Minor example of gradeflation anecdote
ernie11
Posts: 1,982 ✭✭✭✭✭
...or at least, I think it is. Maybe it's that my grading abilities have changed, or I've gotten accustomed to the new grading realities.
Don't have a photo of the coin to post cause the coin is not back home yet. In 1983, I had a 1982 No P mintmark dime graded by another grading service I won't name (but their initials are ANACS, back when the ANA owned it). It graded MS-63 strong strike and came accompanied by a photo, since they didn't encapsulate back then. At that time with my limited grading skills, I totally agreed with the grade.
I wanted this dime to be slabbed so I re-sent this back to ANACS 35 years later. Before I sent it, I looked at it closely in magnification and thought to myself, geez, I've seen worse-looking coins today grade MS-64 or even MS-65. So y'day, they e-mailed me, the coin was now graded by them as MS-66! It ticked up 3 numbers in 35 years.
Comments
That is a good story that you are able to confirm. If there was a way to see the history on other MS66 coins, or any other high grade for that matter, it would be interesting to see how many had similar stories to yours. I'm guessing there would be a lot.
Did you crack it out before resubmitting or send it in the original holder?
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
Nice report
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
and that is the way that grading has gone.
I know a number of former AU-58's that have been graded MS.
And, no, I have seen them and no pictures.
BHNC #203
The OP would not need to:
“It graded MS-63 strong strike and came accompanied by a photo, since they didn't encapsulate back then.”
Most of these were sent back in flips (and some would later put the coins into a Capital Plastic Holder).
Thanks. I missed the part about it being an old ANACS Photo Cert.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
No worries! I’ve missed bigger details before.
What you said. Thanks.
The original negatives are in the ANA library. If you have the cert# you might be able to order a print.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
They have the negatives, but they have no capability to make prints from them.
But is the coin itself any better than 35 years ago? Or is it just that the grading standards are coughing up blood?
Call me naïve, but I've never seen any of my coins get better by just lying around for 35 years. In answer to the folks about ANACS having the negatives, somewhere around here I have the original photo, I'll try to find it and scan it and post.
That is an interesting story...It can certainly be an example of gradeflation, or, since the grading 'industry' was in it's infancy then (at least IMO), part of it could be grading maturity. I am not making any excuses, just assessing from afar...a three grade jump is really significant. Cheers, RickO