@Roland said:
PCGS... Here's where you have created a major headache for yourself in 2020 that will have ripple effects for years... you knocked an excessive number of people off track for Platinum! PCGS instituted Platinum as the mechanism by which multi-year Gold winners fall out of the running for annual Gold awards, allowing more people to compete for Gold.
Let's just take the Libertas Americana collection, for instance. He had won Gold 3 years in a row, upgraded his set, and yet was inexplicably downgraded this year. Now forget about the unfairness of that for a moment and just consider the math. Now he has to start all over and win a minimum total of 8 Gold awards (rather than 5) before he reaches Platinum. This happened to a whole lot of people this year, meaning that there is now a log jam of prior-year Gold winning sets competing for Gold again, and again, and again, and again.... it's trapping them in registry set purgatory. For everyone's sake, please let deserving sets like this reach Platinum heaven!
Wow! I hadn't even thought about the "Platinum" award!!
What's special in that Libertas Americana set is that it traces back to Benjamin Franklin, with him deciding on the design that went on to inspire the Liberty Cap coinages of 1793 to 1797. It's not just a set of coins; it's America History. The set itself has a Silver Libertas Medal that was delivered to Franklin from the very first group of those. While Franklin distributed the Silver medals in one way or another; it was only the very first medals that Franklin presented in person to the Extra VIPs of the day. Aside from that one prominent piece, the rest of the set are Pop Tops, except for 3 slots that have a one point advantage.
Another element of the set is that it is a double set! Those who visited the 2019 ANA could visit the StacksBowers where the entire set (and more), and each of the items from the Registry Set were represented by two of each -- just so that visitors could see the obverse and reverse of every Libertas medal.
@Roland said:
This is what knocked off the champ. What's wrong with this picture?
Blue 2019, Gold 2020:
Gold 2019, Blue 2020:
What in the world!!?? Someone did not do their homework.... I don't know the background of Jonjet's 5 Blue Icons he speaks about, and wondered why he did not receive at least one Gold, so let's have some data jonjet, I'd like to see the numbers... I as well received 5 Blue's and one (Like you) thought for sure would either be a best New Set (Jan 2020 start) or at least a Low Ball Gold; 100% complete and a set rating of 70.60 and GPA Weighted at 69.80 The set is the Draped Bust Quarters with Major Varieties... Another Low Ball set that's not complete with a set user rating of 67.51 received Gold... This is the set that was Blue for the years 17,18, and 19 without ANY upgrades or modifications SINCE 2017 yet was elevated to Gold this year!! Who said Miracles don't happen!?
Roland, you were ambushed, or should I say bushwhacked!! ☹☹☹
@Roland said:
I don't know the background of Jonjet's 5 Blue Icons he speaks about, and wondered why he did not receive at least one Gold, so let's have some data jonjet, I'd like to see the numbers... I as well received 5 Blue's and one (Like you) thought for sure would either be a best New Set (Jan 2020 start) or at least a Low Ball Gold;
Not sure about his sets, but I think I counted 17 Blues for me this year, the vast majority of which I would not consider "gold-standard" it's just that I'm the only one collecting 'em. My Koala collection last year was issued a Gold, and it blew me away to be noticed. This year after being upgraded and expanded (7 top-pop/pop-1's, 5 of 'em added this judging season) it's demoted to a Blue. Now, I can't say I was "expecting" it to earn a 2nd Gold, especially since it was a "best new" category, but after seeing all the stories on here, and Ridgeline's senseless Kookaburra demotion, and after the first full Ike set to reach 100% since the category's apparent beginning in mid 2012 got little more than a lower-case 'attaboy' ( https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/eisenhower-dollars-specialty-sets/eisenhower-dollars-complete-variety-set-circulation-strikes-proof-1971-1978/4925 ) - it does seem to have more of a sour aftertaste. I've apparently submitted almost 170 coins this past year, with my primary motivation being to improve the registry sets. I've got another 50 or so ready to go, but at this point I think that's an expense I'll put off for a while.
I think we've all had jobs where we've busted our butts to do well, and received some level of recognition for it, which prompted us to work even harder, only to never get noticed again. -- and I'm pretty sure none of us ~miss~ those jobs. at all. I hadn't thought about the Platinum roadblocks in my previous posts, but I gotta say, if I were in ~those~ shoes, jumping-ship would be on my mind.
@cardinal said:
The set itself has a Silver Libertas Medal that was delivered to Franklin from the very first group of those. While Franklin distributed the Silver medals in one way or another; it was only the very first medals that Franklin presented in person to the Extra VIPs of the day.
OH. MY. GOD. I had to read this three times before it sank in. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Guys, that's like a $150,000 coin. @cardinal, thank you for being such a good steward of what is indeed a true piece of American history. If anyone hasn't taken a few minutes to browse this set, I highly recommend it.
In building the collection and intended it to be a double collection, some of the issues were very rare. For example the 78mm 1976 Brass Libertas restrike were the first ones struck from the dies, so that they could test the dies. Only 5 were struck, and the collection includes 2 of the 5 struck - the 64 and the 65 Pop Top. The collection also has 2 of the 68mm 1945 Assay Commission medals from an estimated mintage under 12 pieces. That's 2 of the 3 in the PCGS Population - being the sole 65 and the sole 66 Pop Top.
While the silver Libertas Americana medals are more valuable, the original Bronze medals - with one graded 65BN, and one graded 62RB - the only known RB surviving and came from the first batch of the Bronze medals delivered to him.
Also included in the collection on display, were these as well, to show the influence of the Libertas Americana medal:
The middle coin is a Pattern Copper Disme graded SP62BN, at $700,000.
To give some data on My fleeting moments thinking of the possibility of a Gold Set...
Native American Dollars, Proof (2009-Present)
I joined Set Registry on 12/31/2019...and just 40 days later on 2/08/2020 - I became the Set Leader...and I did that by adding the 2019 NA $1 coin to the Proof Set - mind You...at that time My entire collection was PR69DCAM but nobody else had it...and I was suddenly #1 being the only Set at 100% completion
Then and there I decided I would only purchase PR70DCAM coins going forward...and that particular set was upgraded completely to PR70DCAM less than a month later on 3/02/2020...expecting it would give back My Top Spot when completed
I couple days later...I was #4...then #9...and on downward settling at about 25th...and I started reviewing The Rules regarding tie-breakers - which is when I started to question why an earlier Set had the ability to go back above Me if they added the additional coin...I was FIRST !!
Because I dropped due to the PR69DCAM grading...I expected to retain that prev #1 ranking at the TOP of the list when I got the last PR70DCAM...simply because I was FIRST to complete thru 2019 and upgraded to PR70DCAM
In July 2020...the 2018 Rev Proof NA $1 became available and I added it within seconds...jumping from about 25th to #4 when I fully expected #1 because I was FIRST to complete thru 2019 and then upgraded to Perfection
Because Completion Date is not a tie-breaker...I'm a bit upset...and I've stated this several ways
Who would ever expect someone who cannot finish the race to come back to the track later...run those completion laps...and expect to get his finishing position upgraded as if he's completed on race day?
If we have a friendly competition...it's slanted toward the older collections who are given all the time they need to upgrade...and their former rank at the top is preserved
As a result...Rankings are given back to those who use the absence of Completion Date to save their spot
And to answer the advantage of dealers with no financial limits...I buy every coin on eBay...already graded...I have never submitted a coin - and STILL became #1
There are many other coins within Set Registry that are questionable as to the why/how they got added or are not included...and another Discussion points to those
@JonJet said:
To give some data on My fleeting moments thinking of the possibility of a Gold Set...
If I'm following that all correctly, the grades of the coins are what knocked you back down - "1st to complete" only comes into play in the case of a tie - the "Set Rating" is the gospel number they look at - if there's a coin missing (incomplete set) that rating is reduced heavily - by completing your set with lower graded coins, you may have pulled into 1st, but as soon as the higher graded sets added (and completed) theirs, their Set Rating passed yours again.
After looking through that registry set though, there's currently 33 users tied for 1st place, 33 with top-pop 70 grade coins throughout the set, indicating that pretty much anybody who wants to spend the money can go out and buy their way into another #1 tie, without much effort. The rarest slot in the set (2018 normal) has a 70-pop of 362, and is currently on ebay for $80. Unless something drastic happens in the future, say something goes wrong at the mint, and they only issue like ~one~ coin some year... I highly doubt PCGS will ever issue a gold to anybody for that set. There's at least two users who have had best-of-registry awards there every year since 2014, and there's not a gold badge anywhere on the list. Please don't take it personal, that's just not a set that's unique enough to get any real recognition. And in contrast to some of the other sets that got snubbed, it comes as even less of a surprise. Sorry :-/
As to the ebay vs submissions - some of our sets ~have~ to be personally submitted, because the coins just aren't available on ebay. A lot of 'em I've had to source raw (many from ebay) and then submit those to get 'em graded, to be able to add to the registry set. I'm pretty sure I've personally added dozens of Kookaburra base-numbers to PCGS's database, because mine have been the only coins of that variety that PCGS has ever put hands on. In other words, the ~only~ way I'm going to get a truly complete Kookaburra or Koala set in PCGS is by finding the raw coins and submitting them myself. I've got around 120 population-one Aussie silver dollars, mostly Kookaburras, with a handful of Koala and Roo's bouncing around in there. All of 'em I've submitted, and (I think) all of them are pop-one with no higher ~or~ lower. My Kookaburra Showcase has 193 unique coins in it (although there's maybe 6 or 7 that aren't Perth $1 coins) - Before I started building that, PCGS recognized 52 of 'em. (And I've still got a pile of raw Kook's that I need to submit for grading, because there's still a lot missing... ) -- I had sent an offer to PCGS to use that Showcase as a pattern for a master Kookaburra set, but that was before all their employees decided to leave or whatever. IF they ever do accept it as a set, I'm guessing ~it~ still won't make a Gold, at least with the current judges, even though I've scoured all corners of the earth to find these coins to submit.
I've mentioned my disappointment in my Ike set being overlooked. Some of the other sets that have been snubbed make my Ikes seem insignificant. And, no offense, but compared to the Sacagawea set, where the ENTIRE SET can be bought on ebay for well under $1500 on a bad day, the single coin that pushed my Ikes to the top slot was 5x that cost. And the Libertas set referenced above, I'm betting that one single coin mentioned there cost more than my entire Ike set. And THAT still wasn't good enough for the judges? :-o Sorry man, like I said, please don't take offense to it, but the Sacagawea Proof is an entry-level set at best, something that they'll never spend a Gold on, no matter how big of a player you may be -- notice that Hansen doesn't have a Gold on his either ;-) ;-) ;-)
I can see Your point...and I'm not terribly upset about it...just a bit surprised that My NA $1's weren't recognized for the quick completion with some type of recognition from Zero to PR70DCAM in such a short time
But it does prove that it doesn't take more than a year to assemble the Set...so the tie-breaker rules don't really apply which is why I think Completion Date needs to be added as a tie-breaker
I was pretty excited to dump Hansen by a couple dozen spots...even if only for a short time (and His set hasn't recovered by much at all compared to where it was before - which sorta indicates that add dates do affect ranking somehow)
And the Retired Sets - their actual ranking is outside the Top 100 for the majority of Sets - yet they get preserved #1 ranking because the set is Retired?
I guess the thing that bothers Me most...is that I was #1 in PR69DCAM...then upgraded to PR70DCAM in less than 30 days but did not retain the #1 position
More importantly...I was the one who submitted the 2019 and the 2018 Rev Proof New Slot requests and probably the 2020 Slot as well
In less than a year...I've requested and added over 200 New Slots to Set Registry - which is not an easy task
I spent countless hours comparing Proof Sets to My collection...and there were numerous Proof Sets that were incorrectly denying coins that needed New Slots - sadly...the only proof of that lies with David Talk and he's not there to speak up
Just the other day...5 New Slots were incorrectly denied - because the Rep did not realize the difference between a Clad New Slot and a Silver New Slot !! It got fixed only after 4 consecutive emails
I also wonder why I haven't rec'd notification of My (5) 2020 icons via email - I was told they would go out just before the icons started to appear - but I had to go looking to see them
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 PCGS Set Registry Awards! Your patience is appreciated as we have been going through an unprecedented year externally in the world and internally at PCGS. Our team is almost entirely new to the Set Registry awards. We are happy to have been able to get the honors and awards completed and notifications out to you all before the holidays.
I also want to let you know that I'm reading all of these comments and emails, and we are taking this feedback to heart for future awards.
Currently, less than 1% of Best of Registry composites receive Gold or Platinum Awards, and there is no guarantee that a Gold one year or multiple years will be guaranteed to be Gold again in any given year. There are many thousands of incredible and deserving sets from around the world to consider each year, and the judges have their work cut out for them. Best of Registry sets continue to grow, as more sets are coming online. Those sets are recognized with the blue Best of Registry Award and all count towards the 10th Anniversary Award. It's really unfortunate that some sets slip through and do not get Gold Awards.
I know it's of little solace for those who were close to Platinum or who feel like their set is better than another set, but we will improve the process in 2021.
In fact, we will be sending out a survey in the coming month to all PCGS Set Registry members, so that we can build a better version overall and improve aspects that you would like to see improved. Please share your feedback with us when that email comes through. We do sincerely want to build the best Set Registry possible.
Thank you for your support and continued participation in the Set Registry.
May your Thanksgiving holiday be healthy and hearty!
@JonJet said:
In accord with the Annual Awards instructions...I have sent an email requesting certificates for My 2020 Annual Awards
And was informed today that they will not be sent until all PCGS employees return to the office
Which by CDC and news media outlet estimates...might be Q1 of 2022
If it's any consolation, I requested mine last year and never got any of 'em either :-/ Thinking I won't waste my time this year. Hell, even if they just emailed us a PDF we could print ourselves, would be better than nothing...
@JonJet said:
In accord with the Annual Awards instructions...I have sent an email requesting certificates for My 2020 Annual Awards
And was informed today that they will not be sent until all PCGS employees return to the office
Which by CDC and news media outlet estimates...might be Q1 of 2022
If it's any consolation, I requested mine last year and never got any of 'em either :-/ Thinking I won't waste my time this year. Hell, even if they just emailed us a PDF we could print ourselves, would be better than nothing...
I agree completely...but I'll bet that would be too easy
On another note...if less than 1% of Registry Sets get a Gold/Platinum Award...and the rest get Blue...and Blue has no value...
What is the "value of Gold" and what else is our membership dues paying for?
I've been pondering why the Libertas Americana set failed in the judging. After three Gold awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in 2020 it failed.
I've compared the composition from 2019 and 2020. The startling change between 2019 and 2020 is that I replaced the MS61 Silver Libertas Americana medal (a $120,000 item) that had 10 other higher in the Pop Report, with a MS63 Silver Libertas Americana medal (at $300,000) that has only 1 better and that one only by one 1 point. As the set is, it has a GPA of 67.20.
How does the stopper in grade 61 in the Set deserve a Gold award for three years in a row, whereas the stopper in grade 63 is only allowed a blue icon?? I must also point out, that NONE of the Medals Registry Sets received any Gold awards. Were the judges just looking at the coins, and kicked the medals out the door????
Here is what the Judges said for the 2019 judging:
Cardinal - Libertas Americana Medals
Few people realize the number of Libertas Americana medal varieties, but we have 20 in our Set Composition. Granted, a number of these are fairly recent restrikes, but at least four are “originals” all of which this set has in Mint State. This design has long resonated with collectors of U.S. coins as it served as the inspiration for the “Flowing hair / Liberty cap” motifs which characterized our earliest coinage. A third Gold Star for this complete set.
Here is what the Judges said in 2018 judging:
Cardinal Collection - Libertas Americana Medals
This set of beautiful medals consists of 20 pieces and the gorgeous composite photo posted on its description page is a must see for all! Cardinal’s set is 100% complete and with a rating of 66.92 is likely to remain the finest for a very long time to come. We are more than pleased to award another Gold Star to this unique and incredibly interesting set.
View Digital Album (Emphasis added)
Here is what the Judges said in 2017 judging:
Cardinal Collection - Libertas Americana Medals
This set of beautiful medals consists of 20 pieces and the gorgeous composite photo posted on its description page is a must see for all! Cardinal’s set is 100% complete and with a rating of 67.01 is likely to remain the finest for a very long time to come. We are more than pleased to award a Gold Star to this unique and incredibly interesting set.
View Digital Album
@JonJet said:
What is the "value of Gold" and what else is our membership dues paying for?
The registry portion is free to everyone, I believe? PCGS membership dues, for me, primarily go towards submissions, although they also include invites to shows etc, on years that such things are allowed to happen. And a shirt and subscription to their magazine (not sure what differences the lower tiers may or may not have) -- But the registry, I don't believe, requires any PCGS membership or fees of any kind - and I can't imagine any of the administration duties of the archives and the web interfaces are done "for free" out of the goodness of the hearts of volunteers. Seriously, I bet there's a pretty significant overhead within the registry, for a service that is completely free to anyone wanting to take advantage of it. That's actually pretty impressive, viewed in that light.
I'd guess the value of their "Gold" plaques they send out would be $20~25 at retail, and there's probably a couple hundred of 'em being handed out, so our free registry dues are paying for some $5000 worth of awards, plus shipping and handling
Whenever I add a coin...if it upgrades the rank/rating of My set...the results are instantaneous
So why did it take so long for the Best Of The Registry icons to appear? Those ratings were there at 5:00:00 on 30 June 2020 and the deadline was passed..."locked-in" if You will for 2020 Annual Awards
There were no new slots honored for the 30 days prior to the deadline...so the Archive has the ability to update/cutoff automatically without human intervention
The 2020 icons could have appeared instantly...with the 30-days prior to the deadline reserved to determine Gold Awards - what else could there be to do when no new requests are worked that the Archive doesn't automatically calculate?
And YES...an emailed PDF certificate is easy to do...much cheaper...with little human involvement
MILLIONS (if not BILLIONS) of websites have Auto-Respond features - no printing/shipping/handling costs
A few hours of programming by an entry-level IT guy and it's a done deal for decades to come - probably get it done for free by a local college IT class during lunch breaks in a matter of a few days
@JonJet said:
So why did it take so long for the Best Of The Registry icons to appear? Those ratings were there at 5:00:00 on 30 June 2020 and the deadline was passed..."locked-in" if You will for 2020 Annual Awards
I suspect it's because they had to go through thousands and thousands of sets to determine gold awards, and they wanted to be able to announce them all (Blue, Gold, Platinum, HOF, etc) at the same time.
Comments
@JamieKiskis
Wow! I hadn't even thought about the "Platinum" award!!
What's special in that Libertas Americana set is that it traces back to Benjamin Franklin, with him deciding on the design that went on to inspire the Liberty Cap coinages of 1793 to 1797. It's not just a set of coins; it's America History. The set itself has a Silver Libertas Medal that was delivered to Franklin from the very first group of those. While Franklin distributed the Silver medals in one way or another; it was only the very first medals that Franklin presented in person to the Extra VIPs of the day. Aside from that one prominent piece, the rest of the set are Pop Tops, except for 3 slots that have a one point advantage.
Another element of the set is that it is a double set! Those who visited the 2019 ANA could visit the StacksBowers where the entire set (and more), and each of the items from the Registry Set were represented by two of each -- just so that visitors could see the obverse and reverse of every Libertas medal.
What in the world!!?? Someone did not do their homework.... I don't know the background of Jonjet's 5 Blue Icons he speaks about, and wondered why he did not receive at least one Gold, so let's have some data jonjet, I'd like to see the numbers... I as well received 5 Blue's and one (Like you) thought for sure would either be a best New Set (Jan 2020 start) or at least a Low Ball Gold; 100% complete and a set rating of 70.60 and GPA Weighted at 69.80 The set is the Draped Bust Quarters with Major Varieties... Another Low Ball set that's not complete with a set user rating of 67.51 received Gold... This is the set that was Blue for the years 17,18, and 19 without ANY upgrades or modifications SINCE 2017 yet was elevated to Gold this year!! Who said Miracles don't happen!?
Roland, you were ambushed, or should I say bushwhacked!! ☹☹☹
Roland, they were blinded by way too much Yellow!!
Not sure about his sets, but I think I counted 17 Blues for me this year, the vast majority of which I would not consider "gold-standard" it's just that I'm the only one collecting 'em. My Koala collection last year was issued a Gold, and it blew me away to be noticed. This year after being upgraded and expanded (7 top-pop/pop-1's, 5 of 'em added this judging season) it's demoted to a Blue. Now, I can't say I was "expecting" it to earn a 2nd Gold, especially since it was a "best new" category, but after seeing all the stories on here, and Ridgeline's senseless Kookaburra demotion, and after the first full Ike set to reach 100% since the category's apparent beginning in mid 2012 got little more than a lower-case 'attaboy' ( https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/eisenhower-dollars-specialty-sets/eisenhower-dollars-complete-variety-set-circulation-strikes-proof-1971-1978/4925 ) - it does seem to have more of a sour aftertaste. I've apparently submitted almost 170 coins this past year, with my primary motivation being to improve the registry sets. I've got another 50 or so ready to go, but at this point I think that's an expense I'll put off for a while.
I think we've all had jobs where we've busted our butts to do well, and received some level of recognition for it, which prompted us to work even harder, only to never get noticed again. -- and I'm pretty sure none of us ~miss~ those jobs. at all. I hadn't thought about the Platinum roadblocks in my previous posts, but I gotta say, if I were in ~those~ shoes, jumping-ship would be on my mind.
OH. MY. GOD.
I had to read this three times before it sank in. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Guys, that's like a $150,000 coin. @cardinal, thank you for being such a good steward of what is indeed a true piece of American history. If anyone hasn't taken a few minutes to browse this set, I highly recommend it.
PCGS... I repeat... come on, man!
.
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
@Roland
@edwardjulio
Thank you for your kind comments!
In building the collection and intended it to be a double collection, some of the issues were very rare. For example the 78mm 1976 Brass Libertas restrike were the first ones struck from the dies, so that they could test the dies. Only 5 were struck, and the collection includes 2 of the 5 struck - the 64 and the 65 Pop Top. The collection also has 2 of the 68mm 1945 Assay Commission medals from an estimated mintage under 12 pieces. That's 2 of the 3 in the PCGS Population - being the sole 65 and the sole 66 Pop Top.
While the silver Libertas Americana medals are more valuable, the original Bronze medals - with one graded 65BN, and one graded 62RB - the only known RB surviving and came from the first batch of the Bronze medals delivered to him.
Also included in the collection on display, were these as well, to show the influence of the Libertas Americana medal:
The middle coin is a Pattern Copper Disme graded SP62BN, at $700,000.
To give some data on My fleeting moments thinking of the possibility of a Gold Set...
Native American Dollars, Proof (2009-Present)
I joined Set Registry on 12/31/2019...and just 40 days later on 2/08/2020 - I became the Set Leader...and I did that by adding the 2019 NA $1 coin to the Proof Set - mind You...at that time My entire collection was PR69DCAM but nobody else had it...and I was suddenly #1 being the only Set at 100% completion
Then and there I decided I would only purchase PR70DCAM coins going forward...and that particular set was upgraded completely to PR70DCAM less than a month later on 3/02/2020...expecting it would give back My Top Spot when completed
I couple days later...I was #4...then #9...and on downward settling at about 25th...and I started reviewing The Rules regarding tie-breakers - which is when I started to question why an earlier Set had the ability to go back above Me if they added the additional coin...I was FIRST !!
Because I dropped due to the PR69DCAM grading...I expected to retain that prev #1 ranking at the TOP of the list when I got the last PR70DCAM...simply because I was FIRST to complete thru 2019 and upgraded to PR70DCAM
In July 2020...the 2018 Rev Proof NA $1 became available and I added it within seconds...jumping from about 25th to #4 when I fully expected #1 because I was FIRST to complete thru 2019 and then upgraded to Perfection
Because Completion Date is not a tie-breaker...I'm a bit upset...and I've stated this several ways
Who would ever expect someone who cannot finish the race to come back to the track later...run those completion laps...and expect to get his finishing position upgraded as if he's completed on race day?
If we have a friendly competition...it's slanted toward the older collections who are given all the time they need to upgrade...and their former rank at the top is preserved
As a result...Rankings are given back to those who use the absence of Completion Date to save their spot
And to answer the advantage of dealers with no financial limits...I buy every coin on eBay...already graded...I have never submitted a coin - and STILL became #1
There are many other coins within Set Registry that are questionable as to the why/how they got added or are not included...and another Discussion points to those
I just want a fair shot in the competition
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
If I'm following that all correctly, the grades of the coins are what knocked you back down - "1st to complete" only comes into play in the case of a tie - the "Set Rating" is the gospel number they look at - if there's a coin missing (incomplete set) that rating is reduced heavily - by completing your set with lower graded coins, you may have pulled into 1st, but as soon as the higher graded sets added (and completed) theirs, their Set Rating passed yours again.
After looking through that registry set though, there's currently 33 users tied for 1st place, 33 with top-pop 70 grade coins throughout the set, indicating that pretty much anybody who wants to spend the money can go out and buy their way into another #1 tie, without much effort. The rarest slot in the set (2018 normal) has a 70-pop of 362, and is currently on ebay for $80. Unless something drastic happens in the future, say something goes wrong at the mint, and they only issue like ~one~ coin some year... I highly doubt PCGS will ever issue a gold to anybody for that set. There's at least two users who have had best-of-registry awards there every year since 2014, and there's not a gold badge anywhere on the list. Please don't take it personal, that's just not a set that's unique enough to get any real recognition. And in contrast to some of the other sets that got snubbed, it comes as even less of a surprise. Sorry :-/
As to the ebay vs submissions - some of our sets ~have~ to be personally submitted, because the coins just aren't available on ebay. A lot of 'em I've had to source raw (many from ebay) and then submit those to get 'em graded, to be able to add to the registry set. I'm pretty sure I've personally added dozens of Kookaburra base-numbers to PCGS's database, because mine have been the only coins of that variety that PCGS has ever put hands on. In other words, the ~only~ way I'm going to get a truly complete Kookaburra or Koala set in PCGS is by finding the raw coins and submitting them myself. I've got around 120 population-one Aussie silver dollars, mostly Kookaburras, with a handful of Koala and Roo's bouncing around in there. All of 'em I've submitted, and (I think) all of them are pop-one with no higher ~or~ lower. My Kookaburra Showcase has 193 unique coins in it (although there's maybe 6 or 7 that aren't Perth $1 coins) - Before I started building that, PCGS recognized 52 of 'em. (And I've still got a pile of raw Kook's that I need to submit for grading, because there's still a lot missing... ) -- I had sent an offer to PCGS to use that Showcase as a pattern for a master Kookaburra set, but that was before all their employees decided to leave or whatever. IF they ever do accept it as a set, I'm guessing ~it~ still won't make a Gold, at least with the current judges, even though I've scoured all corners of the earth to find these coins to submit.
I've mentioned my disappointment in my Ike set being overlooked. Some of the other sets that have been snubbed make my Ikes seem insignificant. And, no offense, but compared to the Sacagawea set, where the ENTIRE SET can be bought on ebay for well under $1500 on a bad day, the single coin that pushed my Ikes to the top slot was 5x that cost. And the Libertas set referenced above, I'm betting that one single coin mentioned there cost more than my entire Ike set. And THAT still wasn't good enough for the judges? :-o Sorry man, like I said, please don't take offense to it, but the Sacagawea Proof is an entry-level set at best, something that they'll never spend a Gold on, no matter how big of a player you may be -- notice that Hansen doesn't have a Gold on his either ;-) ;-) ;-)
I can see Your point...and I'm not terribly upset about it...just a bit surprised that My NA $1's weren't recognized for the quick completion with some type of recognition from Zero to PR70DCAM in such a short time
But it does prove that it doesn't take more than a year to assemble the Set...so the tie-breaker rules don't really apply which is why I think Completion Date needs to be added as a tie-breaker
I was pretty excited to dump Hansen by a couple dozen spots...even if only for a short time (and His set hasn't recovered by much at all compared to where it was before - which sorta indicates that add dates do affect ranking somehow)
And the Retired Sets - their actual ranking is outside the Top 100 for the majority of Sets - yet they get preserved #1 ranking because the set is Retired?
I guess the thing that bothers Me most...is that I was #1 in PR69DCAM...then upgraded to PR70DCAM in less than 30 days but did not retain the #1 position
More importantly...I was the one who submitted the 2019 and the 2018 Rev Proof New Slot requests and probably the 2020 Slot as well
In less than a year...I've requested and added over 200 New Slots to Set Registry - which is not an easy task
I spent countless hours comparing Proof Sets to My collection...and there were numerous Proof Sets that were incorrectly denying coins that needed New Slots - sadly...the only proof of that lies with David Talk and he's not there to speak up
Just the other day...5 New Slots were incorrectly denied - because the Rep did not realize the difference between a Clad New Slot and a Silver New Slot !! It got fixed only after 4 consecutive emails
I also wonder why I haven't rec'd notification of My (5) 2020 icons via email - I was told they would go out just before the icons started to appear - but I had to go looking to see them
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I don't think any of the Blue icons received any personal notification - I know mine hasn't. I got an email for my last year's gold, but that was it.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 PCGS Set Registry Awards! Your patience is appreciated as we have been going through an unprecedented year externally in the world and internally at PCGS. Our team is almost entirely new to the Set Registry awards. We are happy to have been able to get the honors and awards completed and notifications out to you all before the holidays.
I also want to let you know that I'm reading all of these comments and emails, and we are taking this feedback to heart for future awards.
Currently, less than 1% of Best of Registry composites receive Gold or Platinum Awards, and there is no guarantee that a Gold one year or multiple years will be guaranteed to be Gold again in any given year. There are many thousands of incredible and deserving sets from around the world to consider each year, and the judges have their work cut out for them. Best of Registry sets continue to grow, as more sets are coming online. Those sets are recognized with the blue Best of Registry Award and all count towards the 10th Anniversary Award. It's really unfortunate that some sets slip through and do not get Gold Awards.
I know it's of little solace for those who were close to Platinum or who feel like their set is better than another set, but we will improve the process in 2021.
In fact, we will be sending out a survey in the coming month to all PCGS Set Registry members, so that we can build a better version overall and improve aspects that you would like to see improved. Please share your feedback with us when that email comes through. We do sincerely want to build the best Set Registry possible.
Thank you for your support and continued participation in the Set Registry.
May your Thanksgiving holiday be healthy and hearty!
Best regards,
Jamie and the Set Registry Team
In accord with the Annual Awards instructions...I have sent an email requesting certificates for My 2020 Annual Awards
And was informed today that they will not be sent until all PCGS employees return to the office
Which by CDC and news media outlet estimates...might be Q1 of 2022
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
If it's any consolation, I requested mine last year and never got any of 'em either :-/ Thinking I won't waste my time this year. Hell, even if they just emailed us a PDF we could print ourselves, would be better than nothing...
I agree completely...but I'll bet that would be too easy
On another note...if less than 1% of Registry Sets get a Gold/Platinum Award...and the rest get Blue...and Blue has no value...
What is the "value of Gold" and what else is our membership dues paying for?
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
@Roland
@edwardjulio
@Jamiekiskis
I've been pondering why the Libertas Americana set failed in the judging. After three Gold awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in 2020 it failed.
I've compared the composition from 2019 and 2020. The startling change between 2019 and 2020 is that I replaced the MS61 Silver Libertas Americana medal (a $120,000 item) that had 10 other higher in the Pop Report, with a MS63 Silver Libertas Americana medal (at $300,000) that has only 1 better and that one only by one 1 point. As the set is, it has a GPA of 67.20.
How does the stopper in grade 61 in the Set deserve a Gold award for three years in a row, whereas the stopper in grade 63 is only allowed a blue icon?? I must also point out, that NONE of the Medals Registry Sets received any Gold awards. Were the judges just looking at the coins, and kicked the medals out the door????
Here is what the Judges said for the 2019 judging:
Cardinal - Libertas Americana Medals
Few people realize the number of Libertas Americana medal varieties, but we have 20 in our Set Composition. Granted, a number of these are fairly recent restrikes, but at least four are “originals” all of which this set has in Mint State. This design has long resonated with collectors of U.S. coins as it served as the inspiration for the “Flowing hair / Liberty cap” motifs which characterized our earliest coinage. A third Gold Star for this complete set.
Here is what the Judges said in 2018 judging:
Cardinal Collection - Libertas Americana Medals
This set of beautiful medals consists of 20 pieces and the gorgeous composite photo posted on its description page is a must see for all! Cardinal’s set is 100% complete and with a rating of 66.92 is likely to remain the finest for a very long time to come. We are more than pleased to award another Gold Star to this unique and incredibly interesting set.
View Digital Album (Emphasis added)
Here is what the Judges said in 2017 judging:
Cardinal Collection - Libertas Americana Medals
This set of beautiful medals consists of 20 pieces and the gorgeous composite photo posted on its description page is a must see for all! Cardinal’s set is 100% complete and with a rating of 67.01 is likely to remain the finest for a very long time to come. We are more than pleased to award a Gold Star to this unique and incredibly interesting set.
View Digital Album
Man what a ton of drama.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
The registry portion is free to everyone, I believe? PCGS membership dues, for me, primarily go towards submissions, although they also include invites to shows etc, on years that such things are allowed to happen. And a shirt and subscription to their magazine (not sure what differences the lower tiers may or may not have) -- But the registry, I don't believe, requires any PCGS membership or fees of any kind - and I can't imagine any of the administration duties of the archives and the web interfaces are done "for free" out of the goodness of the hearts of volunteers. Seriously, I bet there's a pretty significant overhead within the registry, for a service that is completely free to anyone wanting to take advantage of it. That's actually pretty impressive, viewed in that light.
I'd guess the value of their "Gold" plaques they send out would be $20~25 at retail, and there's probably a couple hundred of 'em being handed out, so our free registry dues are paying for some $5000 worth of awards, plus shipping and handling
Here's something that bothers Me a bit...
Whenever I add a coin...if it upgrades the rank/rating of My set...the results are instantaneous
So why did it take so long for the Best Of The Registry icons to appear? Those ratings were there at 5:00:00 on 30 June 2020 and the deadline was passed..."locked-in" if You will for 2020 Annual Awards
There were no new slots honored for the 30 days prior to the deadline...so the Archive has the ability to update/cutoff automatically without human intervention
The 2020 icons could have appeared instantly...with the 30-days prior to the deadline reserved to determine Gold Awards - what else could there be to do when no new requests are worked that the Archive doesn't automatically calculate?
And YES...an emailed PDF certificate is easy to do...much cheaper...with little human involvement
MILLIONS (if not BILLIONS) of websites have Auto-Respond features - no printing/shipping/handling costs
A few hours of programming by an entry-level IT guy and it's a done deal for decades to come - probably get it done for free by a local college IT class during lunch breaks in a matter of a few days
My 1957-2022 Proof Set Collection Has Been Sold
I suspect it's because they had to go through thousands and thousands of sets to determine gold awards, and they wanted to be able to announce them all (Blue, Gold, Platinum, HOF, etc) at the same time.