Barry Murphy Off to NGC

NGC: Determined to make the ancient coin collection of the future 90% plastic, 10% coin.

I can now picture this on the home shopping network in 2-3 years:

"Welcome to the NGC Ancient Coin Hour. These beautiful encapsulated Gordian III denarii certified by Murphy of NGC can now be had by you at low, low, prices. Call now and get this MS-64 Gordian III for 3 easy payments of $99.99."

"But wait, we now have MS-65 Gordian III denarii for only 4 easy payments of $109.99. And for a limited time only, CAC stickered MS-65 Gordian denarii for 4 easy payments of $129.99."

"But that's not all folks, for only an extra $39.99, we'll throw in this special limited edition mahogany display box with Murphy's signature, to house and protect your NGC Ancients slab."

Yep, that's the kind of world NGC wants to bring to ancient coin collecting. How Murphy can sign up to that I don't know.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

https://www.toughblade.com/?mid=6429509&gclid=CInb2arirc0CFQcMaQodETQBlA

 

That's pretty cringe worthy!

 

Okay?

 

*whatev*

... I don't know Barry, and I'm not judging Barry, personally ...

=> "I don't hate the player, I hate the game!!"

I'm merely sad that some coin collectors need to have their coins slabbed, because it'll eventually drive-up the prices ........ sadly, as time goes on, our quaint lil' ancient forum will start to become more and more like the US coin forum, where a great deal of the threads are merely associated with asking each other if the letter-grade on the plastic is acceptable!! (*sigh*)

 

Ah! I see now!

 

Sorry @stevex6 but I only shave with straight razors or double edge safety razors, and shaving lather which I mix myself in a shaving bowl. I went back to the 1910's-1920's as far as shaving goes, and I've never looked back. Cheaper than disposable razors and a smoother shave.

 

fricken slabs

 

You guys wanna hear a joke?
SLABBED ANCIENTS'

 

Sounds about right.

 

Well guys, I'd love to stay here and continue to feel gloomy, but I have some medicine to make me feel better, courtesy of one of my clients. I just opened these sweet Cubans up. Too bad you are not here to join me for one:




Here's a coin to keep it legal...ish



See you all in a few hours

 

Why smoke? We haven't used up all the alcohol yet?

 

I can't stand slabbed ancients--as I've posted here, the one and only slabbed coin I ever purchased personally was liberated in well under an hour, even though I was in NY at the show and had to track down tools.

But...

The case Vagi made to me in a very forthright conversation a couple of years ago remains cogent: Although he agrees with traditional collectors who believe passionately that ancient coins are properly viewed without intervening plastic and should be free to be handled and examined from all angles, slabbing ancients is inevitably going to happen more and more. A lot of collectors transitioning from US coins absolutely expect it and will pay for it. Many of them simply will not buy "raw" ancient coins. It's all very well to say we should educate them; meanwhile in the real world, where there's a buck to be made, business-people are going to step in and fill the niche. No way that genii is going back into the bottle. Given that reality (David argued) isn't it better if the slabbing is overseen by someone like him--and now Barry--who truly does know and appreciate ancient coins?

I had no real rebuttal then. I still don't.

 

For the record, here's my only once-slabbed coin. Unsurprisingly, no before pic! I have no idea what the grade was.

 

I am so proud to be a slab ancient collector. I feel like I am one in a million with you guys.

 

Well, I think perhaps you are sinking the boat before it leaves the pier. Mr. Murphy is a well respected Ancients Numismatist. I personally will wait before I make judgement.

 

I personally won't judge Barry on this issue at all. It's a paycheck for a job directly related to his considerable, ancient numismatics skillset. It'll pay the bills. Who are we to judge that personal decision? I'm sure it was not a decision he made lightly. If you don't like slabs (I don't), don't buy'em. But there's no reason to judge anyone on their career choice, so long as it's legal! Again, I wish him good luck, and maybe he'll improve things over there.

 

FWIW, Barry was extremely frustrated by US import restrictions and cultural patrimony "absolutists" that more and more dictate the dynamics of the market, at least in the US. This way he can use his considerable expertise to pay the bills while avoiding all of that contentious and unpleasant bureaucratic cr*p.

 

Fine, I will hold my judgment on Murphy, but I certainly hold my judgment on NGC for the fake hoards they've invented...you know the ones. I have nothing but contempt for them because of that.

Anyway, if more coins get slabbed, I guess thats more coins for us to crack free.

 

Only slabbed ancients I would probably keep slabbed if by some weird circumstance I somehow acquired them would be gold ancients, only so that they have that added protection (despite this I won't be sending my only gold to be slabbed anytime soon). Other than this I would crack out any slabbed ancients I would come across.