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 Replies: 14 / Views: 3,086 |
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Valued Member
299 Posts |
I really dislike toned-on fingerprints to which many old tenor commemorative coins are subject.
Yet TPGs often overlook them and assign such coins high numeric grades despite what, to me, is "the kiss of death".
I don't think they should appear on anything graded over MS64, much less MS65,66,67,and even up to 68. I've seen coins covered with them that received really astonishing grades.
They simply present to me as unattractive environmental damage.
Does anybody have a thought or comment about this ?
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
 I really don't know much about commemoratives but I dislike toned coins and if you can see fingerprints ... well, how can it be anything above AU? I have lost respect for the TPG's and I now believe that slabs are a useless waste of space. I may soften that opinion someday -- I'm kind of crabby today.  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
Once again, buy the coin not the plastic and the label.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
Although fingerprints on a coin are not aesthetically pleasing they don't affect the technical grade of a coin that much except for when it comes to eye appeal. Personally I would much prefer a 100 year old Silver coin that is naturally toned with a bit of a fingerprint on it to a blast white coin that you just know has been dipped at least once in its lifetime.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
Unfortunately fingerprints often don't make themselves known until after a coin is slabbed.
In other words sometime between a collector submitting a coin and its eventual slabbing the coin got touched.
And the fingerprint takes a while to become apparent.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5238 Posts |
You must mean that fingerprints are the "touch" of death?
But seriously, if a coin has been touched, does that not mean that it is technically "circulated"?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
717 Posts |
What about bag marks? Using your line of thought, bag marks would mean a coin was AU at best. The most common definition says that a circulated coin shows wear. Bag marks and fingerprints do not constitute wear. Everyone can collect what pleases them, avoid coins that don't fit your requirements.
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Valued Member
 299 Posts |
For gymcoachdon - I never said AU or less, or implied that fingerprints constituted wear. Just not high Mint State 65 or better.
My "line of thought" made no mention of bagmarks or any other post striking impairments other than fingerprints and the surprisingly high grades some coins receive.
I apologize if my original statement was unclear or misleading but you missed the point.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7390 Posts |
Fingerprints have no bearing on strike quality so they have no bearing on assigned grades. It's simple really
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1913 Posts |
I'm with freddo30. I've seen some high grade coins with finger prints all over them. They look awful in my opinion. I'd much rather have a lower grade unc without finger prints. Bag marks decrease the grade, but finger prints that are more unsightly don't. This has never made sense to me. Nevertheless, I just buy what I like and leave what I consider to be overgraded to others.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
717 Posts |
In the post directly above mine was a comment by buddy, repeating an earlier comment by oriole. Not intended to tie to your original post. If we had a button to quote someone before replying, it would be more clear, but that option isn't available on this forum.
Bret, I do believe that fingerprints are able to lower a score, definitely decreases eye appeal.
Edited by gymcoachdon
04/02/2016 1:12 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Quote:
Bag marks and fingerprints do not constitute wear. You're right, gymcoachdon. What I posted earlier was not correct. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Bag marks and " circulation wear " are quite different than Fingerprints and a weakly struck coin. I believe collectors could and should be able to determine those differences for their own well being. I have been collecting for decades and IMO, Today's collectors have the slabbed coins play a large role in their collecting style, IF the coins are not in a slab, The certain collectors I speak of would NEVER consider the coin, FDOI, First Strikes, etc. I have stated before and will again, Collectors, in order to advance their own experiences with collecting need to build their knowledge base to include knowing the differences between a MS-68 compared to a MS69 and what exactly a MS 70 ( Perfect ) coin, looks like and be able to see the differences between all the Above in order to progress further the knowledge WE all need to survive the hobby, of course this is just my opinion...... Be Well, My coin collecting Family and Friends......... as stated above too, buy the coin, not the slab........
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
That will buff out. Honest.  |
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Valued Member
United States
450 Posts |
I wouldn't call fingerprint tarnish the 'kiss of death'. The coin has simply been touched and has tarnished from such. That's something the individual collector has to weigh against the goals of his collection standards and budget. An old silver coin with this trait, especially in an older TPG holder or raw may be more attractive to some collectors than a blast white example of the same old silver coin. A lot of people dip those old silver coins and get away with it according to the top TPGs. I've done it myself on some 'dirty' tarnished silver coins. Would you rather own an original coin with fingerprint tarnish or a nice bright coin that has been dipped in acid? As you pointed out, the TPGs may not differentiate between the two. |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 3,086 |
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Posted 04/01/2016 9:03 pm
