I have all available. All have the hair. I think they usually just take one photo of each side. Then the round images are digitally put in...
Recently had a French 100-franc pattern coin, designed by Bazor, graded at PCGS under gold shield service, which includes photos. The obverse has...
Are you sure? Could tape it on outside of the folder. PR63 would be about $55k, but you could pickup a circulated example for only $40K....
Nice circulated Morgan. Good acquisition! Now, you just have to get the proof to go with it. :) Cal
Nice sovereign. Nice young head design. Congrats. That stick lying on the ground under the horse's rear is the remnant of a broken lance....
I’m interested primarily French and British coins with a slight interest in recent Central Asian coins. The rest of world coins are a black hole...
I have no opinion on the grade, yours or the grading services, other than it may be inaccurate if based on photos. I'm a terrible grader. Cal
It doesn’t work the way you describe. If a coin is sent for crossing, it’s in a slab of a TPG other than the one you send it to. It will be...
I buy most of my coins at auction. Before I start a series, I study past results extensively and compare NGC and PCGS prices and populations....
As Doug (@GDJMSP) has pointed out many times, precision grading from photos is not possible. Changes in lighting, focus, resolution, color...
I like all my coins for a particular series to be in slabs of only one TPG. Partly, this is due to my foolish consistency. I also like competing...
I’m very familiar with all the PCGS submission categories and have used almost of them when deemed appropriate. Cross, regrade and...
Here’s an example pictured below, a crown of Victoria that is graded MS63 by NGC. PCGS won’t cross it at MS63. And of course, they won’t say...
First, a rant. I always ask for coins to cross at the same grade … for the first submission. When coins don’t cross, the grading service does...
Thanks for the comparison. Was the second coin MS62PL? Cal
If you don’t like a coin bought recently from a dealer, first and cheapest thing to do is ask for a refund. If the dealer says no, then actions...
As mentioned in the Wikipedia article, “piedfort” is the preferred English spelling, but “piefort” can be used. “Piefort” is the correct French...
Thanks for this essay. It's very informative and thoughtful. Cal
Piefort (or piedfort) simply means a double-thick coin. It can have any type of finish: circulation, special or proof. However, because they are...
The label is pictured below. Although Mazur is an excellent reference on French coins, Essais Monetaires & Pieforts Française by Taillard and...
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