Hi all – I'm trying to get a visual on what kind of side view grading service slabs give you. I don't own any slabbed coins yet, so I'm looking for, ideally, some kind of 3D rotating view of slabbed coins from the usual suspects (NGC, PCGS, ICG, et al), like the click-and-drag 3D viewers on carmaker websites. Or just photos of the side view of the slab. With the photos I see at bullion dealers like JM Bullion I can't get a sense of the side view of the slab, or the depth of the rim ridges. The closest thing I've found is this illustration of the NGC EdgeView Holder, but it doesn't expose the side view. How much of the rim can you see in normal slabs? From photos it looks like the slab seams might obstruct the rim view. Are they popping out the coin on the front or back of the slab so that you can see the full rim surface? The existence of NGC's EdgeView Holder implies that normal slabs don't give you a good view of the rim. Can you point me to some photos or 3D viewers that expose the sides? Thanks.
they all have some sort of an edge view, although it's obstructed on all of them to some extent. the other option was the older style slabs, that people called "rattlers" because the coin could move in them and make a rattling noise, people didn't like those either. There is no perfect edge view for a slab, they all come with a downside to it, baring not slabbing the coin in the first place, even airtites and capsules have viewing problems for the edge though.
Only PCGS and NGC do with their prong holders. The solid rings the others use you're just seeing plastic
Do you mean opaque plastic, or clear? I can't tell from these photos of ANACS and ICG slabs what the sides are like: ANACS slab by Sunbird posted Oct 29, 2021 at 2:23 PM ICG slab by Sunbird posted Oct 29, 2021 at 2:23 PM
You won't see the sides of the coins on those slabs. Look at PCGS slabs they have prong holders where the clear plastic doesnt go all the way around and on theres you can still see through the spots it is somewhat. NGC have the "finger prongs" that don't go all the way around either but with the white plastic they completely cover the coin where they are
Until the edgeview slabs became commonplace with NGC and PCGS after 2007/2008 you couldn't see any of the edge of the coin and with PCGS slabs often the "rubber" ring would also wrap over the rim of the coin so you couldn't see that either. ANACS and ICG have also used some edgeview type slabs as well but not as consistantly as PCGS or NGC. PCGS tends to use very wide prongs so you get to see about half of the edge. NGC used four smaller prongs and then around 2013 reduced the size of the prongs even more so you can probably see about 90% of the edge. NGC was the first to use edgeview slabs back in 2002, but back then they were mostly used only for high relief Saint-Gaudens double eagles and a few Capped bust half dollars. they didn't become commonplace until the lettered edge President dollars came out in 2007, at which time NGC made the claim they developed them for those dollars. In 2007/8 NGC and PCGS only used them for the dollars then over the next few years explanded their use to all coins. The only other service that developed a slab for viewing the edge of the coin was MMGS that used a beveled mirror type arrangement that allowed you tp see the edge of the coin while looking straight at the obverse. It showed 100% of the edge.
I really like that idea. I remember mentioning an edge view slab to the new President of PCGS at FUN a couple years ago but nothing came of it. I wonder if the TPGs could come up with this mirror type as an extra option for coins with edge ornamentation, i.e. early US copper, bust halves, etc. Some of us would be willing to pay extra for this.
Frankly I didn't care for it too much. I didn't feel it worked all that well because when you looked at the coin at a normal viewing distance the edge image was too small, and if you tried to get closer and use magnification, being in a slab you had problems getting the light you needed because it tended to be in your own shadow. Would probably work with a lighted magnifier.
You can't see much. You have to look at it from an angle closely. Here's a double fat "coin" just as an example.
That's not a good example for what the slabs usually are as it is an extremely unique coin in an extremely unique version of the slab
