So, as I understand it...several years ago PCGS began imaging coins sent to them for grading. If you look up a coin in their verification and it was slabbed since this began, a photo of the coin appears. This provides another layer of protection when purchasing their coins because you can verify that the coin in the slab is the coin that was graded. Is this accurate? Is there anyway to look at their imaged coins without having the slabbed serial number? For example, I have a German pattern coin that they slabbed and it has an image online when I look up the serial. I'd love to be able to find high quality photos of other German patterns so I can put together my own reference folder for them. Is there anyway for me to find photos that they have taken of such coins if I do not have the slabbed serial numbers? Can specific coins be accessed using the population reports or registries (if registries exist for these types of coins)?
PCGS has 724 German coin sets in their Registry, here. https://www.pcgs.com/SetRegistry/europe/germany/132 NGC Registry for 1919 to date look here. https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/public_sets.aspx?CategoryID=138&sets=world There are sets for German Coins before 1919 as well.
The secure plus coins all have photos and the ones which had a TrueView. I can't remember when it started but all world coins that aren't modern have to Secure Plus so they will have photos. They may be toying with the idea of going to some sort of photo for all coins as they are currently looking to hire another photographer, but that could also just be because they keep breaking their own records for how much business they're doing and world coins are a good part of that. Anyway for world coins the easiest is to go to the population reports. Most of the coins there will have pictures when you click on the PCGS No column on the left. So for say the German patterns, population report then Germany then patterns section and then click on each individual coin and most will have a picture
