From what I've either read or heard somewhere, I believe TPGs tolerate more marks on gold coins due to the softness of the metal.
Not always. As it is with most third party grading, inconsistencies are the main consistency. At one time super smooth surfaces were required for an MS-65 or higher $20 Liberty gold piece. That made them very expensive, even for the very common dates like 1904. Now the prices are lower in part because of lower standards.
What is the grade on the holder? You should consider the CAC bid in the sheet vs the non CAC bid. Will somebody pay that. Please provide pertinent data. if the CAC bid in the sheet justifies sending it in, why not? If CAC thinks it’s an A or B coin they will sticker it (JA podcast). If C coin no. Where the CAC bid difference in the sheet is substantial send it in. For some common MS63 that only bids $50, no. I price my CAC material marked up vs the CAC bid in the sheet. Sometimes they sell quickly sometimes not. It takes the right payer at the right time. Due to current market conditions all bets off. Many on bourse prospecting for non CAC coins that will CAC then score the higher bid value then markup accordingly. One needs the sheet to evaluate candidates.
Yup, and bag marks seem to be given a free pass. "Mint State" literally means mint condition, pristine....and maybe direct from the Mint (BEFORE bagging)....but you can get a bunch of coins from the mint, put them in a sack, whack them around via transport and have them totally dinged up....and they are still "MS" coins that never circulated even though a circulated coin might have 1/10th the number of dings and marks. Weird........
Unfortunately, very true. Do you remember exactly WHEN this transformation happened ? It sort of relates to my post above.....should a never-circulated coin, which went from the Mint to a bag...which nonetheless got dozens of dings and marks and abrasions....be graded "Mint State" and higher than a circulated coin ? I mean, technically, you could have had someone get a $20 Saint from the Mint in the 1920's....hot off the presses.....flawless coin, would score an MS70 today.....guy buys $20 worth of food with the coin and the grocer puts the $20 in his coin register away from everything else....guy comes back an hour later, says "Give me the coin back, here's a $20 bill" .....puts the $20 Saint away in velvet and preserves it perfectly for the next 75 years....and then if it was graded correctly it should be no higher than an AU-58 since it DID circulate (technically). I gave an extreme example, but you know the gist of what I am saying. Maybe......
The coin is nice but 1885s tend to be. The pictures do not show a PL coin. I don't see it as an MS66 either. More pictures with the grade showing on the holder would be good. I don't see how it could meet CAC standards but if it were submitted the right way, I guess it doesn't cost anything. If you do submit it, will you return to this thread and report the outcome? It would be interesting to know the outcome.
I’ve asked the OP to post pictures showing both the coin and the label, but he’s playing hide and seek... @Colby J.
Possibly looking for opinions for resubmiting as a possible higher grade? Nobody thought it was a 66+ and mixed opinions on a CAC bean.