Coin Doctors and Publicity

[Kurtdog]

Do you want to see a laugh? Get a look at this. After three years these lame brains still don’t understand this lawsuit was the publicity stunt.

 

 

[TonerGuy]

Does anyone have a link to any information on the original lawsuit

[Arizonadesertrat]

I disagree. PCGS knew who submitted the coins. And the grading companies, as well as many experienced dealers (decades in the business, frequent out-of-state coin shows, etc) know who some of the doctors are. Collectors rarely do, however.

 

When I was a kid, growing up in the suburbs outside of Miami, I routinely saw B&M dealers doctoring coins--burnishing, ATing, polishing, etc. Over the years, doing things like moving metal and applying chemicals to change the appearance of coins has become largely unacceptable so people won't do that in front of collectors. Rarely do the doctors let on what they do either.

 

If a collector finds out who some of the coin doctors are, what good is that? It is not information that one can act on. The real problem is that what passes for an acceptable standard of ethics in the industry is pathetically low. Barely a month goes by when I don't see a doctored coin in a dealer's inventory or being offered by an auction house, with no disclosure. So what collectors can do is stay away from dealers who play that game, learn to spot altered coins (the ANA routinely offers a course in detecting counterfeit and altered coins), and not buy anything sight-unseen without a return privilege.

[Kurtdog]

To start a lawsuit you serve the complaint on the named defendants. This complaint sat in federal court for six months without ever having seen the light of day. Figure it out, why their lawyers never served it. They weren't looking for a disposition in a court of law, but in the court of public opinion. Give their lawyers credit for knowing this complaint was facing counterclaims for defamation from the named "coin doctors" had they pulled the trigger and served it because nobody can define "coin doctoring."

[wdrob]

 

The only thing I was able to take from that link was that FadeToBlack has no idea the difference between a 'Static' Ip Address and a 'Dynamic' IP Address.