The other day I went to my LCS and asked my dealer about having a couple coins sent in for grading, he said that he had just sent in a set, so I could come back some other time, my question is what should I talk about with him when I go back, this is what I've figured so far: Estimated grade Grading cost Value Type of grading (foreign, ancient, US, ect) Company Please tell me if there are any other important questions.
Sending a coin in for grading relies on a variety of things. -Purpose for slabbing (resale, registry set, "just for fun", collection, etc) -What type of coin you are sending in (die variety, foreign coin, colonial, ancient, etc) -If the pros outweigh the cons...are you sending in a $10 coin or a $100 coin? Would the cost of sending it in through a dealer (usually $30-40) be worth having it in plastic with a grade on it? As Larry said, you should also read up on all the facts yourself. Educate before you agree to send coins in through a dealer. Know what TPG you want to send it to, any special designation you want on the slab if applicable, estimated time frame, etc. I sent a coin to PCGS through another forum member, and I made sure to read up on what to expect and educated myself before sending it off. It really helps if you know exactly what happens once the coin leaves your hands.
when I first was starting out there was some website called ask the coin doctor, one of the things he dealt with was a lady who sent a 1909s vdb to a grading company using a local dealer, the coin she got back was not the coin she said she sent, so I would be careful there are lots of people out there who will sell themselves short every chance they get.
If the coin(s) are worth the effort of being certified, then it's also worth the effort of taking detailed photographs prior to submission. This keeps everybody honest.
I'm not saying it's absolutely fool proof, but it adds a layer of comfort. If a dealer photographed the coin submitted and provided this record to the submitter, or is privy to the submitter having a detailed picture of same, why would that not lower the chances of the middleman playing games?
The problem comes because there are two custodians when you get the coin graded, the dealer who sends in the coin and the coin grading company. If I take a picture of my coin and determine the coin I got back is not the same one I still do not have proof of who took the coin. It could be the dealer or it could be the TGF, their both gonna point fingers at the other one. Having the dealer take the photo does not resolve this problem.
The same problem could exist even without the middleman dealer. Somebody at the TPG could swap coins. Nothing is going to be absolutely secure. Just saying, if all parties knew what coin was in hand to begin with, they can verify (with pictorial evidence) that is the coin being returned.
My purpose is because one is a high grade & value, so I want to protect its value, the other one is a more "For fun" thing, the first is worth around $100 and the other is worth around $75 (resale prices, not selling to a dealer), The actual coins are an 1886 Morgan dollar, expected to be ms63 pl, the other is a Phillip II 2 real cob from Mexico, assayer on the left, expected to be VG In all, the grading would be around $40 for the pair, so a total worth of around $175 definitely outweighs the costs Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
You better check carefully regarding your estimate of $20 per coin. I suspect that the total cost per coin including round trip shipping & insurance could to be much more expensive. Further, most collectors of the Mexican coin would probably prefer to have the coin in their collection raw and not entombed in plastic. (That is just my suspicion). If you post photos of the coins here you will probably receive several suggestions regarding getting (or not getting) the coins slabbed. I would suggest that you don’t get the coins slabbed right now. You might spend the money saved on some nice coins.
IMHO I do not consider coins worth $100 to be worth grading. Also, getting a coin in a slab does not protect the coin as much as you may think it does
What does a picture prove ? Look at these pictures. Are those different coins ? That is the exact same coin in both sets of pictures, both sets of pictures taken by me on the same day with the same camera with the same settings. All I did was change the angle of the lighting. Pictures prove nothing.
A few words about slabbing costs... The last two times I submitted through a dealer, the costs were $48 to NGC and $52 to PCGS. Both were $5 gold pieces submitted via the regular tier. In the case of the PCGS coin, the dealer and I split the costs 50/50. We each had one coin. Besides slabbing costs, there is also shipping and insurance both ways and the $8 submission fee. So, costs can be a lot.
I only submit using my local shop. You should establish a relationship with the shop, it goes a LONG way to helping you as a collector. I'm so tight with the owner that he gives ME Lincolns to ask for opinions and if he should send them in. Not that he can't judge for himself, but he values my opinion....especially if he's doubting the color. The whole relationship is good for me. He pays me a more than fair price when I sell to him and he gives me CDN prices when I buy. He submits to any of the big 3 for me for a flat $25 per coin. I love my local shop!
Yep, I've known mine since I was 8, have built a great relationship with him. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
Hold a coin in your hand and look at it under different lighting conditions and various angles, one would have to look carefully to see they're holding onto the same coin. The point here isn't to compare 2 pictures of the same coin under different conditions, but whether a picture is a reliable record of a coin. I bet if you compared your half crown to either picture, holding the coin in light and angles similar to that depicted, you can easily tell the coin is in fact the same one you've photographed in both cases. And if they're not, then you have a crappy picture and should take a better picture. Which leads me to agree with your statement (with a proviso): (Crappy) pictures prove nothing.
