Historic Pricing - U.S. Coins

Nahhh, not all, grading simply doesn't work that way. That's what a lot of folks just don't get about grading. Ya see, each coin type, more than that even, each coin series is unique and requires it's own individual set of grading criteria. And then there are the special cases where a specific date/mint combination of a given series has it own unique grading criteria.

 

Nope, none of those on a Saint so of course they can't have anything to do with grading a Saint.

However, none of those things have anything to do with grading a Frankie, a Merc, or a Jeff either.

Ya see that's another thing a lot of folks don't seem to understand, special designations are not part of the grade and have nothing to do with determining the grade of a coin. Special designations, all of them, are an added note and nothing more.

 

All I can do is lead ya to the water, I can't make ya drink it

 

In the marketplace, yeah it does, granted. But the question is - should it ?

Take a Jeff for example, the price difference between of 2 coins - same date/mint same grade, same TPG, but one with the designation and the other without it - the price of the one with it is going to be significantly higher than that of the one without it. But is that price difference justified ?

Ya see, the coin without the designation might very well have a better strike in all other areas of the coin than the coin with the designation. But the coin without the designation didn't get the designation because there was a break in the lines of the steps. In other words, the coin without the designation is actually the better coin, but yet it sells for less.

The exact same kind of thing is true with ALL special designations ! So what does that tell you ?

Well, I dunno what it says to you, but I sure know what it says to me ! It downright screams to me that special designations are nothing more than just so much bull !

 

Now take it to the next step. When someone pays that premium for the special designation, what are they buying ? Are they buying a coin, or are they buying plastic ?

The answer's pretty obvious. And, at the same time, it forces a final question, one that everyone must answer - what kind buyer do you want to be ?

 

Not necessarily. Ya see, 60s and 61s often look like they came in 8th in an ax fight ! And even 62s often look like they came in 6th. While with 58s, often the only detracting factor is very slight wear on some of the high points.

And this proves that the "theory" is simply not true at all, it's nothing more than false logic.

Ya see, that's the problem with trying to have grade establish or determine value - it simply doesn't work ! Grade establishes and determines condition, nothing more.