ICG Order Just Arrived Today!

After nearly 2 1/2 months, my coins have finally arrived. Here are the results. Warning: Picture overload incoming.



I was disappointed that my Fugio cent came back in a flip. I suppose they thought it was fake. There was nothing with it except a post it note that said "Coin."

I was very happy with the results of the next two, even if the one is cleaned, because I bought them both on the very cheap side ($50-$70 each):

 

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I was a little surprised that this came back as cleaned. I thought maybe the details label would be from questionable toning (it was in a Whitman album) Thoughts?

 

I thought this coin would grade XF40. I have liked this coin ever since I bought it and I plan to never sell it. I just really like the toning and wear on it.

 

I was very happy with how these quarters graded, but was disappointed that they did not put Jefferson's face with the privy on the front. Why?!!!

 

These next two are part of my seated type set. I only graded them to make them a little easier to sell if I needed to in the future (which I hope never happens).

 

This cent is not overly valuable, but I sent it anyway just because I was already sending a box. I was happy it was not a details grade because I bought it with quite a bit of glue residue on the reverse and I soaked it in acetone. When the glue dissolved, it left a brighter copper color underneath.

 

Lastly are these two prizes. I am extremely happy with these grades. So much so on the Isabella, that I plan to cross it over to NGC. The crazy thing is that I was going to sell it to a guy in Maine this last summer. I wanted $225 for it and the guy gave me a "I am not sure it's real.... there are a lot of fakes out there.... it probably has been cleaned... I could maybe do $100..." I decided no, I would just keep it. I am glad I did because it is way more expensive that I first thought.

 

I agree. She looks XF to me.

 

Nice results overall! That was a fun mix of coins!

As far as the 1909-S cent, is the luster muted? I don't see an obvious cleaning but maybe there are hairlines that can be seen only at certain angles or it is a bit dull on the obverse, suggesting a light wipe (as the reverse looks fine).

 

Great looking coin, some of yours graded higher than this one, but I like this one the best! Reminds me of mine!

 

My coin knowledge is rather limited, so I will talk about the 2 coins I am familiar with.
I think your Reeded Edge Half is quite attractive. I have around 6 Reeded Edge Halves and 3 are graded VF-35. I guess it is a grade graders like.
Your Seated Dollar, like the majority of Seated Dolars I see in slabs; puzzles me. Can you see hairlines or some such thing in hand? The coin appears to have had perhaps a mild washing with soap and water, however, check out even CAC approved Seated Dollars and you will find many coins with a similar patina.
I would not have graded your coin AU-50. It lacks genuine, original mint luster, and has a great deal of pitting on the figure of Liberty. I would have straight graded it XF-45, and I would be proud to have such a coin in my collection. I love the darker patina and, like the guy who runs CAC has said several times, "crusty is preferred over bland, over dipped white."
Thank you for sharing your results; I quite enjoyed your post. James

 

I agree with you on the seated dollar. I had thought XF45 would be its grade, and it seems like nearly every seated dollar has been cleaned to some degree. Here are more pictures of it. It is super hard to photograph without it glaring badly on the plastic.

 

Here are more of the 1938 half dollar. VF35 still?

 

Feel free to be as hard on these coins and their grades as you want to be. I am not offended. Actually, I am very interested in how well ICG grades coins. I have talked to several coin shop owners/workers and collectors recently about ICG and most are very against them as a grading company. I am trying to discover if there is a rationale behind the sentiment. About the nicest thing I've heard about them is that they are a decent company, but PCGS and NGC so dominate the market, nobody is going to become their equal any time soon.

 

I would have expected the Reeded Edge Half to have graded at least XF-40 with a shot at 45 if the luster is there.
You have a complete and full clasp. The hair above the ear clearly shows some detail. The stars are well struck and there are no breaks in the lines of the bodice of the gown. I have no idea what details are considered weak/missing.
The reverse features full shield lines; horizontal & vertical. There is wear on the Eagle's feathers, but it is a circulated coin. The Eagle's eye is sharp and full. The claws show detail lines. The weakest detail on the reverse is the arrows in the claws, but I have 2 different reference books that mention this as a common are for weak strike details.
The pictures of the Seated dollar, at least to me, validate the idea that the coin may have had a soap and water bath.
One note I will make. I have yet to see ANY grading service show consistent grading when it comes to Seated Dollars. Many years ago, early 2000's, I sent a group of pictures to PCGS and asked them to explain their grading standards. (I had a VF-35 that had more luster and detail than either of my XF-45 coins. I had another VF 35 from 1846-O that had far more luster than an AU-50 I owned. I was told the 46-O was downgraded due to a lack of hair detail; my 1843 AU-50 had LESS hair detail than my VF-35 , 46-O.) In the end I quit collecting Seated Dollars because I could not make any sense of how grading was being applied. James

 

I really like that 1838 half and yeah I can see it being XF for sure. But if you send it to me for "in-hand" inspection and then slide it into my type set.

 

Yeah, I guess grading is somewhat subjective. The main thing I don't like is that if one grade difference doubles the value of a coin, it seems like some sort of consistency must happen! Maybe AI will be able to help standardize this?

 

I think they dropped the ball on the 1909-s. Looks clean (not cleaned) to me. Congrats on thst Isabella my friend.

 

I don’t understand why people would certify with anybody other than NGC and Pcgs All you’re doing is buying a piece of plastic to hold your coins in. There is exceptionally low market trust for any certification service other then the top 2