Why does NGC only sometimes weigh coins?

I just got my package of auction wins from Heritage Auctions and I noticed something weird.



Despite the fact that both of these coins are denarii only the Antoninus Pius denarius has a weight (3.55g) while the Trajan one does not.

Why is this?

Does NGC charge an additional fee to put the weight on the slab or something?

I always imagined they weighed every coin just as one of many checks for authenticity.

Sure they don’t “guarantee” authenticity but I’m sure they do their best to keep obvious counterfeits out of NGC slabs by weighing every coin right?

Like if a denarius has a weight of 6 grams it’s obviously fake since even the heaviest denarii would not weigh 6 grams even with variances in the weight due to imperfections and such.

If anyone happens to know why some coins have the weight and others do not I’d appreciate it .

Thanks!

 

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Yes, these were submitted under 2 different tiers. The one on the right had a higher fee, because they put a lot more information on it. They put the weight, they put a more detailed description of the coin, and they break the grade down into components. Notice how the one on the left is just "XF", but the one on the right also has Surface and Strike scores. This extra attention costs more. Not all coins are worth the extra fee, and not all submitters want to pay the extra fee.

 

They appear to be from two different submissions. Is it possible that one submitter didn't bother to provide that information?

 

It’s not the submitter who provides the information it’s NGC.

I mean imagine if I submitted one of these coins and said it weighed 10 grams. NGC would have to verify that or they’d end up putting 10 grams when it’s obviously not 10 grams.

 

Ahh ok thanks!

I’m glad I wasn’t the one who paid the fee. xD

Is there any way for me to find out the weight of the Trajan one without breaking it out of the slab?

It looks heavier but idk if it is or if it’s just thinner and wider.

Like how a nomisma is lighter than an aureus but looks a lot bigger because it’s thinner and spread out wider.

This is what I mean:

 

Thanks, Jason! My typing sucks, so it would have taken me a lot longer than you.

 

Take it from the voice of experience. I learned the hard way. I still have some medals graded by NGC that I wished I had provided (or requested) the weight to be included. Some are in oversized slabs like these.



You could always resubmit those coins, but you would have to pay the additional fees.

 

Yes, you break another coin out of a similar NGC slab, weigh the slab and reduce the weight of the slab from the total. Or you weigh the Antonius coin+holder and then subtract the 3.55g from the total in order to know how heavy the NGC holders are.

 

Ahh yeah my Athenian owl tetradrachm is in an oversized slab. I think it’s because it’s too thick for a normal slab.

Definitely not worth resubmitting $150-$200 coins though :/.

I don’t even have an NGC membership so I’d have to pay for that + the grading fee + shipping & insurance.

At least it’s in a slab though. I like to share my coins with other people and I wouldn’t want my young nephews to be holding a raw coin. xD

 

I don’t really have any coins to break out (maybe my 1955 PR67 Roosevelt dime?) but I wish NGC would just tell people the weight of an empty normal sized slab so I could weigh mine and then deduct the slab weight.

 

That's about the smartest thing I've heard today!

 

I think that would fall under the realm of "privileged information". There are counterfeiters that make fake slabs!

 

Yeah but like..all a counterfeiter has to do is find a cheap coin in a legit NGC slab, crack it out, and weigh it to have access to that privileged information.

 

I think it's a little more complicated than that.

 

Well they could also do the opposite.

Like someone else said I could weigh my Antoninus Pius denarius in a slab and subtract 3.55 grams from whatever it weighs in the slab and then take the total weight of both and subtract 3.55 grams from that to get the weight of just the holder.

I just didn’t think of that when I made this post. xD

It doesn’t seem like it would be proprietary if it’s that easy to figure out.

 

Maybe yes, maybe no! You don't own the rights to the design. Why do you think that some change their design from time to time?

 

I’m not saying NGC doesn’t have proprietary stuff.

I’m simply saying I don’t think the weight of the holder is a part of that proprietary information due to how easily it could be found out.

 

Maybe @Insider can answer this for you since he has worked (and still does!) for some of the grading services.

 

This is the first time I have heard that NGC doesn’t “guarantee” the coins they slab aren’t counterfeit.

Does anyone else find this bit of news disturbing?

 

Only the ancients. Moderns they do guarantee. They have never "guaranteed" ancients.