First PCGS submission - severely damaged & dirty coins!

Hello, I've recently decided to start sending in coins for grading, selling some to buy others etc. I like when a hobby can help pay for itself. After going back and forth I settled on PCGS. My first submission included 5 2017 Silver Proof Archangel Michaels from Ukraine. One of my favorite modern coins and a coin I felt would both grade extremely well with large and flawless mirror fields. I also chose them because PCGS had a zero population. So they'd be rather rare. I carefully selected the best 5 and meticulously transferred the coins to fresh flips. Packaged them up with my other submissions and sent them off...

Almost a month later I was excited by see my grades were ready and my submission was being mailed back. But I knew something was wrong when I saw the grades... 2xPR69 not bad, I'm ok with 69. 2xPR68, I started thinking I'd messed up, or maybe the coins bloomed spots, or the flips flawed the coins etc. But when I saw one coin graded PR65 I knew something was seriously wrong. The 68s we're odd, but a 65...

Naturally, I phoned them immediately and asked if anyone could tell me what caused the 65 yada yada yada. I got the run around and decided to take a breath and wait for the shipment. Until I remembered I'd just sent in some gold proof Libertad 1/2ozers and I got paranoid so I called back and asked them to NOT touch the new shipment they'd just received until we figured out what went wrong with my first sub. That's when they said a manager would call me the following day. He never called. I called back, they escalated me to their VP who also failed to call back as promised.

Then I got my coins... The PR65 had been damaged with weird scratches and all but 2 of the coins were thrashed. Dirty, spotted, scratched up, even a hair in one. I was completely stunned. I couldn't believe that this company handled anything of value.

Unfortunately for me it's the weekend and I'm stewing in my own juices untill I can start getting some answers. But honestly, nothing will make this ok. Nothing.

I'm curious though, has anyone else either heard of this happening or had a similar experience with PCGS? These are not junk bullion. These are relatively rare and challenging coins to come by and while not the most expensive, that doesn't matter in my mind. I couldn't imagine giving these people anything of value ever again... Incidentally and oddly, PCGS just added 3x PR70s to their pop just before mine.

Thank you in advance for your time and any words of insight you may have!

 

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That's so awful

 

Woops, seems I double posted photos...

 

How exactly were they supposed to have put those white spots just on the fields that looks so natural

 

Someone else just reported a similar instance with bullion pieces they sent in to NGC. Do you have photos of the ones with the hair in it?

What do you think happened to the pieces? Did you take pictures of them before sending them in for grading?

 

That it turned in the mail like lots of modern proofs do

 

Your guess is as good as mine. But the deep scratches certainly do not look natural... I have some photos of the coins before they were sent in. No spots and certainly not damaged...

 

I did take some pictures.

The spots are one thing. But the scratches by the post it note?

 

Sorry to hear about your issue with PCGS. I've never sent them anything. I've sent some coins to NGC before with no issues. I've also had coins re-holdered at NGC without issue.

 

PCGS didn't do that. Either he's unhappy with the grade and blaming them or that was while it was mailed. How could a TPG make a coin naturally turn?

 

Why would I mail in damaged, spotted, and especially SCRATCHED coins...

 

I can't comment on how it happened. If it were me, I would send all my coins to a TPG in airtites to keep this type of thing from happening.

 

As I asked earlier, how would a TPG do that to your coin? How would they spot it in their possession?

Your coin turned in the mail

 

I stopped with true modern proofs because of these issues.

 

In the other thread similar to this (NGC issue), I commented about shipping damage. IMO, for moderns, you might as well find coins in the market that are already graded. I think it's the most cost effective way to go.

 

I agree. Most of these turn during mailing being on the plane or spot for whatever reason, the TPGs aren't applying spots to them. I would be upset too but the blame is being put in the wrong place

 

The OP's coin looks like some kind of surface abrasion vs. a spot, but either way, the surfaces of proof moderns are so delicate that any contact will cause issues.

 

Maybe, there's still a minefield of spots

 

While I'm not one to defend the TPGs, the below quote taken from the OP is both telling and likely suggestive as to what's really going on here...

"Hello, I've recently decided to start sending in coins for grading, selling some to buy others etc. I like when a hobby can help pay for itself..."