Received an order back from PCGS in almost record time for a regular submission. It was a successful world crossover. However, the PCGS website states it’s still being imaged. And if I enter the cert. no., there is no image. I’m guessing the coin was imaged, but there is a delay in getting images processed and posted. Cal
Yup; I've had this happen. They take initial photos of your coin, process/grade/slab and ship the coin back to you, and then when their photo team has time, they clean up the images (i.e. make sure rotation and lighting is consistent) and add to PCGS TrueView background. You should receive an email once photos are finalized and available.
Believe it or not, I was just about to post a thread titled "Where's my dang Trueviews?" and then i saw this thread pop up. Order was shipped by PCGS on 8/27 and delivered to my house on 8/29 and still no Trueviews. Their website says they will be sent after the items are shipped, but it's been a week since they were shipped. And it says "being imaged" still. -
And while we're on the Trueview subject, I've been hearing that new Trueviews are lousy or "washed out" since Phil Arnold left for Great Collections, and GC photos are getting better. A recent $3.00 auction win of mine shows how true that is.
That bottom picture almost looks like I took the photo! 1,000 watt halogen spotlight, check. 1995 digital camera quality, check. The only thing missing is more glare and my big dumb fingers in the way, then I'd be convinced that I had captured those bottom images lol
Wow! That is a significant difference. You have to hope PCGS recognizes the talent they lost and will quickly hire someone to bring their standard back.
Below are the NGC images. Shouldn't be hard for PCGS to improve on these ... if they're ever done. Cal
I agree the GreatPhoto images are outstanding. Stack's does a good job too. PCGS maybe got better but for the coins I've bought that had probably older TV they couldn't seem to image highly reflective coins. This one for example is not brown, duh.
I would say ANACS is the worst. This is the same coin I posted above. They did a good job conserving and grading but their pictures... yikes. Sorry for derailing the thread.
Yeah NGC photos can be hit or miss and ANACS aren't good. Assuming ICG is about the same. But that's the thing, PCGS true view was the gold standard not very long ago.
And almost on cue, the TV pics are up on the cert verification. No email with the images yet, but at least there's proof they exist. And they're decent, though these are easier coins to image.
Those are the stock NGC images on the cert page. The free ones. The NGC Photovision images that you pay for are a different thing altogether. And worth it. (Not their "Internet Imaged" cheaper photography tier. Those are terrible. You want the Photovision tier. Eight bucks a coin.)
Having the PCGS TrueView images arrive even weeks after the coins come home has been about par for the course, in my last few experiences. Conversely, I get the NGC Photovision images well before the grades on the coins drop.
Different purposes different photos. The "TrueView" ilk are glamour shots, designed to show the coin in the best way possible. There are shots (like the NGC lower tier) designed for display on a screen - which has different resolutions and color spaces. Finally, there are the generic flat "photo of record" of the slab for the cert page.
Got my first CACG coin delivered today - common Morgan, but I really dig an AU58 silver dollar - lots of bang for the buck. Anyway, CACG photos are quite nice, in my opinion. At least this one. The edges on the holders are a little weird though.
I have 2 coins at PCGS now for re-slabbing and TrueViews. This is my test to see if they have improved since August 2024, when it was getting real bad. PCGS forums has some interesting posts on the subject... As much as many TrueViews are glamour shots, I will admit I love them and have them for many of my coins. I am hoping that this post-Phil Arnold TrueView world has been stabilized and my images will both come back timely and looking beautiful. I will certainly post back with my feedback once they are done with them. I would have thought Phil Arnold had trained, documented, and left PCGS in good hands before he departed for GC, but perhaps that either didn't happen, or somehow the new photo team just was buried under the work and ill-prepared. I am being tentatively hopeful the worst in behind them.