Buy the Holder, Not the Coin – 10 Certification Slabs to Look For
1630Boston
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Collecting coin holders instead of coins might sound like a strange pursuit, but it is no different than collecting other offshoots such as auction catalogs, coin albums, or numismatic books. Based on the values seen above, more people are coming to the same conclusion and adding some choice plastic to their collections.
from: https://coinweek.com/education/coin-grading/buy-the-holder-not-the-coin-10-slabs-to-look-for/
10
Sample slabs
When coin certification began in the 1980s, grading services gave huge numbers of free samples to collectors and dealers to introduce the concept. Often but not always labeled “sample”, these holders continue to serve as marketing giveaways, demonstrations of new designs, or gifts for Set Registry members.
Avidly collected by a numismatic fringe, some sample slabs earn $100 to $500 or more.
9
Accugrade
In 1984, Accugrade became the first company to seal graded coins in hard plastic holders, two years before the debut of PCGS. Early Accugrade holders are “photoslabs”, meaning each contains both a coin and a black-and-white photo of the coin.
Slab collectors value these early examples at about $30 over the value of the enclosed coin. Later Accugrade holders, which do not have photos, earn a premium of around $15.
8
ANACS Blue Text
ANACS originally stood for “American Numismatic Association Certification Service”. Some people feel that this grader held higher standards when it was still part of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), before its sale to Amos Press in 1990.
ANACS used small white holders from 1988 through 2003, but only the pre-1990 labels have blue text in the background reading “OFFICIAL ANA GRADE”.
There is no specific dollar premium on ANACS blue text holders. Much like PCGS rattlers, check these slabs for premium-quality coins to keep as they are or to re-submit in hopes of a higher grade.
7
PCGS 2.1 and 2.2
PCGS gave a gift to its fans when it published the Museum of Coin Holders in 2016. This valuable resource tells what slabs exist, the scarcity of each, and how to identify each type.
At first glance, a 2.1 or 2.2 looks like one of the common green label PCGS holders. However, the transitional 2.1 or 2.2 is a rattler holder surrounded by a clear plastic ring (sometimes called a collar). Both have solid green labels, but the 2.1 has a perforated label while the 2.2 label does not. PCGS used these styles briefly, issuing the 2.1 from October through December 1989 and the 2.2 from December 1989 through January 1990. The ring tends to chip and crack if not handled carefully, and dirt can build up under the ring. These factors make intact, clean holders prized by slab collectors today.
Distinguish a 2.1 / 2.2 from the more common types of green label holder by:
“PCGS” molded into the ring at the lower right.
Usually no “PCGS” on the front of the label.
Four clear plastic locator pins in a square surrounding the coin. These appear in photos as small, faint circles.
A 2.1 / 2.2 earns a premium of $25 – $40 over the value of the enclosed coin, so they are worth picking up, especially if they contain inexpensive coins.
6
Compugrade
Opened in New Orleans in 1991, Compugrade intended to grade coins using computerized equipment instead of skilled graders. Although they graded coins for a few months, the company closed in the same year. They made one of the most attractive holders of any grading service. The plastic has a clear crystalline quality.
Most holders from services other than the top four of ANACS, ICG, NGC, and PCGS have minimal value to slab enthusiasts. Like Accugrade, Compugrade is one of the few exceptions, and a slab collector will pay about $40 over the value of the enclosed coin.
If you are lucky enough to find a Compugrade labeled “sample”, you have a scarce sample slab worth $250.
5
PCGS Doily
When the first counterfeit PCGS slabs appeared in 1989, PCGS quickly changed their design to protect their brand. The new label had a fine pattern that a computer printer hopefully could not replicate. Later called the “doily” because of the round lacy designs, PCGS made this style only September and October 1989 before replacing it with the 2.1 / 2.2 holder described in #7 above.
With its easy-to-recognize label and colorful name, the doily is one of the most popular collectible slabs; major auction houses point out doilies when they receive them on consignment. Even with a common low-value Morgan dollar or Mercury dime, a doily earns at least $150. Less common types, especially world coins, earn more.
Make sure, however, that yours is an original with a white stripe at the bottom of the label. Later “retro” doily labels offered by PCGS do not have this white band.
4
NGC White Label
See #1 below for the very first NGC holder, but the second slab from this company has a white insert and an all-white label (the insert is the soft rubber piece that surrounds the coin inside the hard plastic holder.
With the insert and label the same color, the two blended together, and NGC soon added a brown border to make the white label stand out.
Although some collectors hope to find an undergraded coin in an older holder, the real attraction here is the scarce design. An all-white NGC label earns a premium of $200 or more over the value of the enclosed coin.
3
PCGS White Label
The PCGS Museum of Coin Holders explains that the type 1.0 was used by PCGS only for their first few days in business in February 1986. You can tell the 1.0 by the serial number beginning with 1080, the smooth (not ribbed) label, and dot matrix printing with lower quality than the dot matrix used later.
GreatCollections sold a PCGS type 1.0 holder for $1,181.25 on November 12, 2017. This is $956 more than the PCGS Price Guide value of the enclosed coin, an MS65 1943-S half dollar. The collector who bought this coin explained that other slab collectors are building type sets, collecting as many different types of coins in 1.0 holders as possible. A Morgan, he continued, is more common (although all 1.0 holders are rare) and would earn a smaller premium.
A type 1.1, similar but with better dot matrix printing, is nearly as scarce. Because the green labels on some common type 1.2 holders (the familiar rattler) have faded to white, check the surface of the label before deciding that you have a 1.0 or 1.1. The common 1.2 label is ribbed with horizontal lines, while the 1.0 and 1.1 labels are smooth.
2
PCGS Regency
If you want a slab that will impress any collector, find a Regency. It won’t be easy to find, as PCGS made only about 700 of these oversized green holders between 1992 and 1996. Try to get the green velour drawstring bag in which it originally came.
Because most Regency slabs held valuable coins (I saw a million-dollar coin in one at the 2017 Denver ANA convention), they are hard to value. About half of all Regencies have 1958 Israel 5 lirot coins pedigreed to the estate of comedian Danny Kaye and sold with a custom box and other extras. Expect to pay $500 for a Danny Kaye Regency by itself or $800+ for a full “box and papers” set. These values may be increasing. Heritage Auctions recently sold a Regency with another low-value coin (a 1939 Canada dollar in MS63 worth about $40) for $1,440 including the buyer’s premium.
1
NGC Black
It’s not as wild as the Regency or doily, but the piece most coveted by slab collectors is the NGC black. The first NGC production slab, this one has no hologram, and a black insert instead of the familiar white insert surrounding the coin. Lustrous coins such as gold or white silver popped against the black, but brown copper or circulated silver coins faded into the background. NGC quickly switched to the white insert they still use today.
Estimates of the number of remaining NGC blacks range from 25 to 200, but it is clear that they rarely appear for sale and bring strong prices. (This does not include “retro” black holders made by NGC starting in 2013). As an example, in 2016 GreatCollections sold one with an MS65 1946-D half dollar ($50 in the NGC price guide) for $3,740 including buyer’s premium.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Comments
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
A good refresher, thanks.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
I am a collector of old slabs however I disagree with the notion of only looking at the label, the coin does matter. For instance recently there was a regency slab for sale on the BST, the price was ok not cheap but not crazy either. I passed because the coin was one of the Danny Kaye foreign coins which I have no interest in owning. Sadly I have mostly given up the old holder pursuit as the prices for many holders has gotten far too expensive and many that do come available have coins that are unattractive in them.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
Looks like I may have lucked out. I have a Danny Kaye . . . complete, and a dealer at the Idaho Falls show hemmed and hawed at my price . . . . WELL below what was listed above. I think I'll hang on to mine for a while . . . .
Drunner
I'm disappointed that ANACS photo certificates didn't get an honorable mention, though technically not slabbed.
Very informative! Thanks!
That is a remarkable summation, @1630Boston. Well researched, presented. One of the best this forum has seen.
Kudos are well deserved.
Lance.
Great read. My favorite is the ngc white holders.
@1630Boston.... Thanks for a great reference thread on old holders. I do not collect them specifically, but have read a lot of threads here about them. One never knows what may turn up in one of these antique shops or at a yard sale....Cheers, RickO
I try to get the doilys as I go there all good
1630Boston - yours look very similar to those in the article!
I teased Dave shortly after the article was published about not including the Redfield green holder. At the time, it was bringing a stronger premium than some of the others in his article.
@Lakesammman
If they don't look exactly the same, then I copied something wrong
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
1630SBoston:
nice posting.
it would be helpful if you can weave the picture of each slab within your top ten listing.
Only major suggestion would be to show reverses of the NGC 2.0 vs 2.1 slabs to show the difference between them.
oh... PCGS white label rattler should be #2 not #3. Regency should be #3 not #2.
Oh sorry you pasted David’s article.
Nice to know.. I have a few non-picture accugrades. I was considering cracking out glad i didn't now
https://www.cointalk.com/media/albums/the-2020-20-large-cent-set.1855/
Oh sorry you pasted David’s article. > @Mrweaseluv said:
i agree. the value of these quarters are low enough to not interfere with the value of the rarity of the slabs.
hehe grabbed em at a yardsale a few years back... think i paid 5 for the pair lol and only because they were silver
https://www.cointalk.com/media/albums/the-2020-20-large-cent-set.1855/
BINGO!
Kennedys are my quest...
I was looking at prices and was shocked to see this result for a 1939 proof quarter
https://legendauctions.hibid.com/lot/138013363/25c-1939-ngc-pr65-cac-gen-1-0-black-insert-oh/
Here’s another ending in a few days:
https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1381281/1964-Kennedy-Half-Dollar-PCGS-Proof-65-OGH-1st-Gen--White-Rattler