Anyone know of ACG Accugrade?

http://www.swcgs.com/ASA_v_ANA.html

ACG - ASA-Accugrade: "The founding of ACCUGRADE goes back to 1984 when Alan Hager, noted silver dollar expert, invented slab certification for coins. ACCUGRADE paved the way for the industry of coin grading. Today, over 7 million coins have been certified, generating over $140 million in fees to the coin grading services since Mr. Hager's invention in 1985. PCGS has paid Mr. Hager $100,000 for his expertise, patents, and inventions".
http://www.allcertifiedcoins.com/coins_slabcompanies.html

 

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I would be more inclined to put the blame for that on Amos Press and Coin World. The main thing that prevented the start up of the scam artist TPG's was the high cost of having injection dies produced for the creation of the slab shells. (A set of dies can cost $10K.) But then Coin World absorbed that cost and began marketing empty shells in 2002. When they did I predicted that we would now see everyone and his brother starting up their own "grading services". Then came the Safe-slab brand shells that were marketed at first by a firm in OH, later FL. And finally the shells marketed by Certified Silver Investments. Those three shells account for the majority of the fly-by-night grading services. It is still very unusual for a TPG to create their own shell design. About the only one to do so recently has been Michigan Masters Numismatic Service.

 

As is often the case in this forum, I observe a lot of hyperbole, much of it negative, in this thread. Does Accugrade suck? Absolutely! But do they suck statistically that much more than other Tier Z TPGs like PCI or NTC? No, at least not in my experience.

Over the last 6 or 7 years, I have purchased 2 coins on EBay in Accugrade plastic, a 1902-S Morgan graded EF-40 and and 1878 7/8 TF Morgan graded MS-64. I left them slabbed, and intended from the original purchase (probably 2 or 3 years ago) to crack them out when the time came for re-sale, reflecting my agreement with the proposition that the Accugrade slab can be a negative in that context.

But this thread prompted me to go back and look at them again, which I just did. The 1902-S is correctly graded, whether the naysayers here would believe it or not.

The 1878 is, on the other hand, significantly over-graded. It's actually more like a 61, or at most a 62, if you're in a generous mood. On the other hand, it's also a VAM-33a, which is an R-6 VAM.

Given what I paid for both of these coins, they were great deals, irrespective of the plastic. And for what it's worth, I have seen the 2 top-tier TPGs make mistakes that were as bad, if not worse, than any I have seen from Accugrade. For example, EBay recently had a PCGS-slabbed Seated dime that they mis-attributed as 1866-P when it was in fact a 1866-S, as could have been conclusively demonstrated by a correct analysis of the date position.

The bottom line is that you can only ultimately trust yourself on grading, counterfeit detection, correct variety attribution, etc., so suck it up and learn what you need to!

 

In my opinion, this is a pretty severe exaggeration. Hence, my use of the word "hyperbole" above. However, I would not argue with a weakened form of this assertion, something like, "The bottom-tier companies are much more likely to make mistakes than the top-tier ones."

 

I agree about the lack of quality in Accugrade holders, however, there are exceptions, and here is one of them. This is one of their earliest holders, and I believe this coin to be accurately graded. I posted this coin/holder a few weeks ago because the holder is so unique. And it is my understanding this holder is actually pretty rare. Any way, just wanted to show that they didn't get them all wrong!





Also Redwin, I saw your Youtube video on the penny/dime (as well as your avatar) and just had to show you this 11 cent/penny-dime piece (also posted on another thread a while ago). It too has 2 dates, etc., but the unique thing about this particular piece is that the portraits align, making this coin look sort of like a hologram. I understand there are about 20-30 known of this type of error.

 

PennyLady, The 11 cent who ? Is not me either, So you still keeping the earlier holder of Accugrade which is correctly graded.I am sure you will not to crack out that holder to recertified it.And I believe if you sell that coin in original holder is much more money you will get than to recertified it with a new coin slab holder. 30 more or less 11 cent piece double denomination as existed today The Value of each (Double Denomination) coins depends also with the details of Error and varieties..and their story how they acquired it.
http://www.coinfacts.com/error_coins/double_denomination_errors.htm

I also have some photograph of my collection heres the link.

http://s817.photobucket.com/albums/zz95/edwinrd117/

Again thanks for seeing your Accugrade Holder of Morgan Dollar.

 

I agree. There was one company that would put any grade on the holder you ask for.

 

Sorry Redwin, I'm not understanding what you wrote/meant in response to my 11 cent piece (your sentences/questions are incomplete)?

And the Morgan is not mine, it belongs to a customer. He doesn't plan to crack it out at all - he knows it's worth more in this rare old holder. I think he plans on keeping it and not selling it.

 

It's a nice Doible Denomination 2001 PCGS but I don't see any 2 fulldates on Obverse. So your friend decided to keep that Morgan Dollars on the earlier ACCUGRADE Holder.edited Thanks

 

One date is in the usual place to the right of Lincoln's bust, and the other is below it and to the left.

 

http://www.coinfacts.com/error_coins/double_denomination_errors.htm

Yes I see the 2 dates obverse but not 2 fulldates and also read your thread dated july 28 how you found this Monster Error of 2 Great Presidents voted by Presidential Historian Society. Congrats.
www.pennyondime.com

 

Thank you for the objectivity in your post, but I believe it's difficult to quantify the relative error levels of the various certifying firms. As an avid coin collector for more than 50 years, having >10 years internet experience, I found the negative internet posts about ACG to be a motivator for determining truth, after receiving, via the internet, many improperly graded "top tier" expensive coins. I finally asked a local dealer, what was the problem with the two espoused preeminent certifying firms that they were so inconsistent. He explained the evolution of the firms, relative to ACG, and I understood. I then started to search for "sight seen" ACG certified coins, and found many that were obviously more correctly certified than some "top tier" coins in my possession, eventually accumulating a large collection. I even created composite obverse/reverse images of rare expensive Gold coins certified by the two top organizations alongside a more correctly graded ACG coin. I have these images available, with the original coins, to be viewed by the subjective critics. The discrepancies are very obvious. THE TRUTH IS, THAT ONLY A KNOWLEDGEABLE BUYER, OBTAINING "SIGHT SEEN" COINS, CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE "VALUE". I've also been had by counterfeits that could not be properly detected by others (with correct weight, and Gold content). Thanks again for the post.

 

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The parties to the ASA Accugrade, Inc. litigation, Plaintiffs ASA Accugrade, Inc., Alan Hager and Diane Hager and the Defendants, the American Numismatic Association, Heritage Capital Corporation, Collectors Universe, Inc., Professional Coin Grading Service, Inc., Barry Stuppler & Company, Inc., and the Professional Numismatic Guild, Inc., together with their insurance carriers have resolved the dispute which was pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. At a court ordered mediation, a confidential settlement was reached among all the parties. The settlement had no impact on the ANA's finances or budget. The agreement reached was to our total satisfaction.[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We will be attending the
FUN Show Jan. 4-7, 2007.
[/FONT]

 

Don't. Don't think in those terms. I used to do that with NTC and NNC slabs, and it simply doesn't work.

You'll hear it 1,000,000 times - learn to grade, then buy the coin.

 

Okay, I will be the one that asks. Redwin, you say the settlement was to "our" total satisfaction. Which party are you referring to? I assume you are associated with at least one of the parties although it is not apparent to me which one.

 

Which One? Who is the Plantiff in this case? I believe the one who filed the case WON ! SATISFACTION! My dearest Accugrade.
http://gs169.photobucket.com/groups/u212/M7GM8A4VBL/

 

HAHAHA!!

An Accugrade groupie!?!?! I guess it's possibile.... my-o-my...

 

ONE needn't be labeled "groupie" to appreciate an outcome which supports a semblance of Justice, and suppression of unbalanced/unsubstantiated/unrestrained/subjective
"gang mentality" statements in an undisciplined public venue. I trust that our mutual benefit from appreciation of Numismatics will prevail in encouraging objective future civil discourse.