Weird exonumia question- will PCGS grade encased cents?
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,675 ✭✭✭✭✭
Like this:
One valid response to that question would be, "why?", as in "why would you do something so silly?"
To which I might answer, "just... because". Why not?
I'd be kinda surprised if they did, however.
Anybody know?
2
Comments
They dont slab anything that is not in the reference books on their tokens and medals page. I've never seen a slabbed encased cent at PCGS. Or NGC for that matter
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Thought it might be a bit of a longshot. Oh well.
Never hurts to ask..... TPG's should be looking for avenues of expansion to grow their business, while still keeping it base (coin) related. Cheers, RickO
NGC will grade them as will ANACS and maybe ICG?
Photo below snatched from eBay...
Keep in mind that the grade of such items refers to the intact item and not just the coin. The rims of coins are often damaged by the encasing process.
Why ???
Well if by chance the core coin is a key, semi key, or variety TPG is worthy.
Other than that no grade under MS65 would make much difference.
if you really need it encapsulated, just consider anyone below PCGS because most of them will slab anything. PCGS, on the other hand, has some pretty clear cut guidelines about what they will slab and where it's listed for reference. the twist, because there's always a twist, is that PCGS doesn't slab some items listed in the references that they say they'll slab.
it is a strange game.
I like the idea of slabbing these.
Some big potential issues, though:
1) What is being graded - the coin or the ring, or both?
2) I imagine that most issues are not catalogued or recorded as to origin, mintage, features, etc., so is source, originality, or age being certified?
3) Would the TPG be guaranteeing that the coin in the encasement is original to it?
Encased coins are a great niche area in numismatics and deserve a little more respect, but there are potential challenges as suggested above.
P.S. - just a few years ago someone issued a couple encasements celebrating VE and VJ Days (the end of WWII in the wars in Europe and the Pacific for those youngsters here). They had nice BU 1945 cents in them. The text included this phrase: "There is no substitute for veterinary service."
Veterinary? I guess there were honoring all those who took care of the animals during WWII.
Break out The Dremel...
I've switched to all-PCGS now. Drinking the Kool-Aid, you might say. LOL
Boy, I love those ones with the nice Indian cents in 'em.
The 1939 Lincoln in the OP is one I got as a mystery freebie when I bought another coin. As such, I thought it was quite a nice bonus.
Point #1 could indeed be a potential stumbling block, but I've seen them grade both host and counterstamp with counterstamped coins, like the one I had below. (Two grades, one label.)
Side note to encased coins in general: while metal detecting here on St. Simons Island, GA, in an old park, I dug a 1914 Canadian George V large cent with decent details on it. It was in a largish crusty mass when it came out of the ground. When the encrustation broke away, I could see that it had once been a (round) aluminum token encasement ring like the ones above. While the coin itself was in reasonably acceptable condition after 70-80+ years in the ground, the outer ring was totally deteriorated, so I never got to read what it once said on it. It's one of those tantalizing riddles that have happened several times with my dug stuff.
We grade the entire token and describe it on the label as most of these are not cataloged yet.
As for question #3...Have you ever tried to remove an encased coin and then tried to replace it with another one?
I think I have seen one or two where the coin was questionable as to originality. Many/most encased coins end up with the rims of the coin being impacted by the ring die impression, but I believe I have seen cases where the coin seemed to be held in only by the inward pressure of the ring.
Heck, in Europe I came across a few one-euro coins where I was able to pop the center section out of the coin and then replace it again.
I guess I am also thinking outside the box a bit - if encased cents are slabbed, what about the encased (different process) silver dimes that were nuked with radiation in the early 60s? Now those for sure can be swapped out, at least for some of the styles of encasements.
I am just wondering at what point does originality become an issue. If these things ever take off value-wise, I see lots of potential opportunities for mischief, such as swapping out coins to get a less common coin in there, outright forged or fantasy encasements, etc.
I think it would look better in an NGC slab.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I have an encased cent in a NGC slab and a bunch of raw ones. I've been debating whether to send them all in. For some, NGC has a reference book and will indicate the reference number.
IMHO:
I have come to despise the current NGC slabs, both for the intrusive white prongs that ruin photography of holdered coins, and for the strange "bloating" problem I've had with some of them, as though there were trapped gases inside that expanded and caused the slabs to swell up like a dead dog by the roadside in summertime.
But I have no major grudge against NGC themselves. Only their newer plastic. The older non-prong holders are OK by me.
I was unaware of the bloating issue regarding NGC slabs. That can't be good.
It's not. I don't think it's exactly common, but I know I'm far from the only person who's experienced it. Some claim it's heat-related, but one of my friends had relatively new slabs do that in a climate controlled environment.