I am thinking of buying a proof coin in original packaging. The seller has sold nearly 30 so I can only assume that these didn't make the grade. I have two questions on the process 1. Can you tell the grader to only slab if it meets a certain grade and if so how much do you save it isn't slabbed? 2. For a silver coin do they handle it with gloves or do they even remove it from the holder for the initial determination before starting the slabbing process?
Submission instructions are that the coins have to sent in ordinary flips. But if they are not and are sent in original packaging, then they charge you, $1 per coin I think it is, and the coins are removed and placed in flips by low level staff members before the graders ever even see the coins. When the graders get the coins, they remove them from the flips and examine them in hand. And no, they never wear gloves. Neither should you. edit - a bit of advice for you. If you are not very, very, good at grading coins yourself, you should not submit coins for grading, especially with moderns, for it will be a huge waste of money.
Please take Doug's advice above or you may end up out of a lot of money. I can't tell you many coins I have purchased slabbed at PF69 for $5.00 or less.
These answers are going to depend on which service you use. You can request it, they may or may not follow the request but for a small submission like that you will be charged the full price either way. There's no charge for sending coins in OGP to PCGS and they will return it for free. NGC is pickier about that and will charge to send it back. Not sure about ANACS.
