I think PCGS missed something on this one...

Well the image does portray a redish color.

 

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Key date - lots of things get past the graders on those also. Just my opinion.

 

If you mean the "RD" after the grade, that is meaningless - I have seen it a number of times before on verification of coins that were perfectly fine.

 

I can't believe it's graded at VF25, let alone the letters RD after that! It's closer to GRN than RD, in my opinion!!!

 

Did you look at the image? The grading label doesn't say "RD" and PCGS doesn't use the "RD" designation on VF coins.

 

Call me a newby, but I was not aware of that! I'd definately call them on that, though. Maybe they have a new guy, or this baby was graded early on a Monday morning.

 

My guess is that the "RD" has nothing to do with the grade, but a fair amount to do with a clerk entering the data.

 

Another example of a PCGS overgraded coin. My theory is that, in the past, when their policy was to either slab or body bag each coin, with no possibility of holdering a problem coin as being guaranteed genuine only, they became too lenient with their grading. In other words, their people got concerned about rejecting too many submissions, loosing business, and subconsciously or consciously started slabbing coins that should have been designated as having problems. That is why I like ANACS policy of slabbing problem coins and listing such problems on the slab as a details grade. IMO, it takes the pressure off of their employees to overgrade coins in order to get enough of them into slabs.

 

I thought it looked weird, I could be wrong but PCGS doesn't usually include pedigree, and variety and error. Here's what it usually looks like (from another 31S)

Lol that's weird, it doesn't show up on PCGS website, but once I copy and pasted it, mint error, variety, pedigree all came up.

I have confused myself.

 

Your guess is correct. The "RD" is merely the default color designation under the PCGS coin numbering/submission system.

 

As best I can tell, the items you mentioned weren't included in the subject coin's information any more than they were in the example you gave above.

 

Your assuming it was over graded and maybe jumping to a not so obvious conclusion, there are still variables we are not aware of like is the anomalies on the reverse mint made or post mint etc...

 

Those aren't hits. When they're on a '31-S, they're contact marks. :whistle:

 

Whatever the explanation for the reverse, I think it's a fairly interesting coin and you should keep it. There must be some story there, and as Mark pointed out, the explanation may be at the mint.

 

My first thought when seeing this coin was "what were they justifying these marks as??" Sometimes when you see coins in holders with marks it's a judgment call on the graders part if it was made that way or not. I have seen early American coins with big gouges in holders only after further review find that they appear to be apparent strike throughs or planchet flaws. This is not out of the ordinary.

This coin had me thinking. I couldn't come up with a way that this distortion or damage happened in the mint besides it getting run over with something but that could happen anywhere. Is their even a theory anyone here has as to how this would have happened at the mint? I just couldn't think of anything.

This thread isn't meant to dog the grading companies. For the vast majority of the time PCGS and NGC get it exactly right. I know personally people who grade for both companies and like and respect these people and the work they do. No one is perfect and I just wanted to share what I feel is a rare example of something that shouldn't have happened.

 

Hopefully whoever graded that one works elsewhere now, maybe as a greeter at the local Walmart !!!

 

Good post, Doug. Embarrassingly, I had missed the fact that that the original poster owns, and has thus, seen the coin in hand. That doesn't guarantee that he's right, but it makes it a lot more likely that he's not wrong.

 

Don't forget, its snot just one grader who is responsible for a coin's grade.

 

I love that typo Mark!! (or was it?) hahaha!!