Will TPG like PCGS, NGC, or ANACS grade a coin that has been "cleaned" or "messed" with in any other way? I have been looking at Morgan Dollars that are graded. I know the old saying goes "buy the coin, not the slab", but if the coin is in one of the above mentioned TPG slabs, doesn't that kind of guarantee that the coin has not been "messed" with? Isn't that like "buying the SLAB, not the coin"? Since I don't know a lot about grading coins, is that the way to go about buying a coin? In other words, should I look to see if a coin is graded by a REPUTABLE TPG, then look at how the coin appears to me? If I agree somewhat with the TPG rating of the coin, then I can pretty much be sure that the coin has not been cleaned and it is authentic? I hope that I have asked these questions so that yinz can understand what I mean. Thanks to everyone in advance! swick P.S. Also, if you send a coin in to be graded, will a TPG notice an error or some other anomaly, and write it on the slab before returning it to you? Thanks again! swick
ANACS will often include a problem on the label in their slab where the other top TPGs will simply body bag them. None of them will identify errors without being specifically asked to do so, and they generally charge extra for the request, whether or not they decide it is appropriate. I don't fully understand your question. Cleaning, post mint damage, AT, etc. are disqualifiers. Besides disqualifiers and errors/varieties, what "other anomalies" are there?
There's more to it than that. NGC & PCGS will slab coins that have been cleaned and/or dipped - but they will not slab coins that have been harshly cleaned. ANACS on the other hand will slab harshly cleaned coins. As far as being messed with, you'll have to define what you mean by that. Again, that depends on your definition of messed with. For example, I would call all of these as being messed with - dipped, artificially toned, altered surfaces, altered mint mark or date, lightly cleaned, harshly cleaned, polished, added mint mark - the list is nearly endless. So you need to be more specific. Yes, absolutely. You buy the coin and not the slab regardless of what slab it is in. ALL of the TPG's make mistakes. That depends, if the TPG is NGC, PCGS, ANACS or ICG then I would say yes you can be sure the coin is authentic. But, you cannot be sure that the coin hasn't been cleaned. No they will not. Error attribution costs extra and you must also request it when you submit the coin. You also have to submit the coin under the right tier for error attribution.
Thanks so much Roy and GDJMSP! The best example of "messed with" I can think of is the new "no-edge" Washington Dollars. If someone were to submit a Washington Dollar that has the "edge" take off by mechanical means, would a TPG "black bag" the coin, or just go ahead and grade it? I think I'm answering my own question here! I guess I'm asking that if I buy a coin from a reputable TPG, then I can pretty much be sure that the coin is authentic, and has not been harshly cleaned? Thanks again! I really appreciate it! Although I still can't tell for sure if a coin has been "harshly" cleaned! LOLOL YINZ GUYS ARE DA BEST!! swick
If I a coin has been harshly cleaned, there will be scratches all over it's surface and/or discolouration/excessive brightness without any lustre. If you buy a coin from PCGS, NGC or ANAC, then it will be genuine. The TPG would certainly body bag a washington with removed edge lettering if they could tell !
Talkin' about varieties (VAMs, Overton, Sheldon, Breen, etc)... The three you mentioned (PCGS, NGC, ANACS) will, but ONLY if requested at additional fee AND time. ALSO... each of them has a FIXED LIST of varieties they will certify. For instance, 1910-S/S/S $10 Indian Breen-7114 RPM-1. ANACS will certify it as such (on the label), but NGC and PCGS will not. Or 1911-D/D $20 Saint... NGC and ANACS will, but PCGS will not. ANACS charges $10 if you want them to research your coin to see if it is a variety, but only $5 to verify YOUR assertion of variety.
and an oddly high number of coins at DHRC just happen to be high-end PCGS slabs. I wonder if he's ever gotten a coin body-bagged for questionable (not certain) cleaning? Sorry, this is my bias showing because I DO feel that some submissions to PCGS are graded more leniently than others.
The "top" tpgs websites discuss various types of cleaning regarding coins. Typically tpgs only claim that they will not grade those coins deemed to be harshly or improperly cleaned - which leads me at least, to think that other types of cleaned coins are graded by them on a somewhat routine basis. I recommend going to their websites and reading about it firsthand. Even harshly or improperly cleaned coins will be slabbed by the top tpgs when it suits them. If you have doubts about that, read the descriptions for some of the slabbed rarities such as 1894-S dimes, 1804 dollars, etc. to find specific examples. Seems not all coins (or should that be submittors?) are treated equally. If you are looking to make "safe" purchases, the "top" tpgs do offer some degree of safety, but you do not get that without paying a price. I can not if regular coinage is similar, but exonumia slabs seem to bring about 3-5 times the price for an equivalent raw token (on ebay), which greatly mystifies me. There are extremely few fake/altered cwts, cleanings are basically of little significance, exonumia collectors seldom use the Sheldon scale (mostly just sellers of slabs use it), and even problems like a hole only knock about 15% off the price, so I am not sure what the attraction is to the piece of plastic. I do know from the premium for exonumia slabs that I could make 2-4 "bad" purchases for every single "good" one, and I would have just as many "nice" tokens as if I had only purchased slabs. Improve on that ratio and you are value ahead.
