No Grade Coins – Part VII

By Mike Sherman - October 14, 2016

We’re coming to the end of our discussion of “No Grade” coins – coins that PCGS can put into a holder but cannot assign a numerical grade to because of a serious problem. We’ll wrap things up this time and the next with a look at the largest of the categories.

98 – Damage
Damage is a very broad group encompassing a wide variety of ills. Generally it describes any form of metal movement, either intentional or accidental. Damage may include excessive or heavy rim dings and bruises, deliberate surface damage such as graffiti, attempts to remove spots, etc. The severity and extent of the damage affects whether it will get a "No Grade" decision.

Here is a look at some of the most commonly encountered Damage categories.

Graffiti – a deliberate engraving or punching of letters, numbers or simply random designs into the coin.

This coin appears to be the victim of a very bored person with the initials "AK."

Apparently the owner of this one needed a reminder of the coin’s face value on the obverse.
Surfaces tooled – major metal movement such as re-engraving, lasering, tooling.

Probably the most famous of the re-engravers was George Washington Hughes (a.k.a. "Bo"), who carved Buffalo nickels from the late 1910s till 1980! They are widely collected today.

Other engraving attempts are considerably less artistic. It appears Miss Liberty needed new hair.
Whizzing – one of the worst scourges in numismatics, whizzing was popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Whizzing involved the use of a rotating wire brush to strip a thin layer of metal off the coin, leaving a high lustrous (but artificial appearing) surface. These coins were then passed off to unsuspecting and novice collectors as “Gem BU” coins. Sadly, many lovely original XF-AU coins were lost to this process.

While very shiny, the luster is completely unlike that appearing on a natural specimen.

Another victim of whizzing, the luster lacks any of the natural "cartwheel" effect.
Machine damage – not all damage is intentional. Sometimes coins are damaged in counting or rolling machines. Nonetheless, damage is damage, and the coin cannot be graded.

Here’s an expensive little accident. A real 16-D dime, damaged at the center of the reverse.

And a more recent accident – something really messed up the obverse. Check the large circular scratching.