I like the 70 grade just as much as the next guy but this is a great example of an instance where I'd opt for the 69 grade and not feel guilty about it. Look for value with the 70 grade. There are many coins out there that really don't have much of a price difference from the 69 to 70 level, so it's worth it to go all the way. To me anyways. For something like this, doubling the price. No way. I wouldn't do it. Maybe they are rare, but the opinion of the graders at that level is subjective enough that I wouldn't find it to be worth paying double for one. All depends on how much cash you've got to blow on coins. 1200 would be nothing for some people. For me that is a lot and I wouldn't blow it all on a 1/2 oz. spouse.
We've already tried this. There is no way you can accurately grade between a 69 and 70 by the best of scanned images on a computer screen. The imperfections are so slight that they almost would have to be in hand and viewed at several different angles. It's splitting hairs. Which is why I wouldn't go double the price on a modern commemorative like this.
I just found this PF70 in a sweet new NGC slab for $865. http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-JACKSONS-LIBERTY-FIRST-SPOUSE-GOLD-NGC-PF70-UC_W0QQitemZ400007497115QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item400007497115&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1416%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 You can expect to pay a premium just for the PCGS slab. The theory is that they have stricter grading which from what I've read here, is unfounded. IMO, if they were both going for 865, which seems much more reasonable, I'd take this one over the PCGS just because I like the slab better. Just thought I'd add..... I don't know how much numismatic value these have yet but compared to spot, it's obviously very unreasonable. The issue price is probably too high and it may be one of those you can get cheaper down the road. It will be interesting to see what these do with time.
Nor can it be done in real life either. In fact, it might be easier to do with Photo's or scans. Ruben
My understanding is that TPGs only use a 5x loupe. I would imagine that the difference between a 69 and a 70 is a very minor spec on the coin visible at 5x. I would think that any flaw large enough to be distracting with the naked eye would cause the coin to grade lower than 69.
If you cannot see the difference between a 69 and a 70 is it a wise idea to pay twice the price for a 70 vs a 69?
Possible but unlikely. If you sent it in in the slab, it's possible but probably not likely. If you cracked it out and sen it in it is HIGHLY likely. And if you cracked it and resubmitted it to PCGS it is also HIGHLY likely it would come back as a 69 as well.
The problem is there is no way to validate it because there is no set standard. Grading is very subjective and each company uses different standards. If they stuck to one standard then maybe it could be validated. Unfortunately, coin grading is more like an art than a science.
Finally, someone who admits that it can't be validated! And that it's subjective! Now will anyone add two and two together, and thus come to the conclusion that the TPGs are worthless, if you accept those two assertions?! If grading is subjective, and the process can't be validated... wouldn't logic dictate that grading is merely a matter of opinion and the the opinion of a TPG is thus not really worth more than anybody else's? That's the conclusion I draw. It's why I won't touch a slabbed coin with a ten foot pole.
I mostly agree - with some qualifications. "The opinion of a TPG is thus not really worth more than anybody else's" - WHO HAVE THE SAME QUALIFICATIONS AS THE 3 TPG's GRADERS WHO GRADED YOUR COIN. If you have graded several hundred thousand coins times 3 and taken the training they have, go for it. However, you last line about not touching a slabbed coin is just wrong. It is your loss if you would turn down a nicer/cheaper/better slab to by a raw coin. The addage "buy the coin" applies equally to in slab as out of slab.
I did, 29 years ago when ANACS began grading. Maybe so but I took such a dislike for the concept of the TPG's that I will not support them in any way, so I do not slab coins or buy slabbed coins even to crack out. If a coin is in a slab as far as I am concerned it doesn't exist.
