Posted By:
Gilbert MainesTrue. They came and helped save the collector much the same way that they did in the card hobby, but earlier.
And they still provide an important function.
Although you can not yet use Photoshop to produce a passable counterfeit coin, that does not mean that authentication is unnecessary. Similarly, since grading coins does not take tremendous experience (they are way more durable than cards), that also doesn't mean that assurances are unwarranted.
However, in the opinion of many, special considerations have to be brought into play when evaluating early American copper coins. These considerations are in part attributable to several factors:
- we could not yet manufacture sheet copper and had to purchase all of this stock from England. Variances in the composition of the copper (other metals alloyed) has impact on the functionality and deterioration of the resultant coin.
- we could not manufacture coins with much automation. I believe that the rolling of copper sheets were driven by a geared mechanism powered by horses walking around and attached to a huge wooden wheel located on the second floor of the Philadelphia Mint. Similarly, each die was hand tooled. So they were used well beyond the point at which they were already broken - both front and back.
- numerous other special considerations also apply.
Grading companies do not always welcome special cases which then require special expertise. The result was as our hobby may be now with the Old Judge cards, unable to accurately grade the items because hobby experts will not accept the slab grade.
This status resulted in the establishment of standards which for this issue, achieve more widespread acceptance than that available from commercial services.
Edited to add Joe G's speculation: "would it be accurate to say Old Judge cards are small pieces of imperial cabinets? Is it not true that due to the difficulty of developing these larger photos that it was typical to have varying quality? That is, some areas over or under developed while other areas of the photo would be crisp, near perfect? This could partially explain why it is a special treat to find a crisp and clear Old Judge (not to mention the issues from taking pictures of pictures, reusing same photos for years, and surviving the elements for ~120 years)".