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 Replies: 30 / Views: 6,560 |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
I have a few coins that are basically almost mint condition and the most common issue that I find is that the steps on the buildings or other small fine details are worn down, I know that defacing of currency is illegal in America but it is not illegal to punch holes, paint coins, and other things along that line. I was wondering if anyone had a general idea of what side of the board fixing small details on the coin would fall into, this would include using a chisel and Hammer to punch in small details such as worn down steps or worn down words. Sometimes the hair and face details are also worn but I would need much more practice before I even considered something like that if it's legal that is.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1559 Posts |
NO, Danger, Danger Wil Robinson!  . If it's something you would want to do just for the sake of it, go ahead as long as your intentions are not to profit from it or to try to "raise the grade" by doing so. I would think that if it was ever considered it would had been discussed by the top graders and Numastatic big wigs (for lack of a better word). So think about it, any coin that you do that to wil lose all value, other than face value, and more than likely be considered fraud. This is just IMHO! Edited by Tootallious
12/17/2017 4:35 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3323 Posts |
It is unlikely that the coins could be "repaired" in a way that couldn't be easily seen. You would be reducing the value of your coins if you did that in my opinion.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
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Valued Member
United States
363 Posts |
Never ever ever never never ever ever attempt to "repair" your coins, it will destroy any value the coin may have. Details get worn away from circulation. It's a fact of life sadly  . There's nothing you can do to reverse it. Please put down that hammer and chisel  |
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Valued Member
 United States
51 Posts |
All right, I appreciate the info. Some of them are just so mildly damaged that I felt it might be worth asking about.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
What you're talking about is reengraving. It is legal to do that but how you sold them may not be. If you tried to sell them as original that would be considered unethical and potentially illegal that many would consider doctoring. The fine details may not be "worn" at all, that just may be how it was struck as some of the expmaples you gave such as the steps are not full on every mint state coin. There's no way those details could be worn if the rest of the coin isn't. Regardless if you were to go that route you would be destroying the value of those coins and making them details coins that collectors do not like as reengraving is generally one of the more egregious reasons for a details coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2133 Posts |
Impossible to do well enough on modern coins so that it's not detectable.
If someone's intention were to do that in order to sell an item by pretending that it is in better condition, I suspect that would be fraud in any jurisdiction.
However, if you can paint well enough to take an average coin by enamelling it to make a nice piece of jewellery, that's entirely legal and possibly profitable.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Early US coinage has been defaced occasionally with the intent of making the coin appear better than it is. You really need to have that in mind when purchasing early raw coinage. Anything you reengraved would immediately fall in value. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Perhaps not illegal, but certainly reprehensible.
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
Because the fine surface metal of a finished coin is relatively equal over its original surface, any move to remove, shift, buff up, etc, would be readily seen under slight mag(if any). Luster goes, shadows are introduced, your attempts are well noted. Those that attempt to do FS on Jeffries, or FSBs on the winged warrior, are generally debunked and pointed out as altered by an amateur expert. That original surface layer is gone.
Edited by Crazyb0
12/17/2017 5:57 pm
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
I'll have to keep all of this in mind, the world of corns just have so much to it
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1351 Posts |
Commonly called tooling....common on hammered coins.Trying to polish a turd never works.
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Moderator
 United States
188325 Posts |
Quote:
Perhaps not illegal, but certainly reprehensible. That sums up my feelings. I think time is better spent acquiring the coins you want. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1211 Posts |
Why would it NOT be legal to ruin your own coins?
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Moderator
United States
188325 Posts |
Good point.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
I would image that to some extent, tooling a coin and then selling it as a problem-free coin could have legal repercussions, no? I can't wreck my car, fix it up, and then claim it's never been in an accident when I go to sell it.
I believe "fraud" is the term?
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Replies: 30 / Views: 6,560 |
Posted 12/17/2017 4:20 pm
