http://www.ebay.com/itm/1899-Newfou...em2ec9a32a46As you may have gathered I specialize in the NFLD series, so my interest in piqued whenever a possible variety is on the verge of discovery. However, I have a few problems with this listing:
1) Bad Photography: It puzzles me as to why some folks don't consider it important to present their items in a somewhat professional manner. These out-of-focus images don't help me to determine with certainty whether or not the dot is there. Does this seller expect to be taken seriously with such images?
2) Not Letting The Market Decide: Assuming for the moment this is a new variant, if it was my coin I would let the market determine its value. Instead this seller has attached an arbitrary BIN/BO. As it sits, an unverified error/variety, I certainly am not $2500 sure this is a wise purchase. Of course I could be wrong and two determined bidders might drive the price into the clouds. Thus it is in the best interest of the buyer and the seller to offer this coin to the highest bidder.
3) A Non-Numismatist Is Selling An Uncertified Coin: "I got it from my grandparents who lived in Quebec". It seems unlikely that a person who deals almost exclusively in trading cards and Playboy 8x10s would be astute enough to identify a less-than-obvious error on a coin from a dead country. Again, I could be incorrect - the circumstances simply don't inspire my confidence.
"Perhaps the anomaly was brought to his attention by someone else - a dealer perhaps"
Then why not say so in the description? Better yet, why not have the coin professionally certified?
The image that allows for zooming in was posted after I asked the seller for better images. Still, it is out-of-focus. Concentrating on the area in question I believe the dot may be there but for whatever reason is faint. What do you think?
Posted 08/10/2013 7:07 pm
Wouldn't touch it and probably wouldn't waste time trying to follow up on it. And this is one of my favourite series to collect as well. Send him the contact info for ICCS or CCCS and tell him to contact you when he gets it back if you're really intrigued.
