the eye appeal for me, and graded better than my 1890 which has one carbon spot and only graded a 75

That certainly isn't where I got it from, although CGS er... London Coins was certainly involved in its sale! Another thing which faintly irks me about this slab is that the inner capsule part seems to be so oversized that not only is the edge not visible, but the obverse beading isn't either.

[VickySilver 830]

Funny thing is that I have seen much worse OUTSIDE of holders and that the irony is that holders should help to prevent future such damages. I really must say that at least in my experience a fingerprint on a "red" copper or bronze piece has in fact dinged the grade a point or two on the Sheldon scale...

[Paulus 1,975]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

Can I ask which TPG it was?

I think Red already told you. AU78 rules out NGC and PCGS, so it's gonna be CGS.

Yes, of course, brain wasn't in gear! Out of interest, are CGS definitely the only TPG that use a 1-100 scale?

[Sword 1,471]

And fingerprints dont seem to effect the grade either

P.S whats the coin

An 1894 penny. Quite nice - except for the fingerpriints. They gave it an AU78.

Can I ask which TPG it was?

I think Red already told you. AU78 rules out NGC and PCGS, so it's gonna be CGS.

Yes, of course, brain wasn't in gear! Out of interest, are CGS definitely the only TPG that use a 1-100 scale?

I am quite certain they are. I think I have read on their website somewhere that they have actually patented the scale!

[Coinery 1,152]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

Those silicone-breast-implant-style 'grippers' take a print better than Sellotape, I've had a CGS print before! I wonder if John could get us a 'favour' and expose the sloppy slabber for us? We could then slab our coins whilst he's in Mauritius!

[1949threepence 3,367]

Far be it for me to wish for a re-opening of the slabbing debate, but I have just acquired a bun penny in a slab from a top grading company. Not only is the coin splodged with fingerprints but the plastic insert is too. Smoking gun anybody?

Needless to say, I am readying my hacksaw...

I'm assuming you sent the coin off for slabbing, and there were no fingerprints when it left you ?

If so, that is down to sheer carelessness. Pretty unforgivable in the circumstances.

I wonder what our friend Bill Pugsley would make of this ?

[Red Riley 2]

I wonder what our friend Bill Pugsley would make of this ?

No, in all fairness I bought it already slabbed. Anyway, here is a photograph on which you can just see the fingerprint at about 7 o'clock. The image also shows the difficulty of photographing through a slab - the coin is about 1000% better than it appears here!

[1949threepence 3,367]

I wonder what our friend Bill Pugsley would make of this ?

No, in all fairness I bought it already slabbed. Anyway, here is a photograph on which you can just see the fingerprint at about 7 o'clock. The image also shows the difficulty of photographing through a slab - the coin is about 1000% better than it appears here!

Thanks Derek.

Two points here:-

a) Even if PGS weren't responsible for the fingerprints, they perhaps should wear light gloves when performing the slabbing process to avoid fingerprints on the surrounding plastic.

b ) The photographing of coins through slabs is an important one, as once inside, they are not camera friendly, and you don't get a good image. Quite important, certainly as far as eye appeal is concerned, when it comes to selling. I've not seen a good photo of a slabbed coin yet. Pity a more camera friendly slab can't be developed, or else, as both Peck and I suggested in the CGS thread, that it becmes possible to legitimately remove from a slab, and then be able to re-insert, without loss of official grade status.

(If the 1894 was busted out of the slab, it might be possible for a fingerprint expert to say whether the prints on the coin and plastic, were from the same individual)

Edited March 14, 2013 by 1949threepence

[argentumandcoins 70]

I wonder what our friend Bill Pugsley would make of this ?

No, in all fairness I bought it already slabbed. Anyway, here is a photograph on which you can just see the fingerprint at about 7 o'clock. The image also shows the difficulty of photographing through a slab - the coin is about 1000% better than it appears here!

Thanks Derek.

Two points here:-

a) Even if PGS weren't responsible for the fingerprints, they perhaps should wear light gloves when performing the slabbing process to avoid fingerprints on the surrounding plastic.

b ) The photographing of coins through slabs is an important one, as once inside, they are not camera friendly, and you don't get a good image. Quite important, certainly as far as eye appeal is concerned, when it comes to selling. I've not seen a good photo of a slabbed coin yet. Pity a more camera friendly slab can't be developed, or else, as both Peck and I suggested in the CGS thread, that it becmes possible to legitimately remove from a slab, and then be able to re-insert, without loss of official grade status.

(If the 1894 was busted out of the slab, it might be possible for a fingerprint expert to say whether the prints on the coin and plastic, were from the same individual)

Definitely, if you don't mind aluminium oxide powder all over your coin of course

There is another method but that involves superglue fumes....

[VickySilver 830]

1949 3d - I think the pictures on the Heritage site are fairly good as far as shooting through perspex plastic. What say you?

[1949threepence 3,367]

1949 3d - I think the pictures on the Heritage site are fairly good as far as shooting through perspex plastic. What say you?

Certainly better than average on the Heritage site, but still not ideal.

[brauereibeck 1]

I wonder what our friend Bill Pugsley would make of this ?

No, in all fairness I bought it already slabbed. Anyway, here is a photograph on which you can just see the fingerprint at about 7 o'clock. The image also shows the difficulty of photographing through a slab - the coin is about 1000% better than it appears here!

Thanks Derek.

Two points here:-

a) Even if PGS weren't responsible for the fingerprints, they perhaps should wear light gloves when performing the slabbing process to avoid fingerprints on the surrounding plastic.

b ) The photographing of coins through slabs is an important one, as once inside, they are not camera friendly, and you don't get a good image. Quite important, certainly as far as eye appeal is concerned, when it comes to selling. I've not seen a good photo of a slabbed coin yet. Pity a more camera friendly slab can't be developed, or else, as both Peck and I suggested in the CGS thread, that it becmes possible to legitimately remove from a slab, and then be able to re-insert, without loss of official grade status.

(If the 1894 was busted out of the slab, it might be possible for a fingerprint expert to say whether the prints on the coin and plastic, were from the same individual)

I don't know if anyone has ever watched the NGC corporate video on their website that proudly takes potential customers through their NASA-esque facility. I couldn't help noticing in the video that their graders handle the coins without gloves, albeit very deftly.

[pies 33]

Was that coin on london coins website under "choice coins" if so im amazed it got a 78, it didnt have the eye appeal for me, and graded better than my 1890 which has one carbon spot and only graded a 75

That certainly isn't where I got it from, although CGS er... London Coins was certainly involved in its sale! Another thing which faintly irks me about this slab is that the inner capsule part seems to be so oversized that not only is the edge not visible, but the obverse beading isn't either.

All my fault ive got my pennies confused, this is the coin I was looking at, I'm a bit surprized it got a rating of UNC 80. Its horrid AIMHO and they want £375 I wouldnt part with half that for it

http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?page=retailv2_details&coin=Penny+1863+Victoria&uin=0001678

[Rob 3,152]

All my fault ive got my pennies confused, this is the coin I was looking at, I'm a bit surprized it got a rating of UNC 80. Its horrid AIMHO and they want £375 I wouldnt part with half that for it

http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?page=retailv2_details&coin=Penny+1863+Victoria&uin=0001678

That should be in their shop for a while.

[1949threepence 3,367]

All my fault ive got my pennies confused, this is the coin I was looking at, I'm a bit surprized it got a rating of UNC 80. Its horrid AIMHO and they want £375 I wouldnt part with half that for it

http://www.londoncoi...ria&uin=0001678

That should be in their shop for a while.

It's not difficult to get a really decent, attractive 1863 specimen for a much more modest price, between £100 and £200, typically.

£375 is totally unrealistic for such an untidy looking coin.