The advantages of a halogen lamp

[MarkFeld]

Please see this thread for a great real-life example of the advantages (and one disadvantage - it can drown out a coin's color) of using a halogen lamp See here

[MikeKing]

I've learned from the best that halogen is critical to assessing a coin.

[cpm9ball]

Thanks, Mark, not only for this tip but also for the explanations of Bob's Walker. I'll admit that I didn't have the faintest clue where the wheel marks were even with your hint.

 

Chris

[braddick]

I too had a "Superb GEM" Peace dollar I thought had a shot with ANACS at MS66. It was returned wheel marks and it wasn't until I used the lighting suggested above and slowly rotated the coin I saw the shiny patch of hairlines from the counting machine's rubber roller.

 

It is so easy to overlook!

 

On a happy note, I love picking these coins up as usually, outside of the damage noted, the coins look great and are wonderful DANSCO type coin fillers as under the plastic sleeve from the coin album, the damage is very difficult to see, if seen at all.

[MarkFeld]

I too had a "Superb GEM" Peace dollar I thought had a shot with ANACS at MS66. It was returned wheel marks and it wasn't until I used the lighting suggested above and slowly rotated the coin I saw the shiny patch of hairlines from the counting machine's rubber roller.

 

It is so easy to overlook!

 

On a happy note, I love picking these coins up as usually, outside of the damage noted, the coins look great and are wonderful DANSCO type coin fillers as under the plastic sleeve from the coin album, the damage is very difficult to see, if seen at all.

Pat - good point about the flaws being easy to overlook. In fact, I have seen at least a few coins with wheel-marks in the holders of very highly respected grading companies. And the grades at which they were certified did not seem to be accounting for the damage. I was somewhat surprised and impressed that the problem on the Walker in the other thread was detected by all three grading companies.