1899S Five dollar coin

Because if it comes back cleaned, it is not VF. It is VF details.
It's still $290 in gold value and not economical to throw away another $30-$40
when it's going to be worth $290 before grading and $290 after grading.
I can't explain it any more than that.

 

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I don't know what websites you are looking at, but a circulated 1899S Half Eagle ($5) should be in the $350 - $400 range.

Let me break it down for you:

First, we'll make a couple of assumptions. Let's assume that you can sell this coin raw for $375, and slabbed it will sell for $400. Let's also assume that the cost of slabbing is $40.

Now, let's say you got a really great deal, and you were able to buy this coin raw for $360. Great! When you try to sell it raw, you'll get $375, for a $15 profit. Easy money!

However, you decide that you want to slab it. Now the cost of the coin is $400 - but you can only sell it for $400. Unfortunately, you just wasted all your time and money, and have no profit to show for it - but you have a fancy plastic slab! If that means something to you, then great.... but it doesn't really make much sense.

The situation becomes even clearer if you inherited the coin - You can make $375 on it if you sell it raw, because your cost is zero, or you can make $360 on it if you slab it ($400 minus the $40 fees). You're literally losing money either way by slabbing it.

Now, these numbers have to be adjusted to each situation and each coin, but for a lot of coins in this price range, it just doesn't make sense to pay the slabbing fee - the extra liquidity doesn't make up for the added cost.

 

Post # 12

 

Well, it's not my decision anyway. I'll let my friend decide what he wants to do after I share these opinions with him. He has all of these raw coins he inherited and he might think it would be nice to have one slabbed one, even if it isn't recommended.

 

If he wants to keep it in the family, then slabbing would be a great way to safely preserve the coin, even at the added cost, IMO. He may want to check someplace like ANACS when they run specials. Nothing wrong with that. I think most of the feedback said that he wouldn't recover the cost of slabbing if he was selling it. If that's not an issue, then slabbing would be a viable option

 

I got a group of 5 gold coins from my mother in law - 1861 and 1914D quarter eagles, and 1881, 1907, and 1911D half eagles. Those first four are likely just bullion value, but the 11D is a key - I'm all over the place trying to grade it (definitely more than VF, but not sure if XF or AU). I expect I will want to slab the 11D.

 

Post a pic of that 11D,and you could get some help.

 

The rare and valuable coins can be slabbed.
It's just the slabbing of coins for no reason other than to have them slabbed, that creates an unnecessary expense.

 

@John Skelton your friend can buy a nice slab for a couple of bucks and slab it himself. Since it is a "memory" piece, authentication shouldn't be a real big deal, and the self-slabbing protects it from clumsy handling.

 

That's a thought. I'm going to visit my LC dealer this week and maybe he can help with that.

 

My brother lamented the fact that he had a quarter eagle that was stolen, so while I was at a coin show I picked up an Indian Head foe just a little over $300. Not graded, but a nice coin.

 

We are in the middle of home renovations right now, so its a little tough to setup and photograph anything well. If I get a chance this week I will try something quick and dirty with my phone.