Another grading exercise on a borderline coin--grade?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Morgandude11, Mar 8, 2013.

?

Is this one MS or AU????

Poll closed Mar 13, 2013.

  1. MS

    1 vote(s)
    5.6%

  2. AU

    17 vote(s)
    94.4%
Page 2 of 2
  1. Morgandude11

    Morgandude11 As long as it's Silver, I'm listening

    Okay, no point in keeping this going. Folks all get the point--it is AU, but did not start life that way according to ICG. When I bought the coin about 7 years ago, I had just sold my complete set of Morgans and Peace Dollars. I was feeling left out, and bought a few good dates--this was un an ICG holder as a MS 61. I, like the rest of you, thought it was a solid AU, due to the rub spots and luster breaks, but a nice coin. I managed to purchase it for Mid AU prices back then, and decided to crack it out, as I was not planning to sell it. Of course, it did not cross as MS---it is now in an AU 55 PCGS holder. It shows the variance of grading, and once again, most of the posters here made a very good judgement that it was AU. Doug is definitely right on this one--if a TPG calls it MS, it isn't necessarily MS if your eye tells you otherwise.
     
    Morgandude11, Mar 10, 2013
    #21 + Quote Reply
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. bqcoins

    bqcoins Olympic Figure Skating Scoring System Expert

    The fact that it was in an ICG holder tells me everything I need to know. If it is a scarce or rare coin not in one of the top three I can usually buy it for a discount and the further down the tpg list you go the steeper the discount gets.
     
    bqcoins, Mar 10, 2013
    #22 + Quote Reply
  4. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Sadly, what you are saying would often be true, but it would not always be true for it would depend on the buyer.

    The adage buy the coin and not the slab is often repeated, but seldom understood. And in actuality it is seldom put into practice. That is because there are so very many who have too much confidence in the TPGs. They believe that if the TPG says a coin is MS whatever, then that coin is indeed that grade. That there is no mistake, that the TPG is not wrong. Every time you hear someone, or read someone, saying the "real" grade is so and so, that is one of those people. With every guess the grade thread, the determination of who was right and who was wrong is made by what the TPG says - more of those people.

    As a general rule there are two kinds of buyers, plastic buyers and coin buyers. Coin buyers, completely ignore the grade on the slab, regardless of what TPG put it there. They look at the coin and grade the coin themselves. And if the asking price is reasonable to them, they buy the coin. Otherwise they walk away.

    Plastic buyers are those who believe the TPG assigns the correct grade. That regardless of what anyone else says, or why they say and point out why the TPG is wrong, that the TPG is right. That the coin really is XX grade.

    And that's the sad part. Because there are far, far, more plastic buyers out there than there are coin buyers. And it is the plastic buyers who make your comments true.
     
    GDJMSP, Mar 10, 2013
    #23 + Quote Reply
Page 2 of 2
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page