As if you needed another reason to think grading ancients was silly

These are some very crude looking eagles on this coin type

 

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Sorry Barry, if you are paying for a service and "certification" of a coin, a "Typo" doesn't really cut it for me.

 

Yah sorry, I still think that the whole slab-thing is a total fail ... I think that the only measure that's worth any salt is a comparison against other similar coin-types (a personal preference thing)

 

Whatever. Everyone makes a mistake once in awhile, even if it's a paid service. Like I've said before, prior to July the ancients department was 1 person.

Compare the two coins and it seems clear there was a mistake.

Barry Murphy.

 

100% ... I'm sure you'll do fine

 

Comparing? Seems to me that "grading and pricing" is EXACTLY what you are doing.

One definition given students in a grading seminar way before TPGS were around was this: "GRADING is a subjective observation made to asses the condition of preservation and relative ranking of similar objects."

 

Style and centering always appeal to me more than "grade"

 

I agree Steve I don't think I've ever paid attention to what the grade is when I've bought a coin. Probably because I don't think I've ever looked up grading systems, it just doesn't really matter to me. If it looks nice and I can afford it I'll buy it simple as that really

 

Good question, since their guarantee is for the grade .

I'd guess they (Heritage) are looking for a way to increase desirability of the relative dregs in their vaults while spending as little as possible on marketing-- assuming this is a special slabbing arrangement between HA and NGC. They're probably trying to entice new-to-ancients budget buyers who are accustomed to buying slabs.

I'm unable to see Heritage's listings on eBay, including current offerings (if any) and prior sales. Sometimes I have that issue with eBay, possible due to my geographic location. Maybe someone else can look through HA's current and past eBay ancient coins to see if there are/were other ungraded slabbed NGC coins and when that began. I'll take a look on Heritage's regular website for the same.

HA's ebay seller name is "hnai.com"

 

Typos DO occur...

 

No need to worry. Of course it was a mistake and that's why the OP posted it. All of us think we know more than the professionals such as yourself and Dave. IMO, very many of us do not but we like to think we do.

In the millions of slabbed coins, we can find examples of over graded coins that tend to stay in their original holders. The best part of the present "system" is that every coin that is graded and authenticated by a TPGS is put under a microscope by every collector/dealer who sees it. Thus, as I wrote above, they are all "policing" the slabs looking for mistakes. IMO, that's good for the hobby.

 

@Barry Murphy please don't take anything I say personally. I come from the stable that doesn't like slabs for ancients, I can see the need for them for modern coins where fingerprints can knock $$$$$s off the value. That doesn't apply to ancients. All I see is that the slabbing industry is adding $$$s to the cost of a coin for a subjective opinion, it doesn't authenticate the coin as genuine, and I really just don't see the point. OK, if you want to protect an FDC aureus or suchlike, you can buy your own slab for a fraction of the cost. And I totally disagree with trying to impose modern coin standards on ancients. That is just me.

 

Even a Cubs fan like me has this to say:

 

IdesOfMarch01 posted: "Typos DO occur..."

Looks better in RED don't you think? I'm not going to edit my post. Fingers moving ahead of my brain.

BTW It is not called a "Typo" by the TPGS's. It's called a "mechanical error" and that's the way they CTA. That goes for me also.

 

I'm able to see Heritage's eBay offerings and history using a proxy server. I scrolled through sold lots, going back to August. It looks like the gradeless slabs first appeared on October 17 (a single coin), then another gradeless slab on October 31, then six on November 3. Perhaps they are trial balloons to see if the absence of a grade has any negative effect on sales?

Here are a couple of ungraded examples:

Nero denarius, sold for $217.50
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roman-Empire-Nero-AD-54-68-AR-Denarius-NGC-Ancients-/371773813930?hash=item568f7234aa:g:8uMAAOSwA3dYESWE&nma=true&si=f%2BcXlT79uNC1GTZBw%2F%2FRi%2Fdfb2U%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557




Scaurus denarius, $102.50
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roman-Republic-M-Aurel-Scaurus-c1-12-BC-AR-Denarius-Serratus-NGC-Ancients-/142161659360?hash=item21197ec5e0:g:YGYAAOSwUEVYESh9&nma=true&si=XD4uhNZoRFaHnXxEsJXC9gMsDr8%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

You word this as if I intentionally searched out a certain type of example or knew it was a typo. I was just trolling on eBay, saw a poor looking coin with a high grade and here we are.

 

I have to admit, yesterday I won one of these ungraded slabs. It's an extremely rare coin, otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered. I care not what is or isn't on the slab - it's going to be freed as soon as I receive it anyway.

I can assure you, despite the lack of grade, bidding was strong. I over paid for the coin, probably twice the amount it would otherwise have gone for. Also, it was criminally unrecognised as 'special'.

 

This one strikes me as way past choice. You have to look at a lot of these to find one with the bill and the eye showing, let alone being bold. I don't own one of these and have passed up so very many that looked like that first coin. It is not a rare type but that last one is something! I see similar ones in old CNG sales but the ones in general circulation leave me wondering which end is which.

 

You know... I NEVER have paid attention to the Grade... I never knew what the grade on this guy was. I love it for it's eclectic history, cool subject matter, and immediately freed it from the silly slab. I think Metus is sticking his tongue out at the thought of being graded.


Etruria Populonia 3rd C BCE AR 20 As 8-1g Metus Blank NGC Cert HN 152

And now that I have paid attention to the "grade"... I could care less. It had absolutely NO bearing on my decision to shell out the cash. In fact, the "Gorgoneion" is incorrect or deficient. It is the Etrurian... Metus

 

Not at all and never crossed my mind. I believe you thought the coin was over graded also. Isn't that why you posted it - to make a point.