NGC Damaged My Medal - What do I do?!?

From the NGC website

 

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With the closeup on the big mark?!??!

 

I can understand a difference if photography (though I agree it appears to be the same coin, thanks for the specific marker @dcarr), I can understand a difference in grading opinion, I can understand a bad slab slipping through with marks/debris, I can understand a label mechanical error, I can even understand a mishandling incident.

I also very much understand looking at NGCs photos online and getting very concerned. @V. Kurt Bellman I would suspect the close up was a crop from the NGC online photo used to illustrate the OP's concerns. If I ever bought the photo service I'd be all over looking at them online before getting the coins in hand--especially if I had a very unexpected (in a bad way) grade.

For me NGC has always been very helpful with their customer service. I would talk to them and give them a chance to figure it out. My personal experience has been they have been much better in addressing/rectifying concerns to an individual than oh, say, PCGS.

As for value, you placed $300 on the form. You can easily support that with your receipt from your purchase, and asking for grading fees/shipping considerations are completely reasonable.

If it turns out your coin/medal suffered a mishap I would most certainly expect these costs to be covered. They might wish to see your receipt (esp. if dear old APMEX is selling for less...of course APMEX might be selling the second qualities at that price vs. what you purchased, thus your receipt is helpful).

Given past history of NGC I would expect them to help you. That said, I most certainly hope you keep us updated as this is good information for other collectors to know about.

 

There is a vast difference between the photo service and the general photos in the cert verification service.

One is a beauty shot, the other is designed to show coins in a reproducible way, in their slabs. So they use a heavily diffused lighting to avoid shadows from the slab insert. But this tends to de-emphasize most of the toning and mirror highlights.

 

True on steroids.

 

And as I said on the other thread - an unbelievably severe pain in the backside, for EITHER purpose.

 

I know absolutely nothing about the coin..but I do see in the first photo in the lower right hand corner there is a crease in something.
Looking at the third photo that is the exact image as the first photo there is no crease in the lower right hand corner. No idea why but unless the coin fairy removed the crease it should be there.

 

Photos #1 & 2 were taken by the OP, before submitting to NGC.
Photos #3 & 4 were taken by NGC after slabbing
Photo #5 is a cropped/enlarged image of the NGC photo

Pics 3 & 1 are not the same image, but are the same medal.

 

Got it thanks Beefer518

 

From my perspective, it was like submitting a new ('87) ASE and getting back a 66 grade. I'm not an expert grader at all, but a 66 seems too drastic from what was reasonably expected. And, I jumped the gun a bit with my reaction, but it was just a bit of a surprise to see what was graded online. That is unfair to NGC, who have been on par with great customer service thus far.

That said, I'm sure that NGC will resolve the issue fairly. When I get my submission back, I'll post back here with pics (probably by this weekend?).

 

Wow, hope the mark is on the holder and that they will re-holder it for you. The grade is also problematic....

 

OK, I received the medal back today and I see that the big "gouge" was simply a piece of plastic (phew!). However, marks that weren't on the medal prior to submission are now on the medal. There are rub marks all over the medal that weren't on there before.

NGC told me that I should re-submit the medal as an "Appearance Review" at no cost. The rep told me that they'll reimburse my shipping costs to them - I just need to send them a receipt.

 

Was that medal in a flip when you sent it to NGC?

 

Yes, it was in an over-sized flip, and packed with tons of bubble wrap.

It's as if someone placed the medal flat on a table and pushed it aside to look at another item. Then repeated that action.on the other side.

 

I just wonder if some of those abrasions were caused by the flip. Just a thought. Not to be taken as gospel. During shipment, items see a lot of vibration.

 

Do you think it was rubbed in transit?

I ignore their requests to remove things from capsules---I either pay the $3 (or whatever) to 'return mint packaging', or if it's in my own airtite I'll send it still inside.

Sometimes I'll stick the capsule in a flip too. At the worst I'd lose the non-mint capsule. I think once they sent me an email with a link on 'how to submit' (ie 'don't put the plastic capsule in a flip'). Since then I might omit the flip, but only if the capsule is bigger than a quarter size. Then I stick a label on the capsule with the submission number.

 

I just don't see how it can cause all of that damage in a flip. Some of the damage is in the fields which would be less likely to be in contact with the flip, as opposed to the devices. If it were, then wouldn't this be a consistent issue with over-sized coins and medals sold in flips by any mint or dealer like MCM? Maybe it isn't an uncommon issue that I don't know of.

The medal was put in a flip, taped over with tons of bubble wrap, put in a cardboard box, the box was filled with tons of extra bubble wrap to prevent shifting of objects, then that box was put into another cardboard envelope. Each enclosure was covered with tons of tape to add even more layers of protection and tightness.

 

I never knew it before, but now I know why I like dropping them off to NGC at shows - not that they take any big 5 ouncers that way.

 

I might just do that for this medal, along with my next submission.

I'd have to wait until the end of April for the show in IL though...

 

I think they often say they don't accept "pucks" at shows, but since yours is a relook, it might be fine.