1954-D Penny - PCGS graded MS64RD

That only makes sense if you can't grade for yourself, at which point you don't need to pay anyone to tell you what it grades. And in numismatics, that's the pure equivalent of only paying someone to drive you around until you get your own driver's license.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

It was a great deal no matter what. Congrats.

 

@SuperDave

So sorry if I sound augmentative but I am just trying to understand. I thought these graded coins are to verify its condition and also verify it is real.

For example if a seller with low feedback is selling a coin for $10000 and its not graded or even slabbed vs the same seller selling for $10250 but with it graded and slabbed and verified.

As I said I am new to this, and to me personally having a coin graded and slabbed should also put a premium.

Also I am not saying this just for my $2-$8 coin LOL, I have no plans to sell it but I am rather just trying to understand.

 

If you cannot trust your own skills to authenticate and grade that low-feedback seller's coin, you walk away and/or pay the extra for the graded coin. Such a seller isn't going to do well.

Numismatics is about knowledge. One either learns this stuff, or is a victim. It's that simple. There are counterfeits in slabs, counterfeit slabs, and poorly-graded authentic coins in slabs. As a generality you can trust the (major) TPG's but there are also unscrupulous TPG's....

The whole point of this hobby is acquiring that knowledge. Yes, people collect without that intellectual investment, but often either they or their heirs end up sorely disillusioned. This is a *lot* of money to be throwing at something you don't know much about.

 

@SuperDave

Thanks for your response, yes I am here for the knowledge and I am really new to this but I am trying my best.

Funny you mentioned the crap slab's I am victim to the INB slab - but I lost about $22.50 but it was that low amount due to reading cointalk (again thank you guys!)

I could of lost nothing but I did not do my research, I saw LOW cost slabs and bought it thinking it was a awesome deal. Lesson Learned .

Most of you long time member's seem to suggest slabbing does not increase a coins value and I just have to accept that.

I really am thankful for everyone here, you guys take the time to help newbies like me

 

It's better put "a slab should not increase a coin's value," but in many cases it does simply because of buyers who won't purchase a raw coin. Me, I consider no added value to a slab, but I trust my own skills (and am willing to take the hit if I'm wrong), and more importantly understand that patience is usually rewarded if I have the slightest doubt about "this one."

 

See, I disagree with you...sort of.

First, let me say that I completely agree that a slab should not increase the value of the coin. I also fully believe that someone who is buying coins needs to learn to grade for themselves and be able to evaluate a coin before spending a lot of money on them.

However, I completely believe there is value to a TPG slab.

Here is why. When a TPG evaluates a coin, they are giving a market accepted expert opinion on the grade of the coin. That evaluation has value. The verified coin is now more liquid as it has been evaluated by a market accepted expert. is the coin more valuable...of course not. But, the whole package of the coin with that expert evaluation is worth more than the coin alone. How much? That depends on the buyer and the coin. But in a world where a lot of buying and selling is done online with photos...that added non-bias expert evaluation and liquidity is worth something.

 

The holder does not (or at least should not) increase the value of the COIN. However, what it does increase is liquidity which most certainly has "value". To put it simply, while the holder may not directly increase the "value" of the coin itself, it does offer additional benefits that often equal higher prices paid.

 

That's basically what I was trying to say. The value of the whole package is more than the coin itself. But in either case the coin is the same so worth the same.

 

Yes... just two different paths to the same conclusion.

 

And I will add to that. The largest venue for coins is eBay. If you buy a coin from a picture on eBay, you darn well better know what you are doing and better the everyone else. Even good pictures can be deceiving let alone most eBay pictures. So the TPG gives you assurance that you will get at least very close to the seller's description. Aside from that, both NGC and PCGS guarantee meets some standards and is real. And if you doubt that last part is valid, more than one TPG has already been fooled by counterfeit coins. Merely by definition, that includes virtually ALL collectors.

 

While looking through my latest Numismatic News I came across two of the same coins from the same dealer, in the same ad. Both were the same grade, MS66. One was in a NGC holder, the other in a PCGS holder but there was a $75.00 difference in the price in the two coins, PCGS being the higher of the two. Both TPG's are considered to be the top two in their field. I could understand this if one were in an ICG holder. Unless it was a error in the listing, why would there be such a huge price difference between the two. There was certainly no added "value" going on in this case. Of course, I could have inquired but neither was of any interest to me.

 

Just because NGC and PCGS are considered "top two", this does not automatically mean their standards are equal across the board, and could very well explain the pricing discrepancy. To put it simply, an NGC "66" and a PCGS "66" are not always interchangeable.

 

I see that all the time, Tommy, too. My explanation, they're not market grading, but marketing. That is to say, they're marketing their plastic to consumers. And PCGS is just better at it, and always has been.

 

Thank you both. This could be very interesting and confusing to newbies when looking for slabbed coins though.

 

We disagree only in semantics, which is a very good thing because not all words hit all people the same way.

There is definite value added in slabbing a coin with a major TPG - that of guaranteed authenticity and professional opinion of the originality of the surfaces. Each have a direct bearing on the value of a coin. As much as I dislike them, numismatics would be much the worse without TPG's.

However, which is the better goal to work towards (understanding neither are reachable): A world where all coins must be slabbed, or a world where no coins need to be slabbed?

 

I totally agree with you.

 

You'll note I didn't say a word about grading.

 

Sorry I am just bad at explaining sometimes, but you guys understood what I meant and gave a great explanation. I was wrong how I said it, but it comes to a somewhat same conclusion. But there will always be two different sides.

Like I always say I am new to this and this does help me a lot.

 

You're doing fine, Stevie, just hang in there. That's a very handsome coin you got there.