Wedding Sets

[trout]

I posted my reply before you modified you post Feathers :ok:

I also have NO intention of starting trouble I simply want these coins recognised for what they are by PCGS, Nothing more and nothing less.

Yes I have posted my views of 3 different sites and I have emailed PCGS on many occasions regarding this matter and i will continue to do so because do feel that this mistake should be "Redressed" .

The set registry problem could easily be addressed by PCGS allowing the Coins from the years 2002-2009 graded as SP to be added to the registry sets.

Just because many of these coins (Mine included) have been wrongly attributed in the past doesn't mean we should all shove our heads in the sand and ignore the facts just to maintain the "Status Quo".
I do feel strongly on this matter and I will pursue it to the best of my abillity

I imagine that when the first of these coins were graded by PCGS they would have fetched some rather high prices at auctions because of the higher grades achieved over the normal Mint set Circulation coins.
This should have been addressed at that time.
IMHO these coins are some of the best examples of RAM's skills producing Decimal coinage and should be recognised as such , Not just ignored and thrown into the "Too Hard" Bin.

[emu666]

I imagine that when the first of these coins were graded by PCGS they would have fetched some rather high prices at auctions because of the higher grades achieved over the normal Mint set Circulation coins.

I sent the first set over to PCGS not knowing what the coins would be graded as. It was a 2008 set. The 5c and $2 were graded as MS68, the others MS69. I gave the set to a friend of mine as a present because she liked the 50c so much and I thought the set should stay together.

[trout]

I sent the first set over to PCGS not knowing what the coins would be graded as. It was a 2008 set. The 5c and $2 were graded as MS68, the others MS69. I gave the set to a friend of mine as a present because she liked the 50c so much and I thought the set should stay together.

That was a very generous and thoughtful thing to do Mate :good:
I am curious though as your grading skills are renowned and respected by Many (Me included), Didn't you notice that these coins were rather different to the coins you normally look at?
I can remember when I first had these "In Hand" I had a WTF moment.

[emu666]

I sent the first set over to PCGS not knowing what the coins would be graded as. It was a 2008 set. The 5c and $2 were graded as MS68, the others MS69. I gave the set to a friend of mine as a present because she liked the 50c so much and I thought the set should stay together.

That was a very generous and thoughtful thing to do Mate :good:
I am curious though as your grading skills are renowned and respected by Many (Me included), Didn't you notice that these coins were rather different to the coins you normally look at?
I can remember when I first had these "In Hand" I had a WTF moment.

I knew they were different. I'd always liked the wedding set coins.
As I said, I sent them over to see what they'd do with them.
I didn't know whether they'd come back as SP, PR or MS.

[robbiegal]

I am no pcgs expert here I know but ......
to my eye
the captain cook specimen coins look very different to the wedding set coins
the strike on the captain cook is more clearly defined

I know that people in my coin club call the wedding sets specimen strikes but I am not entirely convinced that they are

they almost seem to fit into the first strike category for circulated coinage but the first of the gem strikes off the press?

[Ozcoins]

I am no pcgs expert here I know but ......
to my eye
the captain cook specimen coins look very different to the wedding set coins
the strike on the captain cook is more clearly defined

I know that people in my coin club call the wedding sets specimen strikes but I am not entirely convinced that they are

they almost seem to fit into the first strike category for circulated coinage but the first of the gem strikes off the press?

From a post Trout made earlier
"Yesterday, 08:36 AM

Post: #10

trout  
Numismatic Fanatic 

Posts: 7,690
Joined: Sep 2012RE: Wedding Sets

(Yesterday 08:19 AM)Coiny Chris Wrote:  Hello,

Thanks for the link. Is it just a proof regular Coin then ?


This is a quote from an email I received from one of the people at RAM.

Quote:The dies for these coins were polished to the same quality as proof dies, however no frosting was applied - to maintain the uncirculated appearance. The proof polishing process is extremely labour intensive, done by hand with tiny tools under binocular microscopes. The blanks used for Gem Uncirculated coins were proof blanks, of a higher quality than circ/unc blanks. The blank preparation process for proof coins was also followed, which uses a variety of techniques to purify, or clear the blank surface of defects (pickling, burnishing, heat treatment etc.). Finally the coins were struck as per proof coin process, on a proof press, hand loaded and inspected, struck four times precisely, and then encapsulated. These coins were absolutely unique"

[robbiegal]

cool - fanks

I shall confer with my mentor about that (above), might find out some more as well

[trout]

cool - fanks

I shall confer with my mentor about that (above), might find out some more as well

How about I simply send you a coin from one of these sets so you can make your own appraisal RG?

[robbiegal]

I have seen plenty of them Trout. What I want to understand is the difference between specimen, Gem and proof strikes.  I always thought that specimens were more about the planchet preparation and strike from business dies, with GEM unc being about planchet preparation and early business die use from one strike, not the four proof die strikes on the one coin nor the specially prepared proof dies. I thought that only proofs received both the proof die and the extra 4. I thought that maybe a specimen gets an extra strike but not 3 extra.

[trout]

I have seen plenty of them Trout. What I want to understand is the difference between specimen, Gem and proof strikes.  I always thought that specimens were more about the planchet preparation and strike from business dies, with GEM unc being about planchet preparation and early business die use from one strike, not the four proof die strikes on the one coin nor the specially prepared proof dies. I thought that only proofs received both the proof die and the extra 4. I thought that maybe a specimen gets an extra strike but not 3 extra.

That IS food for thought RG :good:
A PR instead of PRDC designation is probably the most accurate way of describing these coins and I think that at the end of the day like the 1934 Specimens that's how will probably attributed.
PR or SP would describe these coins Far better than the current MS designation and either one would "Appease" Me

What would make me really happy  is if RAM went back to producing these outstanding coins :yahoo:

[trout]

I have sent yet another email to PCGS regarding these coins and as they have yet to reply to any of my prior correspondence I asked specifically that they have the common decency to at least reply to my concerns.
I am in no way one of the "big fish" that sends coins to  PCGS for grading but I have sent over 500 coins and have spent several thousands of dollars doing so with this company so I do expect them to show me the common curtsy of at least replying to my emails.

Lets see what happens now :angel:

[robbiegal]

your man at the mint is wrong about the GEM wedding set  coins being struck 4 times on proof dies

but yes, the planchets were especially prepared

I have  a friend who is trying to dig up historical information about the specimen strikes for the wedding sets
when we get a hold of it I will let you know

if the coin is struck 4 times on proof dies then it would have to be a proof coin strike

[trout]

your man at the mint is wrong about the GEM wedding set  coins being struck 4 times on proof dies

but yes, the planchets were especially prepared

I have  a friend who is trying to dig up historical information about the specimen strikes for the wedding sets
when we get a hold of it I will let you know

if the coin is struck 4 times on proof dies then it would have to be a proof coin strike

:good:

[Mister T]

I have  a friend who is trying to dig up historical information about the specimen strikes for the wedding sets
when we get a hold of it I will let you know

Oooh, interesting. Is it going to be published somewhere?

[trout]

I have  a friend who is trying to dig up historical information about the specimen strikes for the wedding sets
when we get a hold of it I will let you know

Oooh, interesting. Is it going to be published somewhere?

I think this would make a rather good article for our forum "wiki" :good: