Betty Crocker really cooks!
Some time in the summer of 2002, I sold a batch of early coins of "questionable" quality on eBay. Sadly, all of them were certified by either PCGS or NGC, but they were nonetheless "questionable". The collector who had consigned them to me had put 100% faith in coins certified by the "Big Two", the slabs he had picked up off of certain "on-line auctions" over the years for "bargain money". To his dismay, when it came time to sell, most every dealer wouldn't buy these particular coins, or were offering half of wholesale, and he began to catch on that, yes indeed, there are bad coins in slabs. It was a hard way to learn this lesson. Out of desperation, he finally consigned the whole lot to me. A few of the descriptions we used evidently got noticed, and I received this letter from one of my friends who is a member of the BHNC (Bust Half Nut Club).
From: slumlord
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 8:15 PM
To: james@EarlyUS.com
Subject: Fw: e-bay hype, artificial toning, etc.
James,
This HAS to be you!?!?
slumlord
Hi Everyone,
I love to see when someone alerts the group to one of those amazing e-bay offers (usually ACG certified). I've often thought that it would make an amusing article for the BHNC newsletter, JR Journal, or even Coin World if one were to track for several weeks all of the amazing descriptions and grading hyperbole used on e-bay, and share some of the better ones with the world. I tried this for only a few days recently, and was able to come up with the following gems:
"1809 O-104 R7- true collectors piece. R7, only 4-12 known, per Overton book on early half dollar die varieties, the leading expert".
" this coin has been cleaned only once!"
"1809 bust half dollar that is guaranteed to have been circulated in early America!"
"problem-free XF coin, scratches are consistent with the grade"
" high grade coin, as LIBERTY on headband is very strong"
"1813 error, struck over, has imprint of reverse side motto just below shoulder"
" great coin!, lettering on edge is bold!"
You even occaisionally get a very honest appraisal, such as :
"nothing special here, just a good low-grade coin"
"1812- this coin has been very cleaned!"
I'll end this tirade with an excerpt from one of my favorite e-bay discourses, this one on cleaning and artificial toning: ( this was a bust half, by the way!)
"This coin offered here today, despite encapsulation, does seem to me to exhibit some odd characteristics. We have determined that this coin has indeed been artificially toned using the baking technique, but with a new and clever twist: this half dollar was baked in a Betty Crocker angel food cake. In fact, our tests have shown that you can actually control the specific color a coin will acquire based on what kind of flavoring you put into the cake mix prior to baking. Almond flavoring produces honey-tan colors, peppermint flavor creates stunning shades of emerald green, and plain old vanilla produces the greyish toning so popular with walnuts and bust half nuts. Be careful to use pure vanilla flavoring, because artificial vanilla produces color which seems, well, artifcial. Also, whip up the egg whites before adding the coin, or you may damage your mixing blade, not to mention the unwanted abrasions that might appear on the coin. Do you like target toning? Add a twist of lemon just before putting the cake in the oven. Wood toning is more your style? Add a teaspoon of nutmeg and a dash of oregano to achieve a stunning woodgrained pattern. And if warm bluish highlights are what you desire, a sprinkle of cinnamon will do the trick. We suggest that before working over your really nice coins, you should experiment with cheap stuff, such as Roosevelt dimes or Kennedy halves. These experiments are best carried out around the holidays, or just before a PTA meeting (remember to remove coins before serving the cake)"
Keep those e-bay alerts coming, and I hope to see many of you soon in NYC!....Keith D