$25 Mint bags of State quarters..DRG was right!

golddustin

OK DRG, I concede your point on the unlikely event that I would find 5 coins MS68 or better in a bag of 100 quarters....opened up a bag of Ohio-P and found 5 that might make 67 (I'll keep my fingers crossed).however I did find one coin that looked absolutely flawless...not a single bag mark, surface scratch..nothing! And it appears to be a comparatively strong strike. I will let you know what grade it comes back with. But, I still say that over time, any coins that remain in slabs will be at the very best, no better than the grade on that slab. I guess ultimately that is what we as collectors should want from a 3rd party service...but I have had problems in the past with PCGS..such as cracking coins that appeared undergraded (by PCGS) then resubmiting them, and having them returned NG for "altered surfaces". The coins were very carefully removed from original holders, and immediately slipped into vinyl flips for submission. So one one day, the coins are graded by PCGS as certified MS coins, then the next time, they have altered surfaces. Kinda makes me wonder about the integrity of the graders - what about you? It seems to me that relying on another human to grade your coins can leave you at their mercy - are they having a good day, are they overwhelmed and just trying to move coins thru, are they hungover, etc.? I certainly don't pretend to be an expert, but I have been attending shows, auctions, subscribing to auction catalogs and visiting local shops, and I trust my judgement as much as anybody's. But, for the sake of consistency, I guess we all need a service that is reliable, and does not capriciously assign grades (or not assign grades) on a whimsical basis. I think the darkside has a point - collect what you like, on whatever category you prefer - be it nation, time frame, mint subject (i.e., ships) and don't worry what others think of the grade...after all, it is your own collection, and should make you happy! Chuck