PCGS mess up,what to do.

You have no idea what was put in their notes about it and are just making assumptions based on what you want them to be. But yes that is what grading is. It being a DDO didn't impact it's grade.

 

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Of course - lost in 3 pages of flames and name calling - are the facts

OP neglected to request the additional service
Coin was graded as requested

Did they miss an up-sell opportunity? Yes
Is it a realistic up-sell opportunity? Maybe not, considering that it takes the entire submission out of process while customer service (at some cost) makes the call. That call can easily cost more than the service's value.

You may now resume the flame fest...

 

All fixed.

 

All's well that ends well...

I've had discussions with graders at three different services on the subject of attributions (not PCGS) so what I have to add is probably irrelevant. So I wont post anything.

 

They quietly make a personal note of the coin and wait to see if it comes up for sale?

 

Has Insider ever not made a comment? See joke post#44.

AFAIK here is the rest of the story...

A large number of professional numismatists/dealers would not know a doubled die if it smacked them across the face. In my experience, it took until the early 1970's before these things started to catch on and became highly sought after. While everyone at the time knew of the 1955/55 cent, coins like the 1941 DDO, were virtually unknown. I once had to beg a dealer to purchase a F+ 1916 DDO nickel for $35! The error guys finally started listing interesting varieties and Cherrypickers was published. Then the floodgates opened as new coins were found.

When PCGS and NGC were founded, the graders there were dealers. Most of them did not know about any varieties that were not major. In the 80's, naked eye doubled dies were slabbed as normal coins (just as the OP's coin) because they were overlooked. It seemed to me that the 1946 DDR 50C was always missed at both services. At first, services like PCI, and ANACS were the only services to indicate ALL varieties. At that time NGC for example only slabbed coins that their Head of Research deemed important. Thus, only the major 1972 DDO was slabbed as such because attributing a 1972 DDO #4 as a doubled die would suggest it had "value." Today, variety attributions help pay the light bill and all the TPGS have variety experts on staff.

Now to the OP's coin. As has been stated above, either the graders missed the variety or saw the variety and are instructed to ignore it. "Mistakes" as this one happen either due to inattention or ignorance; however, any TPGS that claims to be #1 or #2 should be better at catching this OBVIOUS DDO. If a TPGS claims to be #1 or #2, there should not be a list! Trying to protect a collector from overpaying (DDO #1 price) for DDO #4 is not the business of a TPGS! If the graders are instructed not to attribute an obvious variety because it was not paid for that's STUPID. Call the customer. Otherwise it makes the TPGS look ignorant as in the case here.

I know for a fact that ICG attributes coins for their customers for free if it is something interesting or major like a Top 100 Morgan or better Bust Half even if the collector did not know what he had. I believe ANACS has done that also but in a much more limited way. AFAIK, the top two services do not. That's a real shame.

 

got it back yesterday

 

Yet it has always been TPG 3, 4, and 5 that didn't need a list, and were more accurate on the attributions as well. (#1 and 2 are slowly getting better at that.)

 

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'll admit, I have wondered this.

 

I honestly doubt it. They see so many coins a day, that would be a lot of cert numbers to be recording since no one could possibly remember them. Plus why risk a well paying job to make a few bucks here and there, you get fired for doing that and no grading service is hiring you again

 

Are graders not allowed to collect coins of their own?

 

Pretty sure the guys in the grading room day in and day out are barred from buying and selling for profit. I'm guess they could probably quietly collect and if they sold something here and there from a personal collection it wouldn't be a big deal but I could be wrong. I am not sure how strict a policy it is but I am almost positive I have seen on their various sites the graders are barred from being actively engaged for profit

 

Double checked on CU and you are 100% correct. I guess I'm just cynical, but I just assume someone will try to take advantage wherever possible for monetary gain. I'd almost assume it has happened at some point but TPGs are very good at keeping it in-house. I mean... a few years back a teller at a friend's bank thought she would get away with taking a little off the top.. where there's a will there's a way and some quote about the endless expanse of human stupidity.

 

There is a difference between being actively engaged in buying and selling coins for profit and being a collector able to purchase coins. I know for a fact that the graders at some TPGS's are allowed to purchase coins. There are some restrictions.
For example, it would be frowned upon and not look good to sell a coin graded by the company you worked for. I know that a grader for NGC has submitted a coin or two to ICG at a FL show as I saw it happen. I also know an NGC grader buys raw coins as I've seen some of the neat stuff including Daniel Carr issues and Foreign medals. One ICG grader collects counterfeits and slabbed/raw coins for his grading classes. I don't think the others at ICG currently purchase coins although one collects baseball or football cards (I cannot remember which) and one collects stamps.

Now, I'm interested in finding out the TPGS's actual policies (besides what's on their web site). I'm going to the ANA in March. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

"Hi Jeremy...Full-time graders at PCGS are not allowed to buy and sell coins. We occassionally use part-time graders, and they are dealers who of course buy and sell coins. We have antconflict policies in place and as far as I know, no part-time grader has ever violated those rules."

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/200517/graders-buying-selling-coins

 

Congrats on the 1970-S DDO.
after all these posts, did you have to pay the fee for it?

 

That is true, though the classic graders at a TPG make far far more than a bank teller.

 

Well, expect for the fact that this one has a "no pay" counterpart much like the 55/55 Lincoln.

Coin Number 92938 (no pay Attribution) is exactly the same as Coin Number 37998 (pay for attribution).

The 55/55 coin numbers are:

2825 (No charge for variety attribution)
and
37910 (Variety Attribution charge)

Folks need to look this stuff up and use the proper coin numbers on their submission forms.

 

Did they bill ya the additional $18?

 

Yes I agreed to the extra 18$ billing charge with I think her name was Ashley at CS at the PCGS# in a email. A few days later the coin had the correct DD listing and about a week after that I got the coin,but on the paperwork listed with the coin it came back with the original price tag I first sent in with them. All in all the coin is back,albeit thought it would come back cleaned as it def has that look,but a AU58 straight grade will suffice. Thanks for all the replies and help everyone.