Resubmitting for re-evaluation

va_resellers

What are your general thoughts on resubmitting coins that came back with a grade much lower than anticipated? Worth the effort or best left to the experts initial opinion? I received a 1903-O dime back as AU53, however in my somewhat limited judgement this is a low grade for the condition i submitted it in. Note: gold shield photo does not capture the luster that the coin displays in person

Hemispherical

@va_resellers the most recent forum member I recall having a successful reconsideration was @winesteven. Perhaps he can help.

Insider2

IMHO, based on comments you have made, you are not quite ready to question the professionals at PCGS. The coin is NOT UNCIRCULATED. I'll bet it is not 100% original either but market acceptable for an old coin.

For now, it's probably best to only buy coins that have already been graded by PCGS until you learn how to grade (something we are all trying to do after decades of study!). That way, someone else pays the fees.

va_resellers

Insider: Thank You sir. I'm still learning every day....it does baffle me how under magnification some of my graded coins (looking at rims, marks, luster etc) have been assigned higher numbers than others which appear in superior condition such as the barber .10 I mentioned above.

Insider2

What you and I do is called "micro-grading." Start out by looking at coins with your eyes alone. You should be able to see the reason one coin is graded higher than another. It is called eye-appeal. Value comes into it also and that is another aspect of grading to learn.

winesteven

One of the factors in your decision of whether or not to submit this coin for Reconsideration is what the value difference would be if you succeeded. If you succeed at AU55, the PCGS Price Guide shows an increase in value of only $20. I can’t see this coin getting upgraded to AU58, but if Santa Claus gave you this gift of an upgrade this Summer, the value would increase by only $55. I can’t say for sure, but I believe the price spreads are even less in the real world, and I don’t see this coin getting upgraded even that much, if at all.

I fully agree with @Insider2 that going forward, it pays to learn by looking at a lot of graded coins in hand, and then buy a coin in the grade you want that has eye appeal that YOU like.