Here is a good place to start. http://www.caccoin.com/about-cac/ In a nutshell, CAC will award a green sticker if the coin is in the top half of the grade specified on the label. Rarely, they will award a gold sticker for coins in the top half of the next grade. So it helps confirm that a coin graded MS64, for example, is really at least an MS64 in their eyes, and a nice one, to boot.
As far as a CAC premium goes, to me it's sort of another step in the entire process of evaluating a coin. If I agree with the grade and like the coin and there's a green sticker, that's a bonus. But a green premium to me is something small. You'll see dealers (especially on eBay) asking for absurd markups.
I have now hundreds of slabbed coins, Most of them, barely, I sent it. I have never ever submitted even one coin to CAC, so below, I am showing every CAC coin I own.
It is worth adding that the premiums attached to coins showing CAC approval are not always because of the sticker, but because the coin is worthy on its own. That said though, you're certainly correct about the ridiculous premiums some ask/expect, particularly with very generic material.
How can one say that this is much better or worth more because of the CAC. I mean like you are already paying for the Slab and now extra just to boost up the price just because another company say this has more PQ or CAC to the value. Just to appeal to their eyes. How much longer will another company comes up and say I am putting my PQ or eye appeal to this CAC. It is just getting out of hand. For myself I am more to buy the coin before the slab or anyone saying this coin is worth more because they say so.
More info on CAC coins...FYI. http://www.caccoin.com/cac-in-the-n...tudy-reveals-cac-price-premiums/#.WB8oAaLIOKE
The middle band looks funny and maybe that could be why. But it is pretty looking coin. Mercury dime is a pretty looking design anyway.