Slabbed Indian Coins... Coincidence or is there something I don't know? lol

Hello again folks, this is my first post in quite some time. I took a break from collecting for a year or two, but you never really get that monkey off your back.

Anyway, I've recently started buying again and picked up quite a few slabbed Indian coins on eBay and most of the coins I'm coming across (like a good 90%) are slabbed by NGC and very few seem to be slabbed by PCGS. Is this just a coincidence or did something happen over the past couple of years I didn't hear about? Are PCGS possibly known for not attributing Indian coins as well as NGC?

Thanks!

Scott

 

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I think NGC has just been more successful at world coins.

For ancients I know only NGC of the "big two" slab. I know that since I have only bandsawed their slabs. I haven't had the pleasure of bandsawing a PCGS ancients slab yet.

 

A man after my own heart! I don't believe in imprisoning old coins either. (OK for modern proofs but depressing on anything more than 200 years old.)

 

I may agree that slabbing most Ancients is an unnecessary expense. But "depressing on anything more than 200 years old"? Interesting.

I wouldn't want some numismatic piece like this rolling around in some drawer:



guy

 

So to answer the OP, world guys, why is it that NGC seems more numerous for world slabs?

 

I'm with Bart on this one... nothing wrong with protecting a high grade coin that can lose a few grades from something as simple as table rub.

I do see your point with ancients though... by their very nature, they already have a bit of rough love!

 

I wouldn't count on any slabs attribution of any coin , they've made too many mistakes . Though I would trust NGC with world coins better . Still it's better to confirm the attribution yourself .

 

Just because they are not in a slab does not mean they are "rolling around in some drawer"! I treat all my old coins with a great deal of respect to ensure their condition is not worsened during their stay with me. (We are after all only custodians of our collections for future generations.) I just get no satisfaction out of owning a coin encased in plastic - it divorces it from its history (for me), and it is the history of old coins that most appeals to me. In the same way as going to a lap dancing club - you can look but you can't touch I am told, which seems to guarantee frustration!

But each to their own - if slabbed coins do it for you, then don't let me stop you! :nice-smile:

Very nice medal by the way. I would have it in a simple hard plastic holder so I could get it out to examine when I wanted to.

 

Multiple reasons:

• Over the years NGC was more active in the world coin markets - actively promoting their services and attending shows that attracted mainly world coin dealers. PCGS acted like they were doing you a favor grading world coins.
• NGC traditionally graded a wider variety of world coins than PCGS.
• NGC grades more coins than PCGS overall.
• NGC submission prices were intentionally kept very low early on in order to get as many submissions as possible to help them get a handle on grading the coins.
• NGC focuses on turning around world coins very quickly. I've had economy tier submissions take significantly less time at NGC vs express tiers submissions at PCGS.
• PCGS now requires Secure Plus for non-modern world coins. The cost of this service, in my opinion, is way out of line and does not provide the added value PCGS thinks it does. The cost is ~50% higher to have a world coin graded at PCGS than NGC.
• NGC has better "world coin guys" running their show than PCGS does.

 

Well put. Didn't PCGS originally only do US coins? I know PCGS was slow to promote world gold.

I don't think PCGS does world medals, yet.

BTW, Greg (the above poster) has some of the best world inventory around. I recommend highly!

guy

 

This recent notice, I think, reflects NGC's supportive attitude to World coins (as opposed to viewing World coins as a necessary nuisance):

http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=3127&NGC-world-coin-update

guy

 

well said paddy, it is definitely an americanism to slab every coin that moves, personally i prefer the lindner trays for storage with all the relevant information on an acid neutral paper disc.

 

Nice. At first glance it would appear that PCGS is actually cheaper, but I think I will be sending my raw world coins to NGC from now on. I have a couple of PCGS slabbed world coins I'll be sending in for cross-over as well, as I disagree with their assessment.

Thanks for all the information and input guys.

 

My 2 pennies...

Since 2008 the prices of Indian coins have gone up considerably due to the number of collectors in India skyrocketing. With the same trickles of coins available and the number of collectors exponentially increasing the prices have gone up. Indian coins in the last two years are going through a phase called Grade Rarity Madness. Everyone wants the best specimen out there and there can be no better way to agree on the grade except through a grade rarity. A 1936 1/4 anna is a $3 Krause catalog coin. When it is a MS 66 RD, It will sell for $150. Sellers have realized that paying $25 for grading increases the probability of them making more money out of it than letting people make a judgement of the coin in the raw and compete on it.

Regarding the NGC, PCGS debate, I personally like NGC over PCGS for buying because for the same grade NGC has visually better pleasing coins that PCGS. I have seen this consistently in 100's of coins/ grades. Since buyers start paying higher prices for NGC slabs than PCGS slabs, sellers have started using NGC over PCGS.

 

both are useless don't waste money buying slabbed coins on ebay

 

Most of the better British India coins are only available in Slabs. Ebay or Steve Album or Heritage or Stacks. You don't have to buy the slab for the slab but that's how most nicer coins are available these days or rather how sellers want to sell them. If you want to get a coin that you want, you cannot ignore the slabs, as useless as it may seem to you

 

Hiya Spock!

I'm not sure if you're knocking the grading companies, eBay, or both...

Unfortunately there's only one coin shop in my province (as far as I'm aware) and they deal mostly in Canadian and Newfoundland coins, neither of which is my primary interest. I try Heritage on and off, but they can get pricey and their inventory is limited anyway. Haven't found any decent online stores for world coins, so that just really leaves eBay.

I buy a few raw coins, but it's always a crap shoot until you get to see them in hand... pics can be misleading. At least with the slabbed coins there are fewer surprises.

 

Oh come on, please don't throw all Americans under the bus over this.

Yeah, a bunch of Yanks invented it, (I have met both, they are nice gentlemen), but not all of us have drank that Koolaid.

I like trays myself for coin presentations, but most are stored in flips in boxes.

 

slabbing is the work of beelzebub

 

Hiya ol buddy,

I am knocking all three as hard as i can. The greatest and best buys for coins will come from mail order sales. you will even get real gems for not too much. not the pretentious coin in a 65 holder. Most collectors have drunk the cool aid of slabbed coins and buy $3 coins for $100 and think they have got a deal. I would not want you to fall in that trap. I have usually never bought a slabbed coin and you know i have had 99% hits.

Wait till you see the new slabbed coins and then if you tell me you are not surprised with the grades I will be. Its not gradeflation its hyper gradeflation. Even grandpa agrees. They have a new system in place crack out your old coins have them regraded at ngc and sell them on ebay. you will make a small fortune. Strike while the iron is hot.