I have heard this "cracking open" term used on this board from time to time. Is it possible to open a PCGS slab without damaging the slab (say for photographing the coin) ... and then sealing the slab up again? Or are PCGS slabs designed such that you cannot (easily) open them and if you do you can never put them back together -- that basically they are smashed or broken open -- and in process distroying the slab? I guess that latter might make sense since some unscruptulous people might take the slab and then insert a lesser coin.
Just running your fingernail into the seam cracks a chunk off in my experience. I cannot see how anyone could do it without shattering that slab to bits.
Both PCGS & NGC slabs are sonically sealed where the plastic is fused together. They call this "tamper evident" not tamper proof. Once you crack out a coin from one of these slabs it's all over for that slab. You'd have to re-submit the coin for a grade. Bruce
Thanks everyone ... this makes sense. It makes photographing a little bit harder, but I'll muddle though!
I, somehow, recently cracked an NGC slab without cracking it. It was very surprising, and it was only the second slab I had ever cracked open. I wasn't able to reseal it, of course, I just wanted the MS-66 1946-D Lincoln inside of it for my album.
I had to google it. Pretty funny. (How on earth would one have found something like that out before google?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3bLsPnFRj0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf6nyVmuHvg