ICG And HSN'S Mike Mezack Part Ways? "There are 3 Major Grading Services"

I don’t think they’re anywhere close to that. People forget it’s much easier to attack tech or hijack computer programs than it would be to get 1000s of humans to be in on a plan. The more tech dependent everything becomes in areas that’s unnecessary the more likely some cyber attack is going to do a lot of wide spread damage. Those cars can all be hacked then what

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Uh..... Try two to three years max. Cadillac already has self driving on their CT6 at freeway speeds, two to three years max before full driving cars hit market. And if you wonder how I know this, I work at the nation's 3rd biggest automotive dealer network.

 

I must have missed the threads, Maybe Kurt and Insider could elaborate, a little bit on this subject? I have a problem with the coin I posted above being graded in gem condition. I have AU"s that look better, granted that I do believe that it is in MS condition, creating a low grade for this otherwise unseen coin, very well could have given them a market. But they didn't, they graded this in with the crap that most of us saw, strait from the cash register.[/QUOTE]​

 

@Pickin and Grinin

Post a better image. One that looks like a "silver colored" copper nickel coin. And let's see it inside the slab and the slab #. You would not have posted this if it were not over graded big time!

 

What I have been asked to elaborate on is this:

There. Is. No. Such. Thing. As. ANA. Grading. Standards.

Not even this book ----
--- when you actually read it, claims to be any such thing.

There is no ANA committee that meets on the subject, and really the ANA has nothing to do with grading, period.

Heck, the ANA is too "chicken droppings" to even address dealer ethics, and that is in their bailiwick. (Keep electing almost only dealers to the Board, and that's what you get.)

And by the way, this is my 11,000th post.

 

Have you added the recent change for Indian Head cents, or is that 3?

 

Here is the best I can do. Hope the photos are satisfactory.
The reverse is fantastic, except a heavy couple of scratches below the date.
The obverse is what just kills the grade. I have a hard time seeing how this many bag marks in the hair cheek bust and the field, could get this coin above a 63. like I said this is the best I could do, there are many more unsatisfactory marks on the obv. including the rim.

 

Judging by the photo of the obverse, IMHO it looks damaged and doesn't deserve a straight grade.

 

Just as I thought! That was graded in Colorado, possibly by some of the present ANACS graders so many here swear by. I'm going to look up the number on Monday for my own enjoyment.

The guys working at the major services are darn good at what they do. I suspect this is a case of one over graded coin. One thing I do know that bites all the major services in the butt is this, they all tend to treat current coins as more or less worthless junk. It is graded accordingly. In 1999 I could find a nicer coin in pocket my change!!

 

I've had a subscription to Coin World for a number of years. I have saved all the articles on "First Grade" by Michael Fahey. When I compare his grading standards to coins I see on ebay, most coins graded in the MS 62-66 range appear to fall short of his grading. That includes all the grading services. This is just my opinion.

 

I honestly don’t know how well you can actually grade so that really means nothing. Even if someone can grade it’s foolish to make definitive statements about grades based off of pictures especially when comparing them to articles.

 

I have bought and sold many ICG coins that were very accurately graded. This coin is a real beauty in hand.

 

thomas mozzillo, posed: "Judging by the photo of the obverse, IMHO it looks damaged and doesn't deserve a straight grade."

Tom,

Let me be charitable and respond out of character. IMHO you need to learn the difference between a baggy coin and a damaged coin. You are being extremely critical. Let me explain what I mean about being too critical. If I take a perfect coin and strike it using the reeded the edge of another, I'VE DAMAGED THE COIN and it does not deserve a straight grade. Do you see my point?

The coin is Uncirculated. Mint State coins are graded on a scale from 60 to 70. A coin grading MS-60 is so beat up that the grade is rarely used anymore. An MS-70 is Perfect. This coin falls near the middle of the scale and is not "my" MS-66.

 

WOW, the 55-S is a coin to die for! it is a real beauty in the photo also!

 

I have a dealer - you probably know him - that is big on ICG. He got me into their slabs. The Lincolns are 100% spot on and maybe even a bit low with ICG in my experience. I've heard many stories over the years of people crossing UP to NGC or PCGS. In fact, I think that VDB would go into a major slab at 65.

 

I don't wish to get into a debate about this but it's not so much the pictures. He also describes things that tell you what keeps a coin from receiving a higher grade. (Usually contact marks, blemishes, chatter, etc.). Just to inform you, I do not consider myself to be a good grader. I'm very conservative when grading my own coins. Before I purchase a coin I look at the book "Photograde", PCGS Photograde, and sometimes Fahey's articles, before I buy the coin. I also usually compare it to similar coins selling on ebay.

 

thomas mozzillo, added: "Before I purchase a coin I look at the book "Photograde", PCGS Photograde, and sometimes Fahey's articles, before I buy the coin. I also usually compare it to similar coins selling on ebay."

All good places and with what you are doing, you should become a pretty good grader. I'll suggest you are missing two important grading guides. The 7th edition of the ANS's book and Grading Coins by Photographs. PhotoGrade is a tad old. The ANA Guide has a chart with many of the things folks look for on coins.

The important thing about your original post is to separate normal to excessive contact marks from severe and obvious damage.