Advice Needed Plz: PCGS's approach on incomplete pedigree information on label

charlie23

Hi there, I would like to seek advice from the community with respect to the pidegree infomation used by PCGS on their slabs.

Long story short, recently I saw the grading result from the PCGS app, I noticed that only the surname of the previous collector was put on the slab lol.

Based on my research on other coins graded by PCGS, it appears that the pedigree information displayed on the PCGS slab follows the Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. format, or something similar. Which presented the correct and complete Full Name of the previous collector.

I recently purchased a PCGS-graded coin from StacksBowers, which is a coin from Richard August, on the slab, it shows "Richard August Collection".

I expressed my deep concerns regarding the pedigree information as it is incomplete, and I provided more than enough supporting documents to PCGS, including the references below from their own and reqested PCGS to amend the label.

However, they told me that they won't be able to put Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. format on the slab, see the below quote from the email communication with PCGS on 2 October 2025:

Quote:

"After conducting a thorough internal review and consulting with our grader team, we regret to inform you that we are unable to amend the pedigree information on the slab. Unfortunately, this wording is no longer available in our system, and "XXXXXX" (surname only of the previous collector) is the only option currently applicable in this case."

I don't understand why PCGS would apply a significantly different approach regarding the pedigree information on this coin when comparing to other recenly graded coins from PCGS.

Please kindly let me know your thoughts on this guys, I am pretty frustrated about this. So questions are:

1) what is the approach for PCGS on pedigree information on their slabs? Isn’t it Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll.?

2) PCGS said “the wordings is no longer available el in their system” so they can’t put Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. and amend my slab. What does it mean?? Aren’t they just type in the information in their system? I thought my request is reasonable as I am not even asking them for a higher grade…

References provided to PCGS:

https://www.pcgs.com/news/how-to-read-pcgs-labels

Other reference from Mr. Ron Guth back in 2005 - Pedigrees – Why They’re Important (https://www.pcgs.com/news/pedigrees-why-theyre-important)

MrEureka

Hard to guess what they might have been thinking without knowing what the provenance is.

charlie23

@MrEureka said:
Hard to guess what they might have been thinking without knowing what the provenance is.

Thank you for your reply. The provenance is Irving Goodman, and they only put Goodman on the slab.

Which I believed it should be Irving Goodman Collection. Please let me know your thoughts.

MrEureka

@charlie23 said:

@MrEureka said:
Hard to guess what they might have been thinking without knowing what the provenance is.

Thank you for your reply. The provenance is Irving Goodman, and they only put Goodman on the slab.

Which I believed it should be Irving Goodman Collection. Please let me know your thoughts.

I can understand why low level employees may be instructed to use only those pedigrees on a pre-existing list, and why they would want to keep things consistent by always using the exact same name. That said, I think you can and should politely provide them with the following images, and say “pretty please”. Let us know how it goes.

MrEureka

“Hungary Goodman” is my favorite. Especially because they also felt the need to abbreviate “Ducats”. And felt no need to provide an estimate of the age (17th Century). I wonder what they charged for that slab?

lermish

This was just attributed and slabbed two months ago. They initially returned the coin without the pedigree at all but (apparently...I don't think I believe them) that was a mechanical error. Either way, after multiple trips, this is how mine ended up.