Hi there! I’m just wondering if this 2 cent is worth getting graded? Coins usually can sell for more when they are graded or no? How much is the average cost of getting a coin graded and is my two cent worth it?
Hello. To answer your questions... Not worth grading. Not always sell more when graded. Every coin grading company is different. Not worth the grading fees to make a profit that is. 1865 Two Cent Pieces Coin Value Prices, Photos & Info
Average cost of certification by a respectable TPG (third-party grading service)? Figure a minimum of fifty bucks++, after all the fees and return shipping and stuff. I think Sal's grade estimation is way too low. I put the coin at XF40 details (maybe 45 on a good day). I think the color might be suspect (looks like it might possibly have had an old cleaning there), so you might not even get a straight grade on it (it might go XF details/cleaned). Which would trade at a discount. So I do concur with Sal's assessment that it is not worth the cost of certification. Even if it did straight grade- let's say at XF40, for the sake of argument- it's worth $58 in that grade, per Numismedia. So as I see it, in your best case scenario, you'd be looking at spending $50-ish to certify a coin worth $58, tops. So right there you can see that it doesn't make any sense, financially. So that's the bad news. The good news is, it's a perfectly decent coin for an album or something. Just not a great slab candidate, is all. Enjoy it as-is. Don't waste money submitting it.
I'd say XF as well, and it looks like it was not only cleaned, but then maybe some "Deller's Darkener" put on it to take the cleaning shine off the copper.
On the cost of grading, it can be done cheaper than stated. If you have 5 coins to grade, $16 each at ANACS plus $36 return shipping so $23.20 per coin plus your cost to ship to them. Submitting at a coin show will save you $1/coin and your shipping cost - show special is usually 10 coins for $140 (but you'd need 10 coins instead of 5). I'm not saying to do this, just that it can be cheaper than the $50/coin stated.
I don’t feel your two cents coin is worth the time, cost or effort to have it graded. Trying to do so may give you a headache. It’s nice looking but it will probably come back with a genuine but details grade. Best to leave as is in my opinion and that’s my two cents worth.
I agree with everyone else (I have to, they're the people that know. Not a cut, I mean with the utmost respect), the coin will not gain enough value to offset the cost of grading. Now, this is where I differ. I think you would be happier to box it up and send to me! Well, maybe I would be the happier one, lol. Seriously, to me it's a very nice coin. I hope you enjoy having it in your collection. I'm sure you already know this, but the 2 cent coin is the first U.S. coin to contain the words "IN GOD WE TRUST". I'm considering putting together a set of them, just to have.
True, ANACS would be cheaper. But I still don’t think submission would be cost-effective in this particular case.
It has EF-AU sharpness, but it has been cleaned, and surfaces appear to be pitted. Enjoy it as it is. Spending grading service money on it does not make economic sense. I’ll post a couple of pictures of nice Two Cent Pieces tomorrow.
