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 Replies: 35 / Views: 5,859 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
I just got a tube of 2013 CSMs from one of the biggest (USA) internet PM dealers. I've gotten ASEs, silver Philharmonics and CSMs from this dealer before and all the coins have always been pristine -- "mint direct" kind of quality, although I don't buy those "mint direct" tubes. The 2013 CSMs I just got are really something, and I don't mean that in a good way. There are little abrasion marks in a ring around most of the circumference of most of the coins, and virtually all of the coins have a rippled, striated type of surface effect on flat parts of both sides of the coin where it should be absolutely flat and nearly mirror-like. I don't expect proof-quality coins for bullion prices, but this is ridiculous. The surface rippling and striation marks are similar to what I've noticed in other recent years, but a lot worse on the 2013 coins and it's clearly a result of the manufacturing process. This isn't anything the dealer did to the coins, and I've never seen anything like this on ASEs, Libertads or Philharmonics. The one and only good thing that can be said about these sorry coins is that "an ounce of silver is an ounce of silver." Saying anything beyond that would just be stretching it too much. It seems to me that the quality of RCM manufacturing process quality control and workmanship are in dire need of a major tune-up, and the sooner the better. Has anybody else gotten sorry-looking CSMs like what I've described here? |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I havent gotten them but I know they do have a big problem with milk spots, they may have gotten even more lax with the process. As long as people buy them in large numbers they really dont have any reason to change anything
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1200 Posts |
I just checked today's mail right after entering the above post and found that I'd received the 2013 Canadian 1.5oz silver Polar Bears that I ordered a while ago. For >$60 coins, these were quite a surprise, too. Scratched surfaces, marred surfaces and rim dings (including one absolute whopper of a rim dent) were common throughout the entire batch of 18 coins. The rim edges were 1 1/2 times as wide at the 7 o'clock point as they were at 1 o'clock (a glaring manufacturing quality control failure) and these coins look like they came from the Annual Scratch 'N Dent Sale at Larry, Curly and Moe's Coins. I'm going to sleep on this one tonight, but right now I think the odds are that I'm going to talk to the dealer first thing after they open for business tomorrow and then ship these things back to where they came from. This is ridiculous. 85% of the secondary market bullion coins I've ever bought are in as good or better condition than these "new" coins. I feel like I'm under attack by the RCM. Am I alone in these experiences or is this a common thing these days? |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
834 Posts |
I get tubes like this all the time
but really all I paid for is silver, if I wanted perfect I wouldn't be buying these coins
anyways
"an ounce of silver is an ounce of silver."
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
"...I get tubes like this all the time but really all I paid for is silver, if I wanted perfect I wouldn't be buying these coins..." You're infinitely more tolerant of inferior manufacturing practices and asleep-at-the-switch, ineffective quality control than I am. When I pay an $11 per oz premium (like I did on those Polar Bears), I definitely expect something that looks at least as good as secondary market "used" coins that've been around the block. Unfortunately, I guess I set that hurdle too high for RCM to handle. I can't understand why RCM can't put out their products at the same level of quality that the US Mint, the Mexican Casa de Moneda, the Austrian Mint, The Royal Mint, the Monnaie de Paris Mint, the Perth Mint, the Royal Australian Mint and just about every other mint seems to have no trouble maintaining. I definitely don't expect "perfection" for bullion prices, but the 2013 CSMs and Polar Bears I got look as if they fell off of a truck and bounced all the way down a long, steep hill on a cobblestone road before running into a stone wall. These things are poorly made, crappy coins and there simply is no excuse for that kind of workmanship. |
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Valued Member
United States
292 Posts |
Yikes. I don't blame you. Silver is silver of course, but when you pay a premium for it, it should at least be nice.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
I wouldn't be so bent out of shape if I hadn't paid almost twice the premium for those Polar Bears that they charge for Pandas or Britannias, I paid through the nose for those things. Oh, well -- live and learn. RCM taught me their lesson. They won't need to or get the opportunity to teach it to me a second time. |
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Pillar of the Community
1283 Posts |
I have an idea send them back!
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
FatFreddy, send them back. You're paying for quality. You won't be happy if you keep them--and why should you? You didn't pay junk prices. I hate when dealers send out that kind of product. It's too bad you had to be disappointed. Like you, I'd be expecting some real pleasure out of that delivery. And this is why I like the LCS.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
You're definitely right about the LCS thing. It's hard to argue with the concept of inspecting what you're buying before you buy it. Talked to the dealer I got the Polar Bears from. I'm nowhere near the first customer to call up griping about the condition of the coins and I'm nowhere near the first to return them, either. They were totally understanding and accommodating and are paying for the return shipping, which is appropriate but which I nonetheless appreciate. Well -- at least this unhappy RCM learning experience is coming to an "as happy as possible" ending. This will be the first, last and only time I buy pricey RCM products without physically inspecting what I'm buying first. Edited by Fat Freddy
01/09/2013 2:27 pm
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Valued Member
United States
386 Posts |
I'm glad they're paying for the return shipment price. Nothing's stress free, is it? I'm heading to the LCS today. I'm robbing Peter to pay Paul, but I want to buy while the price is reasonable. Can't decide whether to buy another MS64 Morgan or to get a few rounds today. I had to let the stash go that I built a few years back in bullion coins and I won't feel comfortable until the safe deposit box has a nice mixture of coins and bullion again. Also waiting for the shop to find me a Stone Mountain comm. half and looking to buy 2009 Lincoln comm. pennies and half via ebay. And the beat goes on.... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Quote:
Has anybody else gotten sorry-looking CSMs like what I've described here? No, I have not. I have probably around 14 or so tubes of these coins and all are in BU condition. Same goes for the ASEs I have purchased. Yes, they are only bullion but they are gorgeous which is why I continue to buy them. When I buy "new" coins I expect them to be mint fresh and free of obvious blemishes. Sounds as if the coins you got are either not new or were banged up at either the mint (unlikely), in shipment, or by the seller. I would seriously consider contacting the seller and voicing disappointment at the quality of what they are selling. If I did not hear something good from them, I would strongly consider buying elsewhere to see if better quality coins could be had from other suppliers. I use Provident and APMEX mostly but have also ordered once from GoldMart. All of the coins shipped to me by these 3 vendors were in excellent condition. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
When I buy "new" coins I expect them to be mint fresh and free of obvious blemishes. Sounds as if the coins you got are either not new or were banged up at either the mint (unlikely) Its actually more likely they came out of the mint bad. They dont have the QC for bullion they do for collector coins and even the collector coins always have significant returns for quality issues with those. Part of the problem is that they are just packaged in a tube and not individually but if the tubes unopened its much more likely whatever damage was done happened from things that are out of the sellers control. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
Just shipped the Polar Bears back to the dealer they came from and just got back from the PO. I'm glad that's over.
On the Maples -- I ordered and received half a dozen tubes of the 2012 CSMs from the same dealer and they were all
mint-fresh and pristine like Ed B described above. It's the first (and thus far last and only) tube of 2013's that was all
boogered up. I'd guess this problem was a mint thing and not a dealer thing. These had a premium of just over $2/oz,
so I'm not getting bent about them the way I did about the Polar Bears (with their $11/oz premium). The Maples are
sorry specimens, but they're already stashed in the Magic Box and they can stay there. I'll finish filling the box with
Philharmonics and then thankfully, this chapter will be over. After this, it's going to be ASEs and Engelhard stuff. Period.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Personally I think the ASE design blows the Maple out of the water. I do really like the wild life designs that the RCM does though. |
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Valued Member
United States
416 Posts |
glad to hear you were able to return the polar bear, I had been looking forward to picking up some 2013 maples but think I may just stick to the ASEs instead
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Replies: 35 / Views: 5,859 |
Posted 01/08/2013 5:56 pm
