Including notes on your coins to John Albanese.

Moonstone

Do any of you regular submitters to CAC include notes directly to JA saying why you feel your coins should either get a green or gold sticker, or asking for an explanation if they don’t sticker. Does John dislike collectors giving opinions or trying to influence his grading. Appreciate your feedback.

winesteven

I would strongly suggest NOT making your case of why the coin merits a CAC. Let the coin do the talking! BUT, it’s perfectly fine to include a note “If by chance this coin does not pass, it would be greatly appreciated if JA can include a very brief note explaining the issue. Thanks so very much”.

Good luck, and please let us know how this ends up.

Steve

Moonstone

@winesteven said:
I would strongly suggest NOT making your case of why the coin merits a CAC. Let the coin do the talking! BUT, it’s perfectly fine to include a note “If by chance this coin does not pass, it would be greatly appreciated if JA can include a very brief note explaining the issue. Thanks so very much”.

Good luck, and please let us know how this ends up.

Steve

Thanks for your advice Steve. Do you think I can say on a few of my coins if by chance it doesn’t pass for a gold sticker can JA include a brief note or is that asking for too much and just say do not pass for any sticker? I think a few coins are very under graded

winesteven

No, because the answer is crystal clear. If it gets a green sticker, it means it’s solid for THAT whole grade number. If it doesn’t get a gold sticker, the ONLY reason is in JA’s opinion is that it’s not SOLID at the next whole grade number up!

CopperWire

you are paying a professional numismatist for their unbiased opinion. not the other way around.

Moonstone

@CopperWire said:
you are paying a professional numismatist for their unbiased opinion. not the other way around.

Well said I agree. But how can you learn from JA why a coin that earned a green sticker that you think is very undergraded, didn’t earn a gold sticker?

winesteven

As noted above, if it did get a green sticker, then you know there are no surface “issues”, and that it didn’t get a gold sticker because it was not SOLID for the next whole grade. Using A, B, and C, he thinks the coin is either A or B for the current grade (solid for the current grade), and maybe C for the next higher grade, but he’s saying it’s not A or B for that next higher grade.

JA will not, and should not, teach you basic grading skills. You need to take a Basic grading class for that. What IS important to learn, and JA will share this with you if you ask via a note with your submission, is why your coin does not get ANY sticker! Is it because it’s not A or B for the current grade, but only a C coin, and/or were there surface “issues” with your coin, and if so, what were they?

Moonstone

@winesteven said:
As noted above, if it did get a green sticker, then you know there are no surface “issues”, and that it didn’t get a gold sticker because it was not SOLID for the next whole grade. Using A, B, and C, he thinks the coin is either A or B for the current grade (solid for the current grade), and maybe C for the next higher grade, but he’s saying it’s not A or B for that next higher grade.

JA will not, and should not, teach you basic grading skills. You need to take a Basic grading class for that. What IS important to learn, and JA will share this with you if you ask via a note with your submission, is why your coin does not get ANY sticker! Is it because it’s not A or B for the current grade, but only a C coin, and/or were there surface “issues” with your coin, and if so, what were they?

Okay thanks for that clarification, I will put in only a simple note as you recommended previously.