That's a very good opinion. Some of us have more than coin value in mind. I like just knowing what I have and preserving what I like. Display and education desires also play a role. Someday some of my TPG slabbed coins may end up in a "value bin" at some dealer and sell for a few dollars. That's okay with me.
AFAIK, there are only two major TPGS who MIGHT have a reason like: "We don't want it our slab" that would issue a no opinion. ALL COINS CAN BE SLABBED if they are genuine and the company has a big enough holder. All the OP needed to do is to contact ICG and ask to speak with a grader! In case he needs their phone number: 877-221-4424. That goes for any of you posting on CT. Try that with one of the top two TPGS and see how far you get.
Found this video on YouTube that sort of explains the TPG (in this case PCGS) reasons for "no grade" and body bags. It's a good watch for general reasons and it might give you an "aha!" Moment.
@John Burgess i started to watch the video, that was until the guy got to net grading. PCGS definitely net grades, they slab problem coins with scratches rim dings all the time, just at a lower graded. NOt even a details grade, a strait grade problem free graded coin. PCGS is the most egregious at not following their own grading standards. IMO
I agree to an extent, if there are rules and standards, all you can really do is strive to drill them in and have people know them and adhere to them, but inevitably some things will slip on through the cracks at some point. I mean all the safety precautions, meetings, trainings, signs and markings, still doesn't stop workplace injuries completely, it's the same principle. I think the point was, "this is how it works ideally" "we body bagged everything that didn't adhere, people didn't like it, we went with details grade and slabbed, but we really shouldn't go to net grading and slabbing coins that are XF details as VG because of a gouged surface, because that would deter sight unseen trading of slabs". Will some slabs be completely wrong label for the coin? Oh yeah. will they make mistakes or let something straight grade that shouldn't? Oh yeah. Have they straight graded as genuine, counterfeits? Oh yeah. They aren't flawless, but they try hard to hold a standard, and that goes for all of the decent grading companies. Fairly certain the cuts around the rim on the OPs coin were the reason it got a no grade. Scratches and rim dings might get through the TPGs depending on severity and suspected cause of the damage. But it has a lot of problems working against it other than just those cuts. And heck This particular half dime, submitted enough times to the top 4 TPGs, and one of them might even slab it at some point and it slip through the cracks and get past someone and into a slab. Personally, I'm not a fan of TPGs as a whole, but it is a business and provides a service. Even if "PCGS is the most egregious at not following their own grading standards", they are still at the top of the list of TPGs, so they must be doing something right the 95+% of the time with the standards they have in the eyes of the collectors, dealers and hobby. I mean they aren't SEGS or PCI by a long shot. But yeah, mistakes happen, problem coins will get through even them from time to time that shouldn't be slabbed, even counterfeits.
This is exactly what they did though. Standards? These are supposed to be the same as goal posts. This weekend during the superbowl, A kicker kicks a field goal and it is shanked wide left. The refs call it good because it went 2/3rds of the way nice and strait. Would you agree with them, or call BS?
Mistakes happen. even with clearly defined rules and standards, bad calls get made. I don't have to agree with it, but I don't write off the NFL because of a bad call either. plenty of other reasons to write off the NFL. LOL
The thing is the play would be reviewed and corrected. The top two TPG's get to change their standards depending on the market.
That is not the reason. They would be noted as "damaged rim" if the coin was slabbed. In fact, those cuts indicate the coin is probably genuine.