Embarrassingly, I spent way too much time checking the grading and not enough time on the attribution. Obviously, PCGS got this dead wrong and I'm out a couple of hundred dollars. Are there any warranties on this type of mistake for purchasers and has anyone had any luck. Thanks!
Unfortunately, no. Go to the section entitled What the PCGS Guarantee Does Not Cover and go five dots down.
I actually wasn't going to say anything further, but I think I will. This is just another case of caveat emptor...ESPECIALLY with regards to TPGs. PCGS itself has touted its service from its very beginnings to have one of its main tenants as being designed to make "sight-unseen" trading safe and easy. That is completely laughable when they won't even take responsibility for errors and omissions. Especially in the service they provide, such "mechanical errors" should be covered by proper E&O coverage. Yet, with that said, the seller of the coin should take some responsibility as well for misrepresenting the actual coin being sold to you. Personally, that would be the first person I talk with regarding the situation. It is (unlikely but) possible that the seller had no idea. And responsibility can follow the ladder back up the chain of title. Just saying.
This is why I use the moniker ClAM to identify this particular referred variety. It's labeled as a Close AM, but is the normal Wide AM.
It's not the close AM and the grade may also be in question...lots of scratches and spots on the holder...but the issue is it's not a close AM.
Here we go again Another one of these so called mechanical errors?? Is that really what we have here, or is it that PCGS does not like to own up to their mistakes?? I could easily see where someone could mistake this for the actual variety. Whether that be a dealer, a collector, or a "so-called" expert at PCGS. Ive looked at tons of A&Ms on the 1992 Lincolns in my pocket change. Ive got 20-20 perfect vision and its very hard to tell with naked eye which one it is. Ive had some that were strike doubled and i thought i even scored the big one. I could very easily see PCGS screwing the pooch here, since were talking a difference of a nanometer in placement between the letters. I would still make a phone call to the - Phony Cert Grading Service. Ofcourse they wont own up to a mistake, but it would atleast give me some satisfaction to debate it over the telephone with them
Perhaps there's a business opportunity here. Like CAC, put a bean on the slab, say a bright red one. Instead of approval however, like CAC, it will instead call out errors. (No I'm not really suggesting this. But I bet the TPG's would start voluntarily correcting their slabs pretty quickly)
I believe CAM is also a common way to refer to the Close AM and WAM for Wide AM. To be honest, I was also thinking it would be CAM vs DCAM from the title, but the OP's post/picture/forum id ("Old Error Guy") pretty much confirms that the thread is about a mistaken Close AM attribution.