Help - Understanding tooling

[Regis44]

I recently wanted to buy a coin and the label said ANACS 30 Tooled Details VF. Even though the coin had the looks I liked, I was affraid to bid much above VF20 because of the "tooled" statement. I don't really understand tooling or tooled and how they affect value. My understanding is that the die was altered/fixed and it was changed at the mint. To me, that should have no affect on value unless they did something ugly......but, I really don't know.

 

Would someone please enlighten me?

 

Regis

[HaydenTubbs]

Actually it's post-mint damage when someone alters the coin in order to hide a problem or make it look like something it's not.

 

 

Hayden

[cpm9ball]

Actually it's post-mint damage when someone alters the coin in order to hide a problem or make it look like something it's not.

 

 

Hayden

 

For example, someone makes an "8" into a "3" by removing metal, or the metal is "worked" around a gouge to smooth it out.

 

Chris

[TomB]

Unless the coin is prohibitively rare, I would not buy any piece that has been tooled. Tooling is post-Mint damage that is typically caused when someone uses a sharp instrument to cut missing details into the coin. For example, the VF30 details coin you were looking at might have had significant missing detail in the hair or eagle feathers and someone might scribe new hairlines or eagle feathers onto the coin to make it appear to be an EF40 or AU50. This is generally done to deceive at the numismatic level, not as a counterfeit. In my opinion, coins that are tooled should not be bid, unless they simply do not exist otherwise.

[Regis44]

I mistakenly interpreted "tooling marks" under "Lingo" accross the street as the same as "tooled"

 

Glad it was not a more expensive mistake cuz I'm now humbled owner.

[TomB]

Do you have an image of the coin or a link? Sometimes tooling isn't so obvious, other times it is.

[Regis44]

Here is link to the Teletrade. It was last evenings auction and was the only 1834 half if the link doesn't work

 

1834-teletrade

[TomB]

By the images, that isn't a bad looking coin at all. I have seen much more blatantly tooled coins in holders. I will guess that the hair and ear have been tooled on Ms Liberty.

[IGWT]

Could be worse.

[TomB]

[Regis44]

..... that does make me feel better

[HaydenTubbs]

Could be worse.

 

 

Ouch!

[Regis44]

Could be worse.

Ouch!

Well, now I have to admit my guilt.. .. I bought it (for my type set)

 

 

 

[michael]