Libertad Gold Reverse Proof 2018 are ahead...

[Guitarguy]

Thanks tada but given my affinity as stated above I may sell one of each as a “pair” at some point to defray the cost but I’m not in a hurry. I’ve got a truckload of (mostly) proof individual and sets I have to inventory, decide which if any sets to breakup, get some graded and photographed which is going to be very time consuming as I’ve been buying them like I make them in the basement for years! I’m not looking forward to the time and effort involved

[Sal]

On 13/02/2019 at 14:02, *tada* said:

If a coin is graded 69 you can generally tell why. However there are rare cases when 69 should be graded higher at 70, and also the "crack out - resubmit" game by many people to try to upgrade the coin is prevalent. This is called "gradflation" and motivates PCGS to fingerprint each coin they have already graded. A coin graded at 69 without visible flaws can offer attractive value.

If a coin is graded 70 no flaws should be visible to naked eye without 5x magnifier and even at zoom you can almost always argue why the minute imperfection doesn't matter for grade.

If a coin is graded 70 and you find a significant issue (say actual hairline scratch instead of planchet error), then it's graded wrong and PCGS/NGC should compensate you for the difference. I have filed two claims with success with PCGS, but failed one claim vs NGC and opt to return the coin instead.

A 70, a technical grade, can have non-intrusive carbon/red/milk spots as well as slight rim issue or planchet issue that are not from post production. That's why one should buy the coin and not the holder.

Looking forward to @Sal's blind test.

 

I could definitely tell the difference between the one 69 I got and the other 70's. Got rid of the 69 on eBay for a small profit and sold a few of the 70's on eBay for 1k plus.