Hello, How do the grading services judge counterstamps? Would a coin like the one below, with a circular counterstamp left of reverse center, grade either as details or damaged? Or do counterstamps not really figure into a grade? I'm guessing, like everything, it depends on the coin.
In your case, the counterstamp is actually a mint mark (a "gin" mark) of sorts, so I think that it would be slabbed as a variety.
It's the coin and what service you send it to. Nice coin. I would call NGC and PCGS and see what they say before sending it in.
They shouldn't. Counterstamps are damage, and a counterstamped coin should be limited to a details grade. Some people go crazy over this damage for some inexplicable reason, but I find it ridiculous. Ranks right up there with the craze over "shipwreck effect" coins. They are damaged coins and should sell for a discount!
Thank you! I forgot that I'm an NGC Member so I posted a question on their forums. The post is "pending approval," so we'll see what they say. I'm afraid that they will say "send it in and we'll take a look." I really don't want to waste time and money if this coin might return with "details" or "damaged" printed on the slab. It might end up being the same situation as Trade Dollar Chop Marks, but since it's a non-US coin I want to make sure. Many inconsistent and unpredictable grading philosophies exist out there.
Good idea. They are doing a good job of getting back with questions with Ask NGC. It was not always that way. Always a quality answer but it was slow.
It depends, are you grading the coin or are you grading the counterstamp. Some coins are officially counterstamped to change the accepted exchange rate, or to make the coin current in a different country. In those cases it is the condition of the counterstamp that is important.
There's a distinct difference between counterstamps and chopmarks. And, as Conder partially explained, there is distinct difference between official counterstamps and counterstamps added by just anybody. Chopmarks and unofficial countertsamps are damage, and there was a time when the TPGs would not grade a coin with either of them. But, they threw the rule about not grading chopmarked coins out the window quite a few years ago. However, to the best of my knowledge, they will still not grade coins with unofficial counterstamps on them. But they will grade coins with official counterstamps on them.
