VKurtB

Oh the irony! Someone thinks they might have some minor doubling when they have something far nicer - a clipped planchet. The mania over doubling has now “jumped the shark”. 

Hear me now and think about it later. (Remember that?) On one hand, it is not a super high grade and that militates against having it graded. On the other hand, some legitimately believe ALL U.S. gold coins should be submitted for reasons of authentication. 

PULEEEEEZE can you stop bumping your threads? Take a hint, buddy.

Album coins are nice finds. But certification coins are intended to be “oh my freaking gawd gorgeous” coins. New collectors largely have never seen the second type yet, and need to work first on organizing the first type first. Some day you will understand. 

Four options.

There is NO DUES PAYABLE to be a posting member here. NONE AT ALL! The only thing that requires dues is having a membership for submitting coins. You really do need to get this straight. 

Album coins are nice finds. But certification coins are intended to be “oh my freaking gawd gorgeous” coins. New collectors largely have never seen the second type yet, and need to work first on organizing the first type first. Some day you will understand. 

There is NO DUES PAYABLE to be a posting member here. NONE AT ALL! The only thing that requires dues is having a membership for submitting coins. You really do need to get this straight. 

Sis says there’s virtually NO toning on the coins, other than brown copper. Why? Because they were kept away from the artificial toning doctors, I presume.

This is the numismatic field. These two statements above are logically identical. To exist and to be recognized by the hobby’s “powers that be” is the very same concept, no difference whatsoever. This is also what perpetually “urines off” Roger. 

Okay - ‘no numismatic value’. NNV. Feel better? Besides, my “jam” IS coming across as judgmental. 

Only the 1979 P had any rim varieties. 

… and 61 years of experience, not that anyone cares. 

Only "off" by a few years -- close enough for modern TPG work !

Big pharma is the source of all evil, INCLUDING keeping me alive. 

This is the uncirculated version. This is the best packaging they have ever had.

I think that up until now, this has been “the answer”. Unfortunately, there is presently an active threat by THIS site’s management to make it more like CoinTalk, and that is not only a bad idea, but a tragedy.
So, yeah, stay tuned and stay ready. You may be needed soon. I have a “boomer” attitude that doesn’t blend well with snowflakeism.

VAMworld variety slots are like Lernaean Hydra who sprouted two heads when one was cut off. There is seemingly a never ending supply of variety subdivisions so no one can know if all are covered. This feature discourages new enthusiasts - everything becomes almost unattainable.
Several people have suggested that a core of clear, recognized varieties be created - something new collectors can grasp. Then put everything in a subvariety digital catalog for the really advanced users. (This is what has also been suggested for Trade dollars.)

I’m VKurtB and I approve of this message. I once bought a 15 page lot of coins from various European countries in those slide in long holders that go into a vinyl containing page. Well, that was my big project in the summer of 2022. The total number of coins was about 200 or more, and every one of them ended up with an acetone bath due to the vinyl. The obviousness depended on the actual metal of each coin. British 0.50 silver had the greenest presentation, but many Cu/Ni coins actually had a thicker coating. I used a Greysheet promotional shot glass, and some Petri dishes. You should have felt the vinyl slime left behind in the glass wear.

I just might be the biggest critic of CoinTalk you will EVER encounter. It is not a scam. It is a legit site. That said, it is owned by, and moderated by, some of the most active self-gluteal osculatory people you will ever find. It is a clique of personalities. Their moderation is heavy-handed, inconsistent in application, and not subject to appeal or protest. Kiss the rump of management all the time and you’ll be fine. They surely do for one another.

I’m VKurtB and I approve of this message. I once bought a 15 page lot of coins from various European countries in those slide in long holders that go into a vinyl containing page. Well, that was my big project in the summer of 2022. The total number of coins was about 200 or more, and every one of them ended up with an acetone bath due to the vinyl. The obviousness depended on the actual metal of each coin. British 0.50 silver had the greenest presentation, but many Cu/Ni coins actually had a thicker coating. I used a Greysheet promotional shot glass, and some Petri dishes. You should have felt the vinyl slime left behind in the glass wear.

Go ahead. Swirl that Q-Tip. Grind the garbage across the coin. 
If anyone must use Q-Tips, just roll the Q-Tip, not swirl, using no pressure at all. Still not a good idea but you will mess up fewer coins. All you want to do is spread/flow the acetone across the surface with as little contact as possible. Still a bad idea. 
Let's talk about testing. With a clean dropper put a drop of the fresh acetone you are using on a clean glass slide and let it dry. Now lets test the Q-Tips to be sure they are safe. Acetone can melt the stem of some Q-Tips. You don't want that on your coin. Soak the end of the Q-Tip in acetone for a minute or so. Touch it against a clean glass slide to leave a small sample and let it dry. Now put both slides under a scope and hope that both samples are clear. 
I have removed PVC from well over a thousand coins over the years and never had the need to contact the surface of the coin with anything but acetone. Let the acetone do it's work with baths with no rubbing. Test the used acetone after each bath under the scope. You will see the progress and you will know when the acetone has done all it can do. It's also wise to flow fresh acetone over the coin as a final step. A squirt bottle works well for this but be sure the bottle is acetone safe.
I'm not going to get into the proper way of giving a coin a bath. That is a long story with several ways that work well. My favorite involves shot glasses. You only waste an ounce of acetone per bath and the edge of the coin are the only thing that come in contact with anything.  

Thinking about the mass of “error” coins people think they have found, but are really just damage.
Scene: ANA Convention in a look-a-like suburb of Chicago. (Where all the cicadas are “zombies,” and all the birds think they are hawks.)
Imagine several display cases cluttered with parking lot coins. Maybe 1st case showing paved lot with a section of asphalt complete with lane paint and trash (maybe a clump of weeds for that natural touch), strewn with fast-food road-kill cents and nickels, plus a bit of trash.
Add to that a 2nd case coated with blue gravel, rocks, cigaret butts, spilled coffee, assorted dirt and more convenience store parking lot coins.
And a 3rd case with grooved concrete, sharp yellow lines, and coins with long defacing scrapes matching the concrete….
These could include toy trucks and cars, enlarged copies of chat board messages and photos about wonderful error coin finds; and maybe a projection of some internet scammers’ videos touting junk.
      Not sure how this might be handled by ANA judges. But when the Convention closed, the janitor could sweep it all away. No security problems.

Shows? What about auctions, estate sales, talks, coin clubs? There is NOT a dichotomy. There are MULTIPLE ways to do numismatics in person. I have only VERY seldom bought any coins of note at a show, per se. Why does seemingly everybody not take into account anything other than a coin show or the Internet? There’s a whole additional WORLD, or several, out there besides a coin show or the Internet. The ANA keeps a database of local coin clubs, even just the ANA member clubs. There are hundreds and hundreds of them. “There’s nothing near me.” Bullsnot! The ANA has a club coordinator that will help you START a club. They’ll provide a mailing list of ANA members near your proposed location.
If fifty miles presents an insurmountable obstacle for you, seriously, maybe you need a cheaper hobby. My wife does cross-stitch. Wait. That’s expensive to do right, too.

I’m sure many denizens hereabouts regard the internet as something close to a necessity, FOR THEM, in order to enjoy this hobby and/or conduct transactions. I submit to you that such is a purely voluntary CHOICE, and nothing resembling a necessity at all. As such, it represents either laziness or cheapness. 
 
I have looked up authorized NGC dealers within 100 miles of my home. There are five. Five. Only one has a brick and mortar shop. I clicked on the links here at NGC, including the shop’s website, which is “parked” at GoDaddy and does not even exist. Apparently he exists ONLY in meatspace, and has no perceived need to operate in cyberspace. 
 
Clearly, this site is AWASH in Internet primary or Internet exclusive users. The newbie section alone reveals that. My point is this. If’n ya ain’t at least dabblin’ in meatspace every once in a while, in my opinion, you’re just playin’. The Internet is one poor 🫏 substitute. 
 
I drove, recently, 709 miles each way to Pittsburgh. Next month I will fly 2400 miles round trip to Colorado Springs, for the 2nd time this year. Then in July, I’ll drive 715 miles each way to Orlando. Then NEXT summer, I’ll drive 715 miles to Oklahoma City, after another Orlando round trip. What do I buy online? Almost nothing.
Face it. These are two completely different hobbies, not one.