Does anybody specifically remember seeing their first slabbed coin and exactly what it was?

asheland

I remember in 1994 while still in high school seeing a buffalo nickel in a PCGS OGH MS65 or close to that
I remember being fascinated at the holder, I was just a casual coin collector at that time and didn't even know about the grading services. I bought the coin and remember the dealer telling me "PCGS, oh yeah, they're the best!" It's a cool memory, and I really wish I still had the coin!

Tell me your stories...

Coinstartled

First was an MS64 Morgan in PCGS plastic which I bought on Ebay in 2001 or 2002.

Questioned the seller as to why the $44 coin did not have a CAC sticker and he explained that CAC would not be conceived for another half dozen years. Can't be too careful.

Don't recall the date or mint mark.

asheland

Nice!

No Headlights

Don’t remember
But I would wager it was a Morgan dollar

Dave99B

Morgan dollar, so sure. Don't recall the year, but I do remember it was an MS63.

Dave

Paradisefound

I was not being exposed (better be careful with my words) to the view of slabbed coin growing up.
The 1st one was my Peace in OGH

asheland

@Paradisefound said:
I was not being exposed (better be careful with my words) to the view of slabbed coin growing up.
The 1st one was my Peace in OGH

Pics! Let's see the exact coin.

Paradisefound

She is a BEAUT for being 62

@asheland said:

@Paradisefound said:
I was not being exposed (better be careful with my words) to the view of slabbed coin growing up.
The 1st one was my Peace in OGH

Pics! Let's see the exact coin.

derryb

yep, the first three I ever submitted, the new 2006 W gold buffalo proofs, all came back with a PCGS 70. Flipped each for a 300% profit and was hooked on grading.

golden

That is a good question. I do not remember.

asheland

@Paradisefound said:
She is a BEAUT for being 62

@asheland said:

@Paradisefound said:
I was not being exposed (better be careful with my words) to the view of slabbed coin growing up.
The 1st one was my Peace in OGH

Pics! Let's see the exact coin.

That's awesome! Although you've upgraded that one, I'd definitely keep that dup as it's your first slabbed coin!
And a nice one at that!

OldEastside

Jefferson 1940 Proof 66 ANACS in 1993 paid 50 bucks for it, over the years it developed a light rose tone. kind of like a pink diamond, just absolutely stunningly beautiful, sadly I sold it in 2001 for twice what I paid, its definitely the only coin I regret selling

Steve

asheland

@OldEastside I like the older ANACS holders. Sounds like a nice coin.

ms70

Probably around 2000. I don't remember what coin it was but it was an early PCGS rattler. I instantly fell in love with the look of the coin "floating" in the frame. I wish they could bring back that look!

Weiss

Anacs photocert back in the early 1980s. A Morgan. Shortly thereafter it was a smorgasboard of slabs in all shapes and sizes. The wild west of slabbing. It was a painful process to get where we are now but I'm glad we made it through. Mostly.

OneOfEverything

I will actually be in posession of my very first slabbed coin in a few days! A 1942-D Mercury, MS64 FB! Nothing too impressive, but I am excited nonetheless! I absolutely love mercury dimes and it will be very interesting to see a PCGS slab up close.

Fairlaneman

First PCGS slabbed coin was at the Salem, Oregon Thanksgiving weekend coin show. Cannot remember which year but it had to be close to 1990. The coin was a 1938D Mercury Dime that was being touted as the Finest Known at the time.

Ken

AlexinPA

ANACS Photo Certs too. A long time ago.

ColonelJessup

John Dannreuether (PCGS founder), Jay Miller, Dean Schmidt and I were having lunch at Long Beach a few hours before the very first 1986 announcement. So he pulls out a rattler and drops it in a water glass and says "and they're locked up tighter than a drum." Thirty seconds later, as the slab has taken on water, he notes that he may have misunderstood the nature of the ultrasonic weld.

Edited to add: I have no recollection whatsoever what the coin in the slab might have been

asheland

@OneOfEverything said:
I will actually be in posession of my very first slabbed coin in a few days! A 1942-D Mercury, MS64 FB! Nothing too impressive, but I am excited nonetheless! I absolutely love mercury dimes and it will be very interesting to see a PCGS slab up close.

That's awesome! Please post a photo of it!
And welcome to the boards!

asheland

@ColonelJessup said:
John Dannreuether (PCGS founder), Jay Miller, Dean Schmidt and I were having lunch at Long Beach a few hours before the very first 1986 announcement. So he pulls out a rattler and drops it in a water glass and says "and they're locked up tighter than a drum." Thirty seconds later, as the slab has taken on water, he notes that he may have misunderstood the nature of the ultrasonic weld.

Edited to add: I have no recollection whatsoever what the coin in the slab might have been

My first thought was dang! That thing must have been full of water rather quickly!

tommy44

I don't remember the first one I saw bu do remember the first one I purchased. It was a 1868-S $5 in a PCGS VG10 slab. I bought it in the October 1991 Long Beach Heritage bullet sale, remember those. I still have it.

Smudge

Do not remember, but it was a rattler. Probably a Morgan.

Desert Moon

In hand, it was my first visit to US Coin 14 years ago. I saw just about everything you could imagine in holders, mostly PCGS but NGC and ANACS as well. Bought an 1883-CC $1 in P65, a l938-D half in P58, and an 1866 penny in P58. This is what they suggested as a way to start a collection. Great advice, all gone now. Wish I would have kept the 83-CC dollar, it was stunning for the grade.

Best, SH

coinsarefun

Gold is what got me into collecting coins and a Hungarian raw one was my first coin I bought.
I had it graded and it went a MS63
.
.

.
.
Then after the countless raw Morgan’s I bought Thinking they were wild toners.........not......at, crappy toning etc...
I bought a set of Russian gold in the old holders.
.
.

ACop

I dont recall if they were slabbed but I remember walking into a coin shop and seeing a case full of uncirculated morgan and peace dollars. All blast white. I remember having no interest in them whatsoever and thinking how generic they all looked. It didnt feel like collectible coins to me. I no longer feel that way completely negatively. But I do still feel that way about modern proofs and clad. Surprisingly given my age of 42 it wasnt that long ago. I think it was 2004. I had owned a few coins then but was just getting started as an actual collector. By 2008 I was balls deep.

Mark

It was about 1992 and I purchased a PCGS PR64 1936 Walker for about $5,000 (as I recall) from Bowers and Merena. I still have the coin. I wonder what it would grade nowadays if I cracked it and resubmitted it.

privatecoin

1996 silver eagle ms69.

Ronyahski

I do remember. In the first years of slabbing I bought the very first 50-D Franklin graded 66 and slabbed. It was in an NGC holder. I noticed after a couple of months that it had a speck on the reverse and a circular toning was forming. Sent it back and asked them to remove the speck. Got the coin back and it was dipped!!! with some of the toning removed. As you can see, the circle remained.

Still have it as the first slabbed coin I owned and a reminder to .... be careful.

Since crossed it to PCGS 66FBL

Broadstruck

I saw my first PCGS slabs when I was allowed by the dealer to look through a wholesalers sell boxes at my local B&M in 1986. I recall holding a 1926-S Oregon Trail in MS67 claiming it was better than sex and they both laughed.

KindaNewish

August 1973, while reading CoinAGE magazine.
It stuck in my head for years and I always wanted one. I finally found one for sale, I have it on lay-a-way with a favoured dealer and should have it in my paws next month.

Anyone wanna guess the coin?

Oh, and if anyone has a copy of 8/73 CoinAge magazine, please PM me.

TomB

A 1929-S SLQ in a PCGS MS63 rattler holder shortly after PCGS began operations. I bought it at the time and it has been sold long ago.

MICHAELDIXON

It was just after PCGS opened and was an 1881 S Morgan dollar in MS63. I paid around $75 for it and sold it not long after.

CCGGG

I don't recall the exact date/mm but it was a Morgan dollar back in the 70's (GSA slab)

Elcontador

In the early 1990s, I saw an MS 68 Peace Dollar that to me, had ugly toning and was overgraded. I struggled for a response to its owner, who proudly showed it me. I came up with "thanks for letting me look at the coin."

Colonialcoin

Mine was a Great Britain 1742 1/2 penny in choice Unc. I don’t recall which company slabbed it but it was not PCGS or NGC.

FHC

I don't remember what the coin or grade was. The slab I know was PCGS and I saw it at a flea market. I thought they were just something the dealer had made.

bolivarshagnasty

Bought a one sided PL 81-S Morgan in a SEGS holder labeled PL. My first tuition and realization that not all TPG's were the same. Early 2000's and my first slabbed coin.

blitzdude

No longer have the coin or a picture but it was a $20 Saint Guadens in a Manfra, Tordella & Brookes holder like the one in the picture below. Was just a common date MS62. Probably a 1924.

asheland

@Mark said:
It was about 1992 and I purchased a PCGS PR64 1936 Walker for about $5,000 (as I recall) from Bowers and Merena. I still have the coin. I wonder what it would grade nowadays if I cracked it and resubmitted it.

I'd love to see that one!

panexpoguy

1996 I was not an active coin collector but happened to be in a pawn shop to but some gold and saw a 1921 Morgan in a rattler. MS 63. Might have been around $20 bucks so I bought it. Cracked it out and resubmitted it raw. Bout 4 years ag and got MS 65 and sold it

Batman23

Way back in 1989, Middle school without computers or the internet. Can you even imagine!! Anyway, living on an island with no other collectors or options other than an occasional mail order article and the US mint flyers... Yep so deprived!

Well I got me a couple of these awesome new silver coins. They were graded and slabbed by ANICS... who states on the cert they are not affiliated with ANACS. It didn't matter to me, I was after the coin and the holder was very fancy compared to my 2x2s. Did you know that PF65 was "Perfect", they must have used the 65 point scale

Yes, and then there was the PCI graded very rare 1989 "no" VDB cent. What a joke now looking back! The hype was so real and the comparison to the rare 09SVDB was there. Yep, got me one of those too

My first real slab that I recall seeing, 1995 in a coin shop that was having an auction. 1875-CC double dime in a PCGS AU55 OGH. I had no clue was a PCGS was and it was many years later before I realized what PCGS was. That was my first big money coin and I still have it today. Glad I did not break that fancy holder!

Yes, I am a hoarder. Rarely do I get rid of anything.

asheland

@Batman23 I was in middle school in 1989 also. I remember those day well.

originalisbest

First slab I ever saw, then owned, was a really nice '39-D Merc in MS-66 in a rattler, right when they were new, in 1986. I remember the inside of the coin store I got it at (no longer there) -- it was nearing Christmas, December '86, and a good amount of fresh snow and ice on the ground. Was sitting in a red velvet-lined tray. Remember it well, but no longer have the particular coin.

Walkerfan

I believe it was a $.20 cent piece graded AU 50 in one of those old anacs PhotoGrade holders.

CaptHenway

@ColonelJessup said:
John Dannreuether (PCGS founder), Jay Miller, Dean Schmidt and I were having lunch at Long Beach a few hours before the very first 1986 announcement. So he pulls out a rattler and drops it in a water glass and says "and they're locked up tighter than a drum." Thirty seconds later, as the slab has taken on water, he notes that he may have misunderstood the nature of the ultrasonic weld.

Edited to add: I have no recollection whatsoever what the coin in the slab might have been

S.S. Titanic medal?

CaptHenway

@KindaNewish said:
August 1973, while reading CoinAGE magazine.
It stuck in my head for years and I always wanted one. I finally found one for sale, I have it on lay-a-way with a favoured dealer and should have it in my paws next month.

Anyone wanna guess the coin?

Oh, and if anyone has a copy of 8/73 CoinAge magazine, please PM me.

Has to be a GSA CC dollar.

tyler267

First slabs I ever saw were in probably 1986 or 1987 at a coin store in the Chicago suburbs they were Morgans and proof type coins. I was still in college and broke so I just looked.

TitusFlavius

I first encountered slabs at my first coin show, a 1999 Long Beach. Came home with a PCI green label "MS-64" 1883-O Morgan. It won't win any beauty contests, due to a couple of obverse finger prints, but it looked better than the ones my grandparents had pulled from circulation. It's toned rather darkly, and has darkened more over time. Get it in the light just right, and a deep purple color jumps out! Not my favorite coin in my collection, but certainly memorable and unique.

JeffersonFrog

NGC 1938-S Lincoln MS67. Saw the listing in Coin World (I think), purchased it via an old fashioned land line on April 5, 1997. Had never seen one in person or held one until it arrived in the mail a few days later.

1Mike1

@coinsarefun said:
Gold is what got me into collecting coins and a Hungarian raw one was my first coin I bought.
I had it graded and it went a MS63
.
.

.
.
Then after the countless raw Morgan’s I bought Thinking they were wild toners.........not......at, crappy toning etc...
I bought a set of Russian gold in the old holders.
.
.

You've probably been told several times, BUT you display your coins beautifully. Its always a pleasure viewing your stuff.