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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2559814, member: 19463&quot;]I believe many of us who choose not to have slabbed coins were turned off early by the NGC decision to apply modern wear based standards to ancients where wear is a relatively minor factor in the desirability level of a coin.&nbsp; US slabs separate levels or normal strike quality that are very closely spaced but ancients can be exactly as they fell from the die and be anywhere from poor to prooflike when it comes to details and appeal.&nbsp; This decision allows coins that have really major problems but no wear to be slabbed with a MS, AU or EF grade while some of us would have trouble calling the thing fine because there is zero detail where there should be plenty. </p><p><br /></p><p>Grading ancients is a no-win situation for dealers.&nbsp; If you call a VF an EF people will accuse you of being an evil overgrader but calling the coin VF will turn off people who recently came over from modern coins where VF is spending money in too many minds. Long before slabs, members of the ancient coin club laughed about dealers unwilling to list a coin under VF for fear it would not sell but having to be careful not to call too many EF and get a reputation as an overgrader.&nbsp; That is one advantage of the TPG companies taking the heat while sellers can wash their hands of the matter.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m fine with the concept of providing a photo and skipping the letters as long as the seller points out things that may not be obvious in the photo.&nbsp; The most common thing we see today is &#039;Better in Hand&#039; meaning &#039;The photo shows too much I hoped you would not see&#039;.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>A good number of my coins have situations that just don&#039;t grade in the traditional way.&nbsp; Below is a dupondius of Domitian which could be described as having good facial details and strong Athena upper body but no hair and no feet.&nbsp; I guess it is a Poor-VF 1-5/5, 4/5?&nbsp; It is better graded by the photo which looks a great deal like the coin.&nbsp; I am really, really glad I am not trying to feed the family based on my coin grading skills.&nbsp; I guess we could stand to lose a few pounds, anyway. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]551519[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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