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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,600 |
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Pillar of the Community
Austria
566 Posts |
There is a recent development at Heritage, they seem to like the word SPECIMEN and to connect it with SP graded medals, which actually means "special strike" and is usually given to most medals graded by PCGS. This is wrong in my opinion as the SP is for a "special strike" at PCGS and not for a specimen. Real specimen coins and medals are usually marked as such, with a mark "ESSAI" or "SPECIMEN" and are considered either trial strikes or other specimens, which are not ment for general distribution. I had a few of these and they distinguish themselves multiple times in their valuation mto their regular counterparts. Here an example:  Image courtesy of PCGS Attaching the "SPECIMEN" in the title gets them a good advantage in the short term, but how would buyers feel when they realize, that they got a regular piece instead of a specimen?  What do you think? Edited by coinworldtv
02/18/2018 2:56 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7614 Posts |
Heritage, and other auction houses, are going to do what brings them in the most money.
It's up to the bidder/buyer to determine whether they think the item is accurately described.
Maybe PCGS should use "SS" for Special Strike instead of "SP" since "SP" has been the abbreviation for "Specimen" for many years.
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Pillar of the Community
 Austria
566 Posts |
But you agree, that these are not SPECIMENS. Right?
So they say apples in the title, but what you get are bananas.
At least we got it here in the forum cleared out, so people do not get cheated anymore.
Right?
Edited by coinworldtv
02/18/2018 3:49 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8715 Posts |
SP has been the abbreviation for Specimen for many years. It would be good for PCGS to start using SS for Special Strike.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1962 Posts |
cwtv, PCGS actually specifically states "SP" is for "Specimen"... BUT is in fact using that term for what you're calling a "Special Strike" (aka Prooflike or similar): https://www.PCGS.com/gradesYeah, various houses (and the grading cos.) seem to conflate these terms... and I think sometimes it's just actual confusion over the correct terminology. Another related layer is that for certain pieces (usually trial strikes, essais, patterns - e.g., 1800 Chile patterns), grading/description can alternate between "Proof" to "SP"/"Specimen". Of course, these Essai/Pattern/Specimen coins often display a "Special Strike"... and I think that's how "Specimen" has sometimes come to describe ANY coin with that type of strike (e.g., Canadian prooflike). I guess one way to view is that the specialist collectors who are looking for this material will usually have a good handle on what is what. Not always, though... Edited by realeswatcher
02/18/2018 6:07 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Austria
566 Posts |
I just went through the grades section realeswatcher has shown.
Indeed, the mistake is with PCGS, but also with HERITAGE as they do explicitly say, that the material is a "SPECIMEN" even if that is not the case.
I also think, that MS can be used for medals too and SP should be preserved for real specimens only.
Maybe both companies should do a better job and looking into something before giving it a shiny name and passing it to the collector.
It just makes special things not that special when you call all things special (or specimen).
Edited by coinworldtv
02/18/2018 6:24 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Yet another reason to buy the coin (or the medal) only after you understand what the slab is and what it says.
My grandma always said "Buy what you know or learn what you don't".
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Pillar of the Community
Austria
566 Posts |
Moxking, that is absolutely correct.
Buy the coin, not the slab (or the grade).
I forgot who said that, but it was a wise person.
Edited by coinworldtv
02/21/2018 05:59 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1666 Posts |
I've never even heard of a "specimen" version of a medal, only trial strikes and whatever the normal/general striking for that particular medal is.
Edited by Numismat
02/21/2018 12:06 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
which actually means "special strike" and is usually given to most medals graded by PCGS. This is incorrect. The large majority of medals graded by PCGS are graded MS or Proof not SP |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
684 Posts |
For what its worth, I always thought SP meant specimen.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,600 |
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Posted 02/18/2018 3:49 pm
