If you're a sports fan, then you know the Whiz Kids were the 1950 National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. But the Whiz Kids of numismatics are champions of nothing but deceit and attempted deception, and their heyday of the 1960s and early '70s is nearly forgotten. Nearly. Every once in awhile, though, another "whizzed" coin makes its way into the marketplace and fools an unsuspecting collector.

In addition to having to watch out for counterfeit coins, repaired coins, added-on mintmarks and artificial toning, the collector is occasionally offered a whizzed coin -- a coin that has actually been altered on the surfaces by liquefying and moving about the metal.

In its simplest form, whizzing a coin is done by attaching a wire brush to the end of an electric screwdriver and using the high revolutions to move the metal on the coin's surface. More sophisticated whizzing involves putting artificial luster on the coin after the initial wire brushing is completed. The results can be a coin that appears to have the most phenomenal luster you've ever seen.

With experience, the collector will learn that a whizzed coin offers an unusual look that is too stark and not natural looking. The best method of detection is to look at the devices for tell-tale signs of whizzing. These signs are ridges or crests of metal attached to a letter, digit or device.

In addition, the pattern of alteration will usually be unidirectional, giving the coin a flashy but too-uniform pseudo-luster. Genuine luster, by contrast, is created by flow lines that emote from the center towards the edges, creating the familiar cartwheel effect.

Purchasing a whizzed coin can be just as financially devastating as buying a counterfeit. Keep these pointers in mind when purchasing a raw" coin, or avoid the problem completely by insisting on coins that are certified by PCGS.

Rick Montgomery has been a professional coin grader since 1980. He was a grader at the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS) from 1980 to 1985. He was the ANACS Director from 1985 to 1987. Rick joined PCGS in 1987 and was named President of the company in 1997. In his tenure at PCGS, he has verified the final grades for over 5,000,000 coins. Rick is the co-author of "The Official Guide To Coin Grading And Counterfeit Detection," the Numismatic Literary Guild's "Book Of The Year" award winner for 1998. Today, Rick is considered the world's top expert on U.S. coin counterfeit detection.

Full luster but no breast feathers? You should be immediately suspect of such a situation, especially in an S mint coin.

The metal around the date is clogged with crests and ridges that just shouldn't be there.