Whitman Toned 1955/55 Doubled Die Grade?

BadThad, Originally when I met with the person who was selling this coin he had brought a complete Whitman Album with LWC's and he was an older gentleman who had been collecting for a very long time. He was selling because his grown children had no interest in his coins and was selling them. He showed me the slot this coin was in in for quit sometime. Now having seen it sitting in the book and meeting the man in person I was convinced that the discoloring around the edges was classic ring toning from the Whitman album. To make sure I took the LWC out of the slot and checked to make sure the cartwheel went through the motto fields and it flows very nicely on every inch of the coin through to the rims. I am convinced that it is problem free, should I send to a different Grading service like NGC or ANACS? Or do I just put it away and keep in the collection as a smoothed coin.

If you think there's no problem, crack it. I have cracked every coin out that PCGS or NGC refused to grade (due to color). I don't own a single "problem holder". Just because they render an opinion doesn't mean they were correct. My dealer has a rather large box of toners that the majors wouldn't grade. Now, there are like 5 guys in that shop that are truly experts, they all look at coins prior to submission.....no way they'd submit something questionable. And, after years of reviewing these rejected coins, they (the shop) are right. The TPG's are so paranoid they just simply reject ANYTHING for ANY REASON if doesn't have "the look" they are after....and I don't blame them. However, that doesn't make them right!

Given the value of this coin, I would have cracked it out 5 minutes are receiving it and set forth plans for the next TPG. Another route, you could let it tone down on window sill for a year or two. It may even out, I've had pretty good luck doing this. The last one NGC called "artificial color". I toned it down for a year and it came back from PCGS as an MS-64.