Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak!

Same here, haven't gotten an encased coin yet. Though I'm not looking for one, I welcome the day I can jailbreak a con, er, coin.

Here's a Gallienus from Alexandria:

 

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IO MALLEVM LIBERTATIS!

 

I do not actively pursue coins in slabs. However, at the risk of attracting undue attention I have made some great purchases of slabbed coins because they did not have the magic letters AU or MS. I have found a few slabbed coins of VG or F that turned out to be very nice coins. I find the slab collectors overlook these and that means I have picked up a deal or several on slabbed ancient coins.

Here is an example of a coin that graded VG-it is a fine by my grading standards but that does not really matter. What matters is that I got a very nice coin for a great price because it was in a slab.

 

That reminds me that I recently bought and "rescued" this slabbed, Octavian denarius. It earned a 4/5 surfaces grade with an "edge bump" note, both of which certainly reduced the price. Within a few weeks after purchase, I found a 1970 Spink Num. Circ. provenance for it.

 

I’m a non-ancient collector (but otherwise ancient) and have no qualms whatever about freeing coins from their prisons. In fact, I’ve performed dozens of “plastic surgeries”, with both the Coin and myself surviving admirably...

 

I have around 300 slabbed coins, rest are in proof presentation cases, or 2X2 saflips. I have changed my mind about slabs. I would not call it being imprisoned, but being put into protective custody. Now, I have some pet peeves with TPG firms, one there is not enough information about the coin/ hence I make my own data label. Second, grading is a tad too liberal. Now, for the positive aspects, it protects the coin from being handling/touched, there is no friction inside flip, easy to bring to a coin meeting and show it/ without me worrying someone might have an accident. For silver it prevent that ghastly oxidation/ tarnished look. Here is my 1758-B Bahia Mint AV 6400 Reis Jose I /Brazil in MS-66.....this should never be touched.

 

That is a beautiful coin and amazing state of preservation.... wow! I agree with you that for certain coins (like this one, high grade modern copper, Morgans, etc.) slabs make a lot of sense. And even for ancients it makes sense for a certain type of collector too I guess. There is no doubt that in a plastic case it's much safer than out in the open.

Still, I take an enormous amount of joy out of cracking out slabs with my enormous bolt cutter. It is just so perversely satisfying!

 

Am I the only one who is afraid of damaging the coin while breaking it out? I’ve freed everyone that comes into my collection so far but i have an aureus that is still slabbed because of fear of scratching the soft metal.

 

I do not like slabs (I prefer to call them coffins). I think the record for one surviving in my possession is about 8 hours. I used to work nights got the coin in the morning went to bed woke up and cracked it open before doing anything else. I find that basically they get in the way of me trying to assess the coins merits or lack of them. Some coins are best seen from different angles in fact some I think were designed to be viewed from an angle. This is made more difficult. Even when I have one in my hands I sometimes have to struggle with..... "is the defect on the coin or on the slab" and trying to determine authenticity much more difficult. I don't care what anyone else said about the authenticity of the coin, I want to make certain on that issue on my own. I think the 5 point scale of strike and surface to be all but useless as it is much too general. I tend not to buy coins in slabs because of the above mentioned issues. I cannot say that I have made any major purchases of coins in slabs.

 

Wut, seriously? Use a hacksaw if you're that worried.

Hell, it's gold. You could dunk it in battery acid and a couple hours later there'd be nothing left but a happy coin :- )

 

I tend toward the paranoid. When I'm about to break it out I can clearly see a piece of plastic fragment gouging the coin and I drop the slab in fear.

 

When I build up the courage, i'll post it. It will certainly be one of my favorites.

 

Do you have a Dremmel Nemo? I imagine it would make safe and quick work using a cutting disk around the edges of the case.

 

That’s a great idea. I do have one and I think that’s what I’ll use. Thanks

 

Hi to all , I come from old Europe, Belgium and for us having antic coins on a slab is not really in our mood even Belgium dealers or French ones find them too difficult to sale so they avoid it.

Of course the guys in modern coins and investors in modern coins in Europe seems to be more in slabs...

 

I am from Germany, I have mixed feelings on slabs. First off, I love the way your coins are safe and protected/ also makes viewing easier/ no worries about accidently touching coin with exposed fingers/ worse dropping it. My main concerns are/ data is too scant. The TPG should include smaller script full data on coin. Two/ I find grading standards are lax, esp. on hammered coinage. MS=should be true uncirculated quality....
John
PS: I would never remove it from its "protective custody"=slab.

 

For antic coins grading companies are inconsistent and they are not able to detect some forgeries and if you need an expert to make a check after the coin being slabed ... what is more important authenticity or grading. I can grade a forgery as I can grade an authentic one without being expert.

 

BUT BUT now the people that demand that every coin be slabbed won't like your coin. That may add a whole minute to a sale or even drop the price you get by a dime. Heaven forbid.

 

Do you think that all antic coin collector are ready to pay over 600 usd a slabed XF Denarius for the same Denarius in XF at 200 Usd and 100 usd in VF ? I will just say that you have some investors going to be interested on the scarce top denarii and Aurei not in common ones.