Sheena Wallace of Stagecoach Auctions, one of my long-time favorite auctioneers, asked me a fundamental question in a recent discussion about issues in online coin auctions, wondering whether new hobbyists really understood bidding basics. I wrote about this in 2012, and recommended these practices, some of which are still valid today: 1. Always read the […]
Bans and scams plaguing online coin auctions
Scams and other complications have caused some of my favorite HiBid coin auctioneers to ban certain bidders or require bank transfers to ensure payment. Here’s an example from Stagecoach Auctions: You’ll notice in the “bidding notice” at the bottom of the photo above is that the auction is not accepting new bidders from outside the […]
Use the Red Book as a study guide
I am 71, and the Red Book is older than I am. I was born in 1952, and here is a photo of that edition: I have purchased Red Books, otherwise known as A Guide Book of United States Coins, since my boyhood as a collector. I have several older editions even now in my […]
The beauty and challenge of collecting “Ike” dollars
During my decades of collecting, I often sought and bought Eisenhower dollars, commonly called “Ikes,” and struck from 1971 through 1978 in a variety of compositions and finishes. “I Like Ike” was the famous 1952 slogan for then-presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower. I was born in 1952 and still like Ikes. There are all manner […]
Recommendation on PCI green label coins
It pains me to make this recommendation on trying to cross over older green label PCI coins to NGC and PCGS. I have never had any luck with NGC concerning PCI coins, including American Silver Eagles. I don’t understand how their graders can label some of these robust rainbows as artificial. Suffice to say, I […]
Numismatic restraint
When it comes to online bidding, restraint is essential and encompasses so many things, from reading service terms to identifying flaws in coins. Platforms are programmed to encourage bids at any cost — no, check that — at your cost. You might search for and then locate a long-sought-after Morgan dollar for your collection, placing […]
FUBAH coins: fouled up beyond all hope
Many coins fall into the FUBAH category, including ones with scratches or environmental damage; the most irritating ones are stained. These may seem like restoration candidates at PCGS or NGC. However, chances are they will be returned in their original ungrade-worthy condition because dipping — removing a thin layer of a coin’s surface — may […]
Artificial toning and inflated prices
Flooding the online coin market of late are later-labeled PCI coins with easily detected sulfur-based artificial toning. Most of these coins typically would grade below PCGS, NGC, or Red Book price values, with some sellers using those prices in descriptions, as in this 1878-D Eisenhower dollar: The toning here is artificial. Such toning usually involves […]
When “gem” coins aren’t
When sellers use the word “gem,” they essentially mean MS-65 on the 70-point Sheldon Scale. The problem is, few “raw” or unholdered coins actually would earn that designation if evaluated by a top grading company. Typically in my Coin Update columns, I bid on raw coins, evaluate their condition, and then submit them to PCGS […]
Lowball bids snare fractional gold
Coin Update and Mint News Blog viewers have become accustomed to my continuing coverage of California Fractional Gold coins, tokens, souvenirs, charms, replicas, and counterfeits. I collect these small coins because of their pioneer history. Some numismatists believe the Fugio cent is the ultimate American coin. In many ways, it is, having only recently been […]
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