Never heard of this slab company before, are they legit or just a homeslabber? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1879-CC-MORGAN-SILVER-DOLLAR-KEY-DATE/203058300373?hash=item2f4737c5d5:g:nOQAAOSw-exei34a
Looks like PCI. They are legit but not top tier. I would trust them for authentication of a details coin like this one.
Sort of, you have to know their slab generations to be sure of that. https://coinweek.com/people-in-the-...ly-2-million-under-federal-racketeering-laws/
Never heard of PCI grading. At least this one honestly says it's cleaned. Not one I'd add to my personal collection.
When PCI was using the red labels for problem coins, they were good. They were actually pretty tough on some coin types.
My perception was that they were very inconsistent. People upgraded coins from PCI grades to higher ones in PCGS holders. Other times their grades were too high. The firm had many owners, and that didn't make them more consistent.
Larry is correct... the first generations of PCI small slabs were pretty good. PCI - Photocertified Coin Institute was one of the earliest PhotoSlab companies (their two-compartment PhotoSlab gets around Accugrade's three-compartment patent). When Hallmark died (bankrupt? or otherwise out of business), PCI bought the rights and tooling for the small slab with the cut off corners, which they used for many many years. They originally used a green label for US coins, Blue border for foreign and Red for problem coins. The third (fourth? Need to check my records) ownership introduced the Gold box and market grading and that's when they went into the toilet. But both of the green label versions were pretty good, both the 10-digit serials and the 9-digit serials. You do need to look out for a series of fraudlent green labels from the 2000s which used the wrong font AND the box on the back instead of being micro-printed PCI PCI PCI PCI is just blobs.
To be fair it had changed hands a few times but yes buyers do need to make sure it’s from the start not towards the end
Regarding the later slabs, was it just an issue with over grading or inconsistent grading, or were they also slabbing coins of questionable authenticity? Counterfeit slabs would be another issue of course, but if their authentication skills were adequate, that would still be value added for a coin like the OP posted as long as the slab was genuine.
Mostly just market grading and inconsistent at that - if you leave out the absolute fraudulent FPG masquerade as a TPG period.
According to eBay rules, you can only display a slabbed grade if the grading was done by PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG. I’ve reported this listing.
@Santinidollar Though the picture is basically part of the description This does not break any rules. He does not state grade on his title or description and the listing says uncertified. What the slab says is "misleading" on the sale and can be returned as "not as described" if unhappy. Typical EBAY "speak" and is my understanding of its rules and what I have seen in the past.
Good to know! Thanks mate, just getting back into numismatics recently after a 5+ year break. My memory is hazy when it comes to such things as who was a homeslabber and who wasn't.
