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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 7323639, member: 19463&quot;]This statement will offend a number of photographers but they are largely one that would not recognize a good photo if they saw one.&nbsp; The state issued me a driver&#039;s licence with a good photo of me by their definition (not allowed to smile).&nbsp; They are correct by definition, right?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Allowing for the fact that we all make occasional errors, I have the greatest respect for the &#039;opinions&#039; of David Vagi and Barry Murphy (the NGC &#039;graders&#039;) when it comes to the authenticity of ancient coins.&nbsp; In this sense, that is why we might send a coin to NGC.&nbsp; However, I have absolute NO similar respect for slab brands other than NGC and consider all of them little more than sellers of plastic boxes.&nbsp; I do wish there were a code on the NGC tickets that would tell us which and when (something like a B21 in small letters saying Barry saw the coin in 2021 while DB19 would indicate they both saw it two years ago).&nbsp; This would protect us from the eventual fact of life that we all will go blind and crazy someday (I did; you will; deal with it).&nbsp; IF NGC offered a cash back guarantee covering errors, they would have to buy insurance protecting them from a thousand lawsuits from people who disagreed with their opinion and found an &#039;expert&#039; to testify that the coin was false.&nbsp; Who would benefit from that?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I find this an interesting point from our resident lawyer.&nbsp; Where is the line between opinion and fact?&nbsp; The judicial system regularly makes the news when what they call &#039;facts&#039; are replaced by new &#039;facts&#039;.&nbsp; In coins we can &#039;prove&#039; something is fake but saying something is with absolute certainty genuine, official, made in the regular mint with full authority or several other considerations is an opinion.&nbsp; &#039;Facts&#039; only change when they are defined as facts by the opinions of a system.&nbsp; 9999 experts saying something is true is not what makes something a fact; it is just a very popular opinion.&nbsp; I might add that there is no double jeopardy law when dealing with fakes.&nbsp; However a coin is determined to be genuine, the question remains open to reconsideration forever.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>For the record, I have no objection to the concept of plastic slabs for ancient coins.&nbsp; I do not use them because it would cost me several thousand dollars to house my collection and the stack of slabs would not fit in my available space.&nbsp; Has anyone calculated how many slabs fit in a cubic yard? For the same reason, I no longer use trays (which I love) or plastic pages in binders (which I threw out thirty years ago and currently despise).&nbsp; What I do find objectionable is welding the this shut so I can not touch, see (clearly from all angles) and determine if I agree with the verdict printed on the label.&nbsp; Add to that I may want to take a new photo of the coin to match my changing level of satisfaction.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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