Why do coins look BETTER holdered?

braddick

I came across some amazing rainbow toned mid fourties and early fifties Lincolns awhile back. The kind with booming luster and all kinds of shades of GREEN/ MAROON/ PURPLE/ ORANGE! They had been tissue wrapped and placed in little coin envelopes decades ago. The Dealer was kind enough to stamp the date on the envelopes with the cost of the cent (usually about .30 or so).

I just received a few of the choicest ones back from PCGS and was amazed at how beautiful they are. Not that I didn't recognize their eye appeal earlier, raw, but it got me to thinking.

Do I stand alone? My coins seems to be MORE attractive after they've been holdered/slabbed by PCGS!
Why is that? I know it's all in my mind, but I can't get over how the appeal jumps for me.

lordmarcovan

Hey, you've probably heard my saying, "Buy the coin and the holder", but not as much as the overquoted cliche, "buy the coin and not the holder".

The holder counts, too. Aside from the fact that a PCGS holder can transform a raw coin worth a few cents into a certified one marketable for hundreds of dollars, one must admit that the holders really make the coins more respectable-looking, and displayable. Plus there is the environmental protection to think about. Sure, slabs are not the final word in environmental protection, but they're a heckuva lot better than albums or 2 X 2's or flips...

gmarguli

For most toned coins I prefer the NGC slabs. The white background can bring out the color. The PCGS slab can be rather neutral for toning. It doesn't help it or hurt it.

braddick

Good point Greg. I sent NGC an almost full 1958 Mint Set (I was the second owner of the set. None of the coins had ever been popped out of the cardboard holders until me).
I called NGC to get the status of the set (sent on the 19th of August) and was told, surprisingly, the coins were graded and on their way back to me! The phone person was even kind enough to offer to read the grades to me (wonderful customer service- I'm always afraid I'm taking too much of their time to even ask).
None of them were graded above MS66, but that's OK- it was the color I was after (alright, I admit, it would have been sweet if one of the Franklins had gone MS67!) and they sure will look good in the NGC white holders.
The only problem I have is copper- even color copper sometimes gets lost with all the white around it.

lordmarcovan

I think the ICG Intercept insert looks really snazzy; gold coins especially look nice against that black background. Too bad you can only get that black Intercept insert in an ICG holder, and too bad the rest of their holders are poor quality- the outside plastic is too soft and scuffs easily. I wish I could have an ICG black Intercept insert in a SEGS capsule with PCG/NGC grading standards...

Speaking of holders- has anyone but me noticed that the newer generation of NGC holders have a disturbing tendency for the label to flex and bend inside the slab, as though it wasn't pasted down that well? This was a minor irritation in the last submission I got, though I was otherwise quite pleased with them.

Here is an $85K example of what I'm talking about.

An absolute dream coin of that caliber deserves a better holder than that...

Coppernicus

Slabbing can enhance the coin at times but the raw versus slab debate will continue for evermore!

I like slabs (PCGS,NGC,ANACS) because: 1) it is at least a guarantee of authenticity; 2) the grade is at least close (no doubt it's not a perfect system); 3) it can be bought/sold with some assurance of quality (emphasis on the "some"); and 4) I can show my coins to a clumsy, oily, dirty, fingerprinter and not worry!

This last advantage of slabs should not be underestimated. I remember when I was about 12 years old and I was at a local coin shop here in Milwaukee and I dropped a coin that the dealer was showing me. Luckily, the coin fell onto the cloth on the counter and no damage was done but I was mortified!! That experience has stayed with me to this day. I don't want anybody that I'm showing a coin to have that same helpless feeling I had many years ago.

Would you hand over to a "newbie" one of your prized/expensive raw coins and let them handle it? If you would, you have a much stronger heart than I do!! Hand them a slab, get them interested in the hobby, and RELAX!!

Coppernicus

lordmarcovan

Well said.

(BTW, I've always thought "Coppernicus" was a cool handle...)

Steve27

I find that anything other than mint packaging improves the look of a coin. Especially for commemoratives which are packaged in those round plastic holders. You don't realize how much they obscure your view of the coin until they're removed.

BlueCole

Of course they look better in a holder.

Doesn't your wife look better in a wedding dress? Or in the sexy little number you bought for when the kids are gone?

B.

Placid

Because they do

JeffinMich

Unless that holder is an ACG holder.

kieferscoins

I think it is the increased perceived value with the slab that you may see. I like seeing my own coins come back in slabs and think they look better also. Having a raw coin bought at one grade and coming back in the same grade is always a good thought also that adds to the slab.

Cameron Kiefer

IrishMike

They don't look better in slabs to me. I find myself pulling out the Intercept albums all the time and rarely do I go through my slabbed coins. My raw, red and redbrown IHC's are a marvel to look at in that album, as are my walkers, washingtons, and lincolns. I have a set of lincolns in Whitman, with slides that are getting the most gorgeous blue tab toning on them, especially the memorials.

Nic

No flames please but I think they look worse in the holder. Most of my coins are slabbed, don't get me wrong. I just think the plastic takes away a hint of luster/ flash/ subtle color. Especially on early coins...even if MS67. K

joemon2

I agree that the protection a holder offers plus when we send in a coin and it comes back exactly the grade we thought it would.....that's why they look better holdered.

littlewicher

I think PCGS should offer color backgrounds in their holders.

Conder101

<< <i>I think PCGS should offer color backgrounds in their holders. >>



A pox on your house!

dbldie55

I can now holder my own thanks to coinworld. I will be doing a bunch of the stuff that is not worth paying someone else to tell me the grade I already know.

It does depend on the set though. I had no problem breaking the most expensive coin I had ever bought out of the holder to put into an album.

Bear

For the same reason that Braddick looks better in uniform.
It makes the coin look more official and dignified. Bear

michael

for me overall coins DO NOT LOOK BETTER IN THE HOLDER

the plastic hides much of the coins looks especially so with toned and DMPL dollars i mean even pcgs when looking at some dmpl dollars raw they are dmpl but when put into their slabs do not look dmpl so this precludes then from grading dmpl! some coins are pushed way back inside the holder epsecially so ngc and the coin if medium toned looks much worse in the holder

you cant examine the edge of the coin which for lots of coins especially pre 1915 proofs large cents and their little half sisters, the list goes on and on the edge is of major importance1

now overall i like slabs but for me the coins will always look better outside of the holders when viewing! nothing like viewing a coin raw

sincerely michael