Question for seasoned Slab-Crackers

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Hi, where can I find your vise method explained in detail?
Thanks

 

How I crack open a slab depends on the mood I'm, at least in good measure. Full frontal assault on the edges when I'm not in a good mood, more gentle tapping at other times.

Regardless of method, I place the slab on its edge on a tile floor (my house is almost totally tiled), and I cover the slab with a cloth, carefully, even in a bad mood, to separate the halves of the slab with my rock pick (flat side) and removing the coin.

I've never done this with a gold coin, so I think caution is the order in that situation.

 

My gold coin has been happily out of its slab for over two years

 

A) SLAM-DANCE Method:


OR

B) VISE SQUAD Method:
If you have a Vise, and you want to free a coin from a slab; I found putting the slab length-wise (both on end and on side), then slowly turn the handle. You will hear the slab crack and it will bow a little. Then change sides, and slowly turn again. It will crack and bow. Afterwards, the slab will easily come apart!
Step 1


Step 2


Step 3


Step 4: Breath DEEP and enjoy Nirvanna:

 

Just cracked one by hitting the edges with an ordinary hammer. Cracked the case but not as cleanly as I would like. I'd like to figure out how to do so such that both halves of the slab remain intact.

I preserve the coin and label of course. Does anyone save the broken case itself? And is the PCGS hologram important?

 

I agree with the above quote except I wrapped the slab in a dish towel which cut down slipping and accidental movement when the crack was heard. The advantage of the vise is that the high pressure can be brought on slowly and stopped when cracked while a hammer is likely too little or too much depending on how hard you hit. Come to think of it, that was why mints abandoned hammering coins in favor of presses. The consistent and repeatable pressure made coins all alike. My coins are all hammered already so once is enough.

 

Aside from sending the labels back to try and keep the population reports more accurate there is no value to any of that. Once the coin is out of the holder the holder means nothing

 

Send the labels back? Not sure what you mean or why.
I'm keeping the labels. They still pertain to the coin.

 

The labels have no meaning once the coin is out of the slab. If you send the labels back to the TPG they will remove them from the population since you cracked the coin out

 

With a photo of the coin in the slab, compared to a photo of the coin out of the slab, it's not difficult to see that it's the same coin. So with before and after photos, along with the label, I'd say it's not completely meaningless. One can still clearly see that the now raw coin was graded and what the grade was.

 

Again this discussion in the Ancient section has been taken over by visitors from the modern hobby. Out of the slab, modern coins are hard to tell one from another but ancients (not touched by PCGS) are unique to the point that the record photo on the NGC site is of some value in provenancing the coin. We should save tags for NGC slabbed crackers.

 

The two coins I have removed from the slab are easy to distinguish with photos. The die crack is quite unique. Not to mention other marks. Imagine another coin having that exact die crack AND the same exact other marks.

 

As soon as the coin is out of the slab what the slab said is meaningless

 

That's one opinion

 

I'm sorry Rick, but once it is removed from the slab, the market considers it a raw cioin. You might get lucky and find somebody who can match your coin to a true view and give you a little premium, but generally, any graded premium is lost once you break it out. Right or wrong, that's the reality of the marketplace.

 

Understood. Predominately for Modern US Coins.

However, I find that predominately Ancients are NOT slabbed, and to many of Ancients collectors do not want a slab, or will remove them from the slabs. Most Ancients collectors will not pay a slabbing premium for Ancient coins. Most Ancients collectors PREFER Raw coins.

So, I believe it depends on which marketplace perspective being discussed. I do understand that Heritage slabs all their ancients, however, I feel it is more for the benefit of Modern Collectors wanting assurance that the Ancient coin is authentic. I have purchased some coins via Heritage, and ensured that I felt I was not overpaying for the slab. I cracked all of my Heritage purchases.

Additionally, I understand "populations" for Modern coins, but, honestly there are no "populations" for Ancients. Ergo, returning the inserts mean nothing. I keep mine in my Saflip with the coin, but the numbers and description mean nothing to me.

My thoughts.

 

My apologies to the ancient group. My comments reflect U.S. Coinage only. I failed to notice that this was in the ancients forum and agree that ancients are a wholly different subject. I also have a modest collection of ancients along with a few dozen references including 7 of the RIC volumes and prefer coins that are not slabbed. Once again, sorry for my mistake