PCGS graders influenced by coins graded before yours??? -- Related Topic

RKKay

Do you think they are influenced by your submission of a crappy, cleaned beat up coin when grading your three other high grade high rarities?

misterR

I've tried that a few times. Sent in some "decoy" coins for the graders to kill in hopes that they would REALLY like the nice coin that I hoped would get "the" grade. Can't say that that strategy has worked all that well. Have seen a difference when I sent in some "perfect" modern proofs along with some business strike coins from the sixties , seventies or eighties. The graders usually give the "perfect" coins the expected grades but really kill the business strikes. Solution seems to be to send in like coins in an individual submission. And to hope that the coins graded previous to yours are not "perfect" modern proofs, modern commemoratives, etc. Some luck involved.

kranky

My understanding is that you don't know what order they will grade the coins in your submission. The one you are trying to "set up" might be the first one graded.

RKKay

Do they kill your nice coins when you submit that one piece of garbage?

nwcs

Anyone who has taken any courses in industrial engineering can tell you that a grader will be affected by everything:

1. How much sleep they had
2. How many breaks during the day
3. Their relations and relationships with others
4. The food they eat
5. The schedule they keep
6. Time of day
7. What they see a moment before and expect to see a moment after
8. Many other things

We're all human and these are normal. That a professional grader can achieve general consistency and quality is a tribute to their training and professionalism. But to expect machine-like consistency.... never will happen.

Neil

CharlieB

A thread that hits home all right. Can't say the "decoy"
coin strategy worked that well for me either. But like oil
and water, proofs and business strikes don't mix.

I'd like to hear about a submission method that you think does
work in your favor. I am all ears.

Like submitting several mint state coins, all different denoms
and types.

DennisH

Kranky:

If you've filled out your submission form correctly, you'll know EXACTLY in what order the graders will look at the coins.

That's what the little white stickers are for that PCGS provides... they go on either the plastic flip for raw coins, or on the holders themselves for regrades and crossovers. On the stickers you're supposed to write the invoice number, followed by a dash, and then the invoice line number that corresponds to the coin. For instance:

3007568-1
3007568-2
etc.

The -1 corresponds to the first coin listed on the submission form, and is the first coin the graders will look at. The -2 corresponds to the second coin, and so forth.

-- Dennis

Lakesammman

Don't think it can be proven but intuitively I like the decoy method. I sent a average FE MS63 coin (1858/7, new blue holder) with a killer 1858/7 MS63 (old yellowish PCGS holder) and the later came back 64. Would it have come back 64 on it's own - will never know. I figured I had one chance with it in the old holder and wanted to maximize the opportunity.

I've had the opposite occur - sent in a 66R with a same date 65 R, hoping they would see the coins were comparable - no change in grade.

kranky

DennisH, I heard that the graders do not always follow the submission sheet in the order they were listed. Sometimes they start at the bottom, or in the middle. This is what I was told at the ANA grading class by current and former graders.

Lakesammman

Best solution - send in only 2 coins per invoice.

Johnscoin

We asked about this idea of "setting up your coins" at the Advanced Grading Class at the ANA. The NGC and PCGS graders said that there is no way that you could 'accurately' set up your invoices to help a certain coin.
The graders from both services said that sometimes they go from the back of the box to the front, sometimes front to back. And they don't necessarily go in any order when taking the coin out of the box. It depends on whatever mood they are in. They actually thought the idea was kinda funny as I remember. So, it's doubtful that you can set up a coin, but yes, I am sure previous coins would affect the grader's opinions, but unfortunately you can't quite rig it that way...

kieferscoins

I remember they did laugh at the thought like John said. The only way would to have two decoy coins, one in front and one behind. If the coin dosen't warrant the grade it won't get it and the decoy coins only help the services get more money. I don't think it works.

Cameron Kiefer