Question About RCM / Royal Canadian Mint Quality Control And Enjoying Flawed Coins

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,101
sturmgrenadier Valued Member United States 84 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 11:28 am Let me start by saying that it is my understanding (perhaps inaccurate) that the RCM's quality control is much better than that of the US Mint. Having said that, I have been disappointed with the quality of my War of 1812 Silver Proof set and War of 1812 Gold Coin. With the former, there is a roughly 2 mm long lint mark of some kind just in the front field of the beaver's face on the nickel. The dime has a 'tick mark' of some kind on the front left field of the obverse. Finally, the reverse of the penny has what looks to be a bag mark on the left field (I didn't think it was possible to have a bag mark on a proof coin, but it sure looks like one?). Since the issue is sold out, my only options are to keep the set despite its flaws or receive a refund. With my War of 1812 gold coin, I already returned it once for exchange because it had two light scratches on the obverse field. The replacement coin I received has a lint mark just above the dates. I am leery of returning for an exchange again, because there is always the chance the package will be lost/stolen. And I have tempted fate once already. Plus, I may receive yet another flawed coin even if I do:( Anyway, the point of my long-winded post is to get some input from other more seasoned collectors as to whether it is possible to enjoy one's NCLT coins even though they have the types of flaws that I describe. Am I being too picky and unrealistic in expecting the coins I receive to be 'perfect'/free of these manufacturing flaws? Maybe there really is no such thing as a perfect coin (existence of grade 'MS-70' notwithstanding). I guess that I'm a bit depressed, because I thought that by buying RCM NCLT coins, I would avoid the quality control problems evident in some of the coins I have bought from my country's mint. I guess I was being naive in expecting this. Thanks for reading my ramble and for sharing your thoughts on this. I hope to make my peace with my coins' shortcomings and to derive some enjoyment from owning them. Report this Post to the Staff

SPP-Ottawa Moderator Canada 10456 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 1:21 pm The latest batches of $20 for $20 have horrible strikes on the obverse, the cheek of the Queen is not even fully struck... "Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert Oppenheimer Content of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_US My eBay store Report this Post to the Staff
Libertad Pillar of the Community Canada 3692 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 2:31 pm Go for a refund. This should tell the mint in some way that their standards are not up to par. A proof coin is something that should be made to better standards. Report this Post to the Staff
trout1105 Pillar of the Community Australia 7096 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 4:26 pm I have some nclt Canadian coins and quite frankly they do NOT come up to the standard of the Australian mint coins. The maple with the awful milk spots is a prime example of shoddy workmanship. With the high premiums paid over spot for these coins I expected better. The lack of pride of workmanship in the RCM coins and the ridiculous delays in shipping has put me off getting any more Report this Post to the Staff
cownick Pillar of the Community Canada 677 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 7:40 pm I know how you feel about quality. I have never returned any coins to the mint in Canada because I do not trust the post office. I always go for the insured method when mailing. Once I had a coin stolen in the US. (X-ray department). Canada post office claims only gave me less than half the insured amount. Isn't that funny. I do not expect all the coins to be perfect but my last $20 for $20 had 2 die clashes, or something similar on the reverse. I would consider this more valuable than a perfect one. I have also tried ordering mint coins from the post office and had them taken by the postal workers upon delivery. Lastly, I do not see too many MS70 Canadian graded coins but I see a lot of MS70 US graded coins. Good luck in your collecting. Report this Post to the Staff
commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12267 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 9:42 pm I've received many beautiful problem-free coins from the Royal Canadian Mint and the US Mint over a period of more than a decade. I haven't noticed that either is particularly better or worse than the other in terms of the quality of coins delivered. Overall, my experience has been that they both deliver high-quality products. That's not to say, however, that I haven't ever received a coin or set with a minor problem. In each case, I called the respective mint and worked out an exchange. Did you contact the RCM about your 1812 Proof set soon after you received it and found the problem? Even though a coin is "sold out" it does not mean that they do not have some that they have held back for exchanges on defective sets. When you say "lint mark" do you mean a piece of lint? If ‘Yes', try lifting the side of the capsule/lens cover that covers the piece of lint and try removing it by fanning it with a piece of cardboard or stiff paper (do not blow on it!) . I've had to do this on occasion over the years. I've seen small pieces of lint on coins from mints around the world, and even within the "slabs" from PCGS and NGC. Are you sure that the scratches you saw on the gold piece were on the coin and not the capsule? I ask only because of a personal experience. I received a silver dollar once that upon first inspection appeared to have several fine scratches on the obverse. When I looked at the coin under better lighting, however, I came to realize that the coin was fine and that the scratches were on the plastic capsule (on the inside surface!). Regarding enjoying "flawed coins"...I can only say that coins don't heal themselves. A problem coin today will be a problem coin tomorrow and every time you look at such a piece your eye will be drawn to the problem before any other feature of the coin. A small tick mark or two is going to be found on a noticeable percentage of modern NCLTS -- you shouldn't expect absolutely perfect coins every time out. But when you receive coins with more notable problems, I would definitely get on the telephone with the mint as soon as you can -- you should be able to work out a solution and replacement. Just my thoughts... Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved. Report this Post to the Staff
1967Canadapenny Pillar of the Community United States 965 Posts	Posted 09/02/2012 11:36 pm Quote: The latest batches of $20 for $20 have horrible strikes on the obverse, the cheek of the Queen is not even fully struck... Yikes! Those coins are silver! Report this Post to the Staff
sturmgrenadier Valued Member United States 84 Posts	Posted 09/03/2012 06:28 am Thanks to all who shared their experiences and suggestions! This forum really is a great resource. Report this Post to the Staff
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Question About RCM Quality Control And Enjoying Flawed Coins