Not sure this one qualified for a bump - and you maybe right that it is just two people bidding on a slab. I think this coin should be called G-4 or G-6 with a price between 80 and 100. Yes - a little high, but I like coins that look like that. Just my humble opinion.
I wasn't clear. I saw the things that were missing but to me a couple of other areas, like the wreath and face, looked like VG details to me, not typical G level of detail. You guys are probably right of course, but a VG8 just didn't surprise me. Maybe I am getting too jaded seeing too many overgraded slabs lately. Still I contend the grade could have been since its a nice, problem free planchet. This series is notorious for its bad planchets and maybe the graders gave it a pass due to that.
Here's 3 others with equally nice planchets and yet 2 are graded G 6 and one of them is in much better condition that the coin in this thread. And the 3rd is G 4 and also as nice than this G 8. http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=1116&Lot_No=7158#photo http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=1116&Lot_No=7154#photo http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=210073&Lot_No=24436
I don't think the planchets on those three are as nice as on the OP coin (especially the NGC), but they do have better detail. But I like them better as G4's then the OP as a VG8. I'm with Mark and I would call the OP coin a G6 although the TWO rim bumps are a bit of a problem. (The one at 6:00 was mentioned before but not the worse one at 8:00. Actually the "bump" at 6:00 may be a slight clip.)
It doesn't matter. Read PCGS's standards again. The coin does even come close to meeting those standards. It's over-graded plain and simple. End of story. Anyone could go on looking for excuses to explain that grade until the end of time and it's not to change that.
G, you have to take off your techincal grading hat and put on a market grading one.... Here's how to do that (for those of you not aware).... First, understand that PCGS market grades, and they do not techincal grade as the ANA does. Forget what they wrote in their grading books and website. It is only used to arrive at the base grade, not the final, market grade. As an aside, it is worth noting that the EAC standards, a version of market grading, are much closer to PCGS than ANA. Second, compare that coin's planchet to the average 1814 and you will quickly notice how nice of a coin it is. Combine the two, and then perhaps you'll understand how PCGS arrived at the grade it did. All that said, I'd like the coin much more in a g-6 slab rather than a vg-8 one, but only having crappy pictures to go on, I'll take PCGS's word on it and agree with the grade/valuation -- that coin is clearly worth more than G-4 money and that's what PCGS is trying to predict -- the market value not the technical grade....Mike
Mike - I have not used the technical grading system to grade even 1 coin since 1987. Small oooops there Mike. The ANA absolutely does not use technical grading ! They have not done so since 1987. You need to understand Mike that the ANA invented market grading. Oh I'll agree with the part about forgetting about the PCGS grading guide. PCGS threw that book out the window quite a few years ago. But ya know, according to you, and PCGS, their on-line PhotoGrade is supposed to be pretty good. Why don't you go take a look at what they show a a VG 8 Large Cent is supposed to look like. Take a look at the G 4 and G 6 too while you're at it. http://www.pcgs.com/photograde/#/ClassicCent/Grades Then you, or anyone else here, tell me which one the OP coin looks like. Yeah, it's got a nice planchet. Very nice for a G 4 coin. And that's according to PCGS's own grading guide, and their Photo Grade Guide ! I'm not using ANA standards here. I'm using PCGS standards !!! For the last time Mike, I do not use technical grading and haven't in over 20 years - I use market grading. The ANA does not use technical grading and hasn't in over 20 years. They use market grading too. But if as you say the PCGS is trying to predict the market value of the OP coin - then what in the world were they doing with the other coins I posted pictures of that they graded so much lower ? Face it Mike - PCGS screwed up big time on this one. And if you can't recognize that, then you're not as smart as I thought you were.