Casascius hologram issue

[Zepher]

How did u crack it? With pliers?

I wouldn't mind seeing a cracking video.

monkeynuts actually cracked my Gold Titan for me to go back for a second round of grading at ANACS. He used some grips, with the slab inside a plastic bag to prevent shattered plastic getting everywhere. Crack each corner bit by bit, and slowly prised the slab apart.

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[coin@coin]

Someone posted this on the IRC chat

How To Break a Coin Out of a Slab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49WSTeQt60c

Doesn't look too hard.

[hybridsole]

Just checked mine as it is the same coin and also slabbed by ANACS.  No spots.  I live in a very humid area, so hopefully that's not a factor. 

[monkeynuts]

How did u crack it? With pliers?

I wouldn't mind seeing a cracking video.

monkeynuts actually cracked my Gold Titan for me to go back for a second round of grading at ANACS. He used some grips, with the slab inside a plastic bag to prevent shattered plastic getting everywhere. Crack each corner bit by bit, and slowly prised the slab apart.

As Z says, I used locking grips set at just less than the slab. Emphasis on crack rather than destroy. Less is more. Many small steps rather than one giant leap. Corners, then middles.

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/hand-tools/locking-clamps-and-wrenches/255mm-10%22-sheet-plier-grip-wrench/p/SEN5587300K?utm_campaign=pla+-+&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping-pla&utm_keyword=SEN5587300K&istCompanyId=6aa6787b-063e-4414-802d-129f235df603&istItemId=aqrxlmpxl&istBid=tztx


Other options I have read about are in a bench vice and then use a hacksaw (take the edges off, you can get away with 3). One of those small electric 'rotary tools' would also do the trick.
Its only the very edges that get bound by the resin

If your gonna do it, always practice with a low value slabbed coin first !! There is always risk associated. Reward has to be clear before doing it, generally an older graded coin.

CGS slabs are far more stubborn than ANACS (far more brittle, so more unpredictable).

[monkeynuts]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4pWpU3_qNw

Anyone fancy having a go at doing a redeemed Casascius coin ring .... ?

http://changeyoucanwear.net/product-category/non-silver-coin-rings/

[OgNasty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4pWpU3_qNw

Anyone fancy having a go at doing a redeemed Casascius coin ring .... ?

http://changeyoucanwear.net/product-category/non-silver-coin-rings/

That would be cool.  I could maybe see sacrificing a peeled 5 BTC coin for this...

[Blazed]

Cracking slabs is really easy... I have cracked 50+ and never had an issue. Just clip the bottom to corners off and use a flathead screwdriver to pry the slab open. Takes me roughly 30 seconds per slab.


Edit: here is a photo album of how I do it -> http://imgur.com/a/5AcTy (imgur screwed up the order)

Check out this batch..lol

[coin@coin]

Thanks for the explanation monkeynuts and Blazed, not that I'm going to crack any slabs right now, but it could be useful one day LOL

So when you crack a ANACS slab which is numbered and registered on the site and makes up the population of a certain coin, that coin will still be on their site as graded even if outside its slab.
Does that mean that the population of them coins is not realistic?

I say this because in some cases certain coins are more valuable and sold at a premium because there's only 10 MS70 or 69, etc...
Or maybe there's 100 x MS 65.

What do you guys think?

[monkeynuts]

ANACS pop reports just state what they have graded. You can only use them as the maximum number. Big shortfall

I have a 69 error coin. The slab was scratched. So I got them to reslab it. They gave it a new reference number. So the pop report says there are 2, wheresas its the same coin twice. ANACS wont amend the pop report. I have asked them. Luckily I had imaging done on both, so can prove this ...

So even when they do the reslabbing, the pop reprt is inaccurate, let alone if anyone cracks themselves and resubmits

[coin@coin]

ANACS pop reports just state what they have graded. You can only use them as the maximum number. Big shortfall

I have a 69 error coin. The slab was scratched. So I got them to reslab it. They gave it a new reference number. So the pop report says there are 2, wheresas its the same coin twice. ANACS wont amend the pop report. I have asked them. Luckily I had imaging done on both, so can prove this ...

So even when they do the reslabbing, the pop reprt is inaccurate, let alone if anyone cracks themselves and resubmits

Good to know, thanks for clarifying.

[dazedfool]

.

[Hellot]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the ring melting process.  I've only seen this on coins with ring melts.

[dazedfool]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the ring melting process.  I've only seen this on coins with ring melts.

Good point, I suppose that could be possible if the ring melting involves any significant/nonuniform heat transfer..

[Hellot]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the ring melting process.  I've only seen this on coins with ring melts.

Good point, I suppose that could be possible if the ring melting involves any significant/nonuniform heat transfer..

I could see it being heat related or maybe how Mike held the coins in position during the melting process.  We'd need more info on that process and the equipment used.

So about your coin...  I expect the price will be marked down dramatically because of all the imperfections in the hologram, right dazed?

[dazedfool]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the ring melting process.  I've only seen this on coins with ring melts.

Good point, I suppose that could be possible if the ring melting involves any significant/nonuniform heat transfer..

I could see it being heat related or maybe how Mike held the coins in position during the melting process.  We'd need more info on that process and the equipment used.

So about your coin...  I expect the price will be marked down dramatically because of all the imperfections in the hologram, right dazed?

Or is it an "error" that dramatically INCREASES the price? 

[CanaryInTheMine]

If they are sealed at ANACS when slabbed, I wonder if they use some binding  agent/glue to seal the slab under heat... That could cause some vapors inside that could have settled on the hologram and overtime chemicals reacted with material holo is made from...
It should be easy for ANACS to look into this...

[coin@coin]

I see some of the ANACS slabs have some sort of residue around the ring, thought it was glue or something but not sure how they are put together.

So we need a name for this...

Spotty Silvers?

[Hellot]

I wonder if it is somehow related to the ring melting process.  I've only seen this on coins with ring melts.

Good point, I suppose that could be possible if the ring melting involves any significant/nonuniform heat transfer..

I could see it being heat related or maybe how Mike held the coins in position during the melting process.  We'd need more info on that process and the equipment used.

So about your coin...  I expect the price will be marked down dramatically because of all the imperfections in the hologram, right dazed?

Or is it an "error" that dramatically INCREASES the price? 

 
HAHA! damnit

[Zepher]

If they are sealed at ANACS when slabbed, I wonder if they use some binding  agent/glue to seal the slab under heat... That could cause some vapors inside that could have settled on the hologram and overtime chemicals reacted with material holo is made from...
It should be easy for ANACS to look into this...

I see some of the ANACS slabs have some sort of residue around the ring, thought it was glue or something but not sure how they are put together.

So we need a name for this...

Spotty Silvers?

Interesting info here.

http://www.anacs.com/contentPages/FAQServices.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Does ANACS make the plastic holders or do you have a company that does this for you?
All of the components for the new ANACS holder and the classic ANACS holder are manufactured for us. For security and proprietary reasons we do not release the names of these companies. One thing we definitely can tell you is that all components of the holder—the plastic, the label, the ink and the adhesives—have all been rigorously tested and are completely safe for your coins.

[coin@coin]

Here's something from ANACS FAQ page:

What is PVC residue?
PVC residue is a surface contaminant that may be caused by storing a coin in a soft, pliable vinyl flip. The amount of time a coin needs to reside in a vinyl flip before the PVC film develops will vary significantly, depending on temperature, humidity, the age of the flip, and the type of coin. Under optimal conditions, PVC residue can begin to form in as little as two weeks. At ANACS, we only use Mylar flips. Mylar flips are free of all PVC.

The composition of a coin is a strong factor with the formation of PVC residue.

A gold or platinum coin will be the most resistant, a silver coin is next, and a copper or copper-nickel coin will be the most susceptible. Copper and copper-nickel coins are also highly susceptible to corrosion and/or spotting from excessive moisture and high emperatures. Due to this, collectors need to be extra careful with their choices of storage materials for these coins.

During the manufacturing process for soft vinyl flips, an agent is added to increase pliability. The main reason for this is to allow the flips to be reused without breaking or tearing. This softening agent will migrate out of the plastic over time, and becomes the surface film that is called “PVC Residue.” As this film continues to degrade, it eventually turns into a mild acid, and begins to attack the surface of the coin. Until the film is removed from the coin, it is usually not possible to tell if the coin has been damaged. Additionally, this chemical reaction can continue even if the coin is sealed in an inert plastic holder. This is why ANACS does not encapsulate coins with active PVC contamination.

Recognizing PVC residue is not always easy. When the residue begins to form, it often appears as light milky spots on the coin. PVC residue also appears as streaks or a light haze, and ranges from nearly white to dark green or gray. If the coin has enough contamination, and your sense of smell is good, you will detect an odor that imitates the smell of a new plastic shower curtain.

Where some of the Casascius coins shipped in a PVC holder? I don't know because I never bought directly.
What if they were stored in there until they got to ANACS and eventually they developed the spots after "enslabment"?