ANACS Crossover to PCGS, How Did I Do? 1980 Panama 100 Balboas Gold Canal Commemorative

OK, I got this at auction about a year ago (and probably overpaid!), but needed it to complete my Panama 100 Balboas, Uncirculated, set of Franklin Mint issues. It is a fairly scarce coin in the PL uncirculated and not proof format.

Here it is in the ANACS holder:


Now as I looked at it, most of the marks were on the ANACS holder, and there was a bit of surface schmutz, so I conserved the surface in an acetone bath and then an ammonia bath with liberal water irrigation after each.
I then submitted to PCGS and after an eon of waiting finally got it back from PCGS this week:

 

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PS - was in an ANACS 66PL, what was the new grade?

 

I'll go with 67. Not sure how PCGS decides on PL or not.

 

68

 

Well, by 1980 there were only two finishes at the FM: Proof and Prooflike uncirculated.
The proofs have a cameo appearance and possibly a bit more finely struck. The older (M) or matte uncirculated had essentially been finished with the 1977 year. Later this evening I will try to post a picture of the proof version.
BTW, there are no flaws - the mark in the field to the left of the bust is artifact.

I don't personally find the coin very attractive, but you will note the diework is very articulate indeed - if you blow the image up you can actually make out the fiber pattern of the jacket that Lesseps is wearing & had not noticed that before.

 

Here’s the proof:

 

68?

 

Regardless of any differing grade, as ANACS coins can be found exceeding PCGS comp. grading, your efforts were of extraordinary quality.

JMHO

 

Ah, thanks.
BTW, the ANACS grade: 66
the PCGS grade: 69

 

Cracking a coin out and doing conservation properly will almost always raise the grade. It was a smart move for sure, just not sure why there should be a comparison when it was conserved before the second grading.

 

True not good science, but the coin was clearly better than a 66 so just went ahead and did the deeds.
I sure did not ANOTHER round trip to PCGS - that was almost FIVE MONTHS!

 

For sure the right move and congrats on doing it successfully, just seems like the ANACS grade is irrelevant at that point

 

True, although the point was that they were fairly severe in grading this coin (and occasionally others) and also for collectors to not necessarily rule out a coin because it is not in one of the "Big Two" TPGs.

 

While true not to completely ignore them they werent harsh and could have in fact been lenient given that ANACS and PCGS didnt grade the same coin because you had conserved it. The results would have almost certainly different if you didnt conserve it, or conserved it then sent it back to ANACS etc.

Again it was the smart thing to do, but once any conservation is done you can no longer draw any conclusions or make comparisons on the different grading

 

Yes, good points as well. Again, just to demonstrate that the coin was fairly nice for what it was and clearly under graded - nothing magic in conserving the surface in hand it looks even better than the PCGS picture. Just wish it was a nicer subject like the other Panama 100 Balboa coins with the native designs. Collectors that we (or I) am, just have to have them all.

I have never been able to locate either the 1975 or 1977 100 Balboas uncirculated (M) matte and do not believe they exist. So this coin meant I finished the FM uncirculated 100 Balboas which are as follows, only a few graded:

1975 FM (U) Balboa
1976 FM (U) Balboa
1976 FM (M) Balboa
1977 FM (U) Balboa
1978 FM (U) Orchid
1979 FM (U) Native motif
1980 FM (U) Native motif
1980 FM (U) Canal/Lesseps. - this coin
1981 FM (U) Native motif
1982 FM (U) Native motif
1983 FM (U) Native motif
1984 FM (U) Native motif