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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,839 |
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Valued Member
United States
393 Posts |
How reliable are scales in determining the authenticity of a coin? If a coin weighs almost exactly what it's supose to is it considered without a doubt authentic? I realize only expert eyes can tell if a coin has an altered mint mark or date though. Thanks, Rick  |
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Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
It helps but, not 100%
Most coins that are fake can be compared to the real thing. Under high power microscopes this will also aid in this determination.
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Moderator
 United States
23491 Posts |
There has been some very good discussion about microscopes, but not so much about scales..
Is there a scale that any of you recommend?
rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
A struck counterfeit can weight exactly what it's suppose to weight. A counterfeiter can even purchase as an errors the very planchet intended to strike a coin that somehow got out of the mint unstruck. An altered coin will also weight what's it's suppose to. Smart counterfeiters go through great pains to keep their "work" within tolerances and of the correct alloy. It's sad that TPG's don't have an option for an authentication certificate only. They'd have a lot more business, IMO, even if there is no "re-submission" future in an authentication cert. I for one would be buyer in a heartbeat for pre 1954 commens if I could have authentication for them without looking at puking slabs.  Edited by longnine009
02/07/2006 11:40 pm
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Forum Mom
United States
5877 Posts |
ANACS does have the option of submitting for authentication only without grading.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1203 Posts |
Susan is right when she says that ANACS offers the authentication service. I have used it quite often and this is the "only" form of 3PG that I will recommend.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
980 Posts |
I've used ohaus and sartorius eectronic scales requiring far (as in a million times) more accuracy than is needed for coin work, and they are both respected companies. Scales accurate to a tenth of a gram are small and very inexpensive these days-can be bought for under $50. http://www.balances.com/pock.htmlDon |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
Susan and/or OldDan is that the private ANACS of today that's doing that? I know the ANA still maintained their Authentication Bureau and were authenticating coins even after they sold ANACS to Amos. But they weren't issuing certificates they were still slabbing them.  I also heard they were going to discontinue the service but never heard whether they actually followed through with it or not. I'm also not sure whether anyone at the ANA is allowed to say whether they followed through with it or not. They may have had a follow through executive meeting and decided not to follow through with disclosing whether they followed through or not.  "Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to..." Catch-22 Joseph Heller |
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Forum Mom
United States
5877 Posts |
The current ANACS offers authentication only service.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
I have to applaud ANACS for at least offering a service where there is little hope for resubmissions. But it appears that they do slab the coin all the same and so if you don't want to lose what you just paid for, your stuck with the holder it's in, whether you like that holder or not. This is an issue that's hacked me off now for 20 years. I used to just send coins into ANACSAB or INSAB, get them authenticated, and put them in whatever holder I wanted, usually black Capitals (with gold lettering  . It just irks me to no end that I can't do that anymore and it's all about "re-submissions" tying authentication with grading so people might be fool enough to play re-submission romper room for the rest of their lives. But like I said, at least ANACS has something, and it's something that's not about "re-submission" games. Did you know that NGC has photo certification? But the certificate includes the grade and is only for items that won't fit in their holders such as thick medals. Now I have ask, if they (and PCGS)are already invested in and tooled up to do photography and NGC even does photo certification for 3 inch medals, why don't they offer an option for authentication only photo certificates for everything? What can they possibily lose? Re-submissions? I have a lot of hopes with James Taylor and ANACS. Maybe in the near future they will offer, WHAT USED TO BE. |
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Forum Mom
United States
5877 Posts |
I would suggest calling ANACS to find out if it is possible to get a coin authenticated and not slabbed. Just because that is their usual procedure doesn't mean that they wouldn't do something different if requested. Just a thought. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1203 Posts |
Greetings Longnine, as you are already aware that I don't have slabbed coins anywhere around my place. Don't want them and refuse to be drawn into their usage.
Last August I had ANACS do some authentication for me and specified when I called to see if they would still do this service without grading the coin. I specifically ask to have them returned to me without being slabbed and explained that I would simply have to remove it once it arrived. The answer was 'yes' they could authenticate without grading, and that if I didn't want a slab, to specify that on the submission form. Every thing went as smooth as the ______ and I was very happy with the results.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
This is mighty interesting indeed.  Did they issue you a certificate or perhaps a letter? Oh now, there is hope!!! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1203 Posts |
It was more in the form of a letter with ANACS letter-head afixed. It stated that the coin(s) in question were examined and found to be authentic.
Now I know this does absolutely no one but myself any good, as I would be able to switch coins if I wanted to and attach this letter. So, the service was for my own self assurance that what I was buying was indeed real coins and not something someone had made over the week-end out in the garage.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
It's the fact that they did it that matters. Letters were the predecessor to certificates. Breen was known to authenticate coins and write a letter that it was authentic. Now if someone is willing to do something as "old fashioned" as writing a letter to authenticate a coin I believe there is possibility they will offer a certificate option. It's a niche, and maybe ANACS will consider it. I believe there is a good market for them. People need authenticating--period. Unless someone is a dealer, communicating with other dealers, etc, it's pretty difficult to keep up with the new "work" and methods that counterfeiters come up with. Consider of all the raw Darkside coins that people might want authenticated but not slabbed and maybe even not graded. Consider how many people are "coming over to the Darkside" Consider who among the "big four" has the best reputation when it comes to authentication. Perhaps it's all coming around full cycle again, won't that be something to see. Edited by longnine009
02/11/2006 08:49 am
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,839 |
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Posted 02/07/2006 8:03 pm
