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Is this slab from a real company?

goldrealmoney79goldrealmoney79 Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Never heard of this slab company before, are they legit or just another homeslabber?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1879-CC-MORGAN-SILVER-DOLLAR-KEY-DATE/203058300373?hash=item2f4737c5d5:g:nOQAAOSw-exei34a

Comments

  • cmerlo1cmerlo1 Posts: 7,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It's a PCI slab. They were in the business in the 1990's. I've heard mixed opinions about their grading. If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. The positive things I've heard about their grading were from the red/green label period. When they went out of business, their remaining slabs and equipment were purchased and became Dominion Grading, which is also no longer in business.

    You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,240 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @cmerlo1 said:
    It's a PCI slab. If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. The positive things I've heard about their grading were from the red/green label period. When they went out of business, their remaining slabs and equipment were purchased and became Dominion Grading, which is also no longer in business.

    You got it backwards. The red border was for problem coins and the green border was for problem free coins. Also, Hallmark Grading Company (Dave Bowers) bought out PCI before it was bought by Dominion Grading Service (DLRC).

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • cmerlo1cmerlo1 Posts: 7,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 25, 2020 2:29PM

    @PerryHall said:

    @cmerlo1 said:
    It's a PCI slab. If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. The positive things I've heard about their grading were from the red/green label period. When they went out of business, their remaining slabs and equipment were purchased and became Dominion Grading, which is also no longer in business.

    You got it backwards. The red border was for problem coins and the green border was for problem free coins. Also, Hallmark Grading Company (Dave Bowers) bought out PCI before it was bought by Dominion Grading Service (DLRC).

    Correct. The coin in the linked auction has a red border because it had been cleaned. I said "If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. "

    Edited to add: I didn't know Bowers was involved with Hallmark...

    You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.
  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There were some bargains to be had in some of the old PCI holders! They were tough on copper and gold sometimes!

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,428 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pic I still have a few slabs from them

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,686 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 25, 2020 5:38PM

    All I can add is that PCI was great about doing custom/sample labels.

  • Desert MoonDesert Moon Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @PerryHall said:

    @cmerlo1 said:
    It's a PCI slab. If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. The positive things I've heard about their grading were from the red/green label period. When they went out of business, their remaining slabs and equipment were purchased and became Dominion Grading, which is also no longer in business.

    You got it backwards. The red border was for problem coins and the green border was for problem free coins. Also, Hallmark Grading Company (Dave Bowers) bought out PCI before it was bought by Dominion Grading Service (DLRC).

    According to this website, you got it backwards - Hallmark was bought out by PCI:

    coinauctionshelp.com/HALLMARK_TPGS.html

    My online coin store - https://desertmoonnm.com/
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,240 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @spacehayduke said:

    @PerryHall said:

    @cmerlo1 said:
    It's a PCI slab. If that coin had not been cleaned, it would've had a green border label instead of red. The positive things I've heard about their grading were from the red/green label period. When they went out of business, their remaining slabs and equipment were purchased and became Dominion Grading, which is also no longer in business.

    You got it backwards. The red border was for problem coins and the green border was for problem free coins. Also, Hallmark Grading Company (Dave Bowers) bought out PCI before it was bought by Dominion Grading Service (DLRC).

    According to this website, you got it backwards - Hallmark was bought out by PCI:

    coinauctionshelp.com/HALLMARK_TPGS.html

    PCI was around long before Hallmark. When Hallmark bought PCI and then could not make a go of it, PCI bought the company back. Later they sold their grading company to DLRC who formed Dominion Grading Service. I used PCI to slab inexpensive coins long before Hallmark came along. PCI grading was fairly inexpensive and they did a credible job. Often they had grading specials where if you sent in a certain number of coins for grading (I seem to remember 12 or more at one time) the price would drop to $7 per coin. PCI was perfect for nice but inexpensive coins that weren't worth the cost of sending to NGC or PCGS.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • abcde12345abcde12345 Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Old PCI is good PCI.
    (the dash mark between the date and mint mark determines the time frame of slabbing.)

    The starting price is too high though for that particular coin in that grade.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,372 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hmmmm ... I don't remember the history like it is being told in this thread. PCI originally used large holders that contained both the coin and a photo of the coin. Hallmark originated the holder type used by PCI in the 1990's and later. The Hallmark slab holders are clearly marked as Hallmark in the plastic. Hallmark closed quite suddenly in the early 1990's. Hallmark then sold the rights to the holder to PCI. I'm not sure they sold anything else to PCI. Much later Dominion Grading Service aquired the rights to the holder and PCI as well and used the holder with their own name. They never made any reference to PCI.

    Am I right or wrong?

    All glory is fleeting.
  • JimnightJimnight Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    :)

  • toyz4geotoyz4geo Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is this an original type PCI holder?

    My War Nickels https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/nickels/jefferson-nickels-specialty-sets/jefferson-nickels-fs-basic-war-set-circulation-strikes-1942-1945/publishedset/94452

  • RayboRaybo Posts: 5,327 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @291fifth said:
    Hmmmm ... I don't remember the history like it is being told in this thread. PCI originally used large holders that contained both the coin and a photo of the coin. Hallmark originated the holder type used by PCI in the 1990's and later. The Hallmark slab holders are clearly marked as Hallmark in the plastic. Hallmark closed quite suddenly in the early 1990's. Hallmark then sold the rights to the holder to PCI. I'm not sure they sold anything else to PCI. Much later Dominion Grading Service aquired the rights to the holder and PCI as well and used the holder with their own name. They never made any reference to PCI.

    Am I right or wrong?

    Here is an example that I purchased years ago, I have since cracked it and traded it away (notice the low serial# on the slab)

  • RayboRaybo Posts: 5,327 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If you happen to have a coin in the sameish holder that Zoins posted above look to see if it has a 10 digit serial number, 10 digit is good, 12 digit is not so good.

  • bob48bob48 Posts: 457 ✭✭✭

    Here is the link to many slab companies that are out of business.

    http://coinauctionshelp.com/page16.html#.Xx2g0WpKg1J

    Bob

    *
  • bramn8rbramn8r Posts: 851 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have two of those SGS slabs, on them they use a PCGS value for a price reference on the slab!

  • BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,462 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Raybo - your PCI holder with the grade in the photo is the 1st generation of PCI PhotoSlabs
    @toyz4geo - your holder is either 2nd - 4th geh - 2nd Gen has nothing below the blurb but no grade on the photo, 3rd Gen has the cert# below the blurb and the final (4th) gen adds a bar code.

    @JoeyCoins and @bramn8r - SGS wasn't really a TPG, they (over)graded their own coins for sale on fleaBay. The only time an SGS coin would be accurately graded would be blind dumb luck. They came to a bad end with a raid by USSS - Google for "abon coins mansfield ohio"

    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
  • goldrealmoney79goldrealmoney79 Posts: 417 ✭✭✭

    @abcde12345 said:
    Old PCI is good PCI.
    (the dash mark between the date and mint mark determines the time frame of slabbing.)

    The starting price is too high though for that particular coin in that grade.

    Good to know! With all the homeslabbers that have appeared since I was last into numismatics, it was hard for me to tell if they were another one as well. Glad it is all cleared up

    @Zoins Those coins are beauties!

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