Crossover 1935-S Peace Dollar PGCS > NGC - returned - found reason - need to crack out! PCGS Error!

Hi all,

So in my quest for Peace Dollars, I came across this 1935-S in a PCGS slab. It didn't fit my NGC registry collection (which is all NGC), so I sent it into NGC to cross it over. It came back in the original PCGS slab with no explanation. I thought - WHOA, what happened? So I started studying the coin again - and found my miss. Actually PCGS missed it the first time, and I missed it before sending it in.

There is a bit of "gunk" (highly technical term, please understand that it took a lot of education to understand this!) around the 11 o'clock area in the rim, above the ST in States.

So, PCGS obviously blew it the first time, and I blew it the second time before I bought the coin - and even my dealer missed it - we were looking at the slab and not the coin, although the placement is hard to see until you really study the coin.

So, now I'm going to be cracking it out. I've cracked out smaller coins that have a larger buffer on them, but never a dollar size coin.

Any advice? I'm hesitant to use a vice or the bolt cutters, for fear the plastic will twist and scratch the coin. It's graded MS64, and I cannot afford any damage.

Maybe a Dremel blade?

Thoughts? There's just not a lot of room around the sides of these, and my heart would sink if I damaged it!

 

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I wouldn't recommend a Dremel. The speed of the blade builds up too much heat, and it just melts the plastic. I've heard that wrapping the slab in a towel and hitting it on the long edge with a hammer is supposed to work, but I'm not 100% positive about this method. Maybe someone else will chime-in on it.

Chris

 

I use bolt cutters around the edges it works great, like a hot knife through butter, and the plastic doesn't twist it just cracks a little and the edges come off like cutting out a shipping label. I haven't tried the towel and hammer method but I hear it works great too. I like the control of the bolt cutters though

 

End cutting pliers. I snip a few places around the edge of the slab and they break in half. Pcgs slabs much easier then ngc to break I've done many of both

 

Are you sure the large scratch across the reverse is not the problem?

 

Yeah when this coin was posted in another thread I noticed it too.

 

I've tried this at least 100 times. Works great. A couple of good pops and you're there. Unwrap the towel and check after the first couple of smacks.

On NGC holders they will open like clams.

 

Keep as is, sell if you have too but buy another. It's not a tough coin to find in the grade nor is it all that expensive.

 

That's what I thinking too

 

If that is a scratch across the eagle, I'd send it to PCGS under the grade guaranty and have them buy it or replace it.

 

The scratch is on the slab - not the coin.

The problem with selling it is ethical. It has the gunk on it, and it shouldn't. It should be removed - safely. In closer examination, there's actually a few more pieces of the gunk I've found.

I think I'm going to risk cracking it out and re-submitting. It's a very clean coin and I think it may bump. I know, amateur opinion, but there's only one way to learn how to do this well, and that's to try it.

 

If the gunk bothers you, submit it to NCS for conservation, first. If they feel that conservation will help, they can send it along to NGC for grading.

Chris

 

There is clear plastic gunk in the rim of the coin. Possibly pvc residue. I took it to my dealer, we cracked it out and took it off with acetone. I found 4 other areas with the same gunk in it. It's now raw, and will go back for re-grading.

Caveat Emptor!

 

You are one honest guy!

 

Glad your happier now. Best wishes on the resubmitting Brett.

 

Could you post new images now that it is out of the holder?

 

I agree with Chris as this is your best AND safest option because once it's out of that PCGS Slab, all bets are off. At the very minimum, PCGS could do the restoration.

 

What grade was the coin before you nullified it by cracking it out of the PCGS Slab?