"New" PCGS grader and current staff

homerunhall

Hello Everyone,

We are fortunate to have John Butler, formerly with Sahara Coins in Las Vegas join the PCGS grading staff. John has graded for us in the past and is top tier in every regard. Our current grading staff is as follows.

Ron Howard, Director of Grading. Ron has been with PCGS since 1987. Prior to that he was spent 15 years in the trenches as head buyer for Paramount, Heritage, and Kagin's. Ron is considered one of the top graders in the world.

Miles Standish, Vice President. Miles has been with PCGS since 1987 and has world class grading talent.

Gordon Wrubel, Senior Grader. Gordon was one of the PCGS founders and has been grading at PCGS since 1986. Prior to that Gordon was a top wholesaler specializing in ultra high grade rare gold. Gordon had spent 2001 and 2002 as Director of Numismatics for Bowers and Merena. He rejoined PCGS this January.

Mike Sargent, Senior Grader. Sarge has been a PCGS grader since 1989. He did have a 9 month vacation the past year as a buyer for Heritage. Sarge is also a world class grading talent.

John Butler, Senior Grader. John is a former PCGS grader who has recently been running Sahara Coins in Las Vegas. He has just rejoined PCGS.

Rick Stewart, Modern Specialist. Rick is a modern coin specalist who has been with us the past year.

All of our graders have made long term committments to PCGS. They are an extremely talented and very experienced group of graders. Together, we will get the turn around times back to where they need to be and i believe these guys will grade your coins very consistently. We had some personel changes in the past 12 months but things appear to be back to "normal" now.

David

dragon

Very good news!

ursabear

Mr. Hall,

Thank you for introducing us to the staff. I sincerely appreciate letting us know more about the folks that handle and view our coins.

Jimmy Bear

Bear

HRH. Thanks for the update , looking foward to improvements in all aspects of the operation.

Good luck and good speed with the changes. Bear

joejeweler

Wow.....it simply amazes me that this is only six graders, and with the continuing volumn sent to PCGS monthly it's a miracle they can even see straight after awhile!

I guess i assumed there were 20 to 30 graders working in shifts to ease the strain. Certainly there isn't THAT low a population of world class grader pool from which to select a larger grading force? (or is there?)

Just wondering......
Joe T

BigE

Hire all the good guys you can get your hands on! Nice going---------------BigE

wondercoin

John is an incredible acquistion for you and will bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to the team. And, of course, I assume DH can step in and grade as well, making it (7) graders deep.

And, if others missed perhaps the key line in this thread - all of the graders have now made LONG TERM COMMITTMENTS TO PCGS. That will ensure CONSISTENT GRADING FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

I look forward to testing the new line up in St Louis Wondercoin

coinguy1

Sorry, Mitch, I feel compelled to comment on your remark, wherein you said:

"And, if others missed perhaps the key line in this thread - all of the graders have now made LONG TERM COMMITTMENTS TO PCGS. That will ensure CONSISTENT GRADING FOR MANY YEARS TO COME."

A number of the current graders have been at PCGS for a long time already. For those who complain about the inconsistency of PCGS's grading, the fact that the graders have made long term commitments, will not ensure much of anything.

David, I am not commenting on PCGS's grading, merely the fact that long term commitments by the graders doesn't excite me like it apparently does Mitch.

Still, it's good to see you providing information as you have been this evening - thank you.

JOHNandBEA

I love to end my days on a pleasant thought.................


John

FrattLaw

Mitch -- when are you joining PCGS's grading team?

Mark -- Careful there, that last post was almost approaching criticism of PCGS.

As for John joining PCGS -- that's great news, but now who I am going to visit and buy coins from when I'm out in Las Vegas!

Thanks David for the updates. Keep'em coming!

Michael

Dog97

Oh gawd, that John Butler guy came on this board telling us we should like AT coins and bragging about how he sold AT coins. Just who I would want grading my coins..........WTF!!!

stman

LMAO.... Heel Dog Heel!!! Yup, he be the one that said to send the AT coins to him because they had a value.
Well, wonder where they will end up now?????

nucklehead

OOPS!

Dog97

Yeah he did say that if we didn't walk the floor of 30 major shows a year we didn't know what original was anyway. GRRRR......

ANACONDA

Is that where they are artificially toning coins now, at major coin shows?


(...and for those of you who need directions on how to toast a pop tart, insert winkie here.)

DCAMFranklin

<< <i>Oh gawd, that John Butler guy came on this board telling us we should like AT coins and bragging about how he sold AT coins. Just who I would want grading my coins..........WTF!!! >>




Dog97- Are you saying it was probably a PR mistake to announce the hiring here on this Forum?

STEWARTBLAYNUMIS

Hi David,

Now that John Butler has joined the grading staff of PCGS,will the practice of micro managing PCGS change and become a LITTLE more liberal?
Was Mike Sargeant really on a vacation when he worked for Heritage?
Can you please explain what it is that makes a modern coin specialist?Are modern coins post 1965?I would like to hear what constitutes a proof 70.

Stewart

wondercoin

"Mitch -- when are you joining PCGS's grading team?"

Fratt: Retiring after nearly 17 years of practicing law, I look for easier things to do, not harder!! I truly respect the professional graders and what it takes to go in there day in and day out and grade a couple thousand coins a day, every business day. I believe it is truly a difficult job to do for an extrended period of time. It takes special people.

Wondercoin

braddick

Mitch- I know you wouldn't want to do it, but you would make an excellent grader. Very few have the talent you do.
With that said, I'm grateful to see PCGS moving forward with the addition of another top Grader.

wondercoin

Pat: Thanks for the kind words.

I actually probably couldn't stop collecting long enough to earn my first paycheck. My pattern nickel set is coming along nicely thanks especially to Rick Kay. But, I have a long, long way to go.

Wondercoin

jonesy

Good to know a little information on the fellas. Thanks
Glenn

mnmcoin

<< <i>John Butler, Senior Grader. John is a former PCGS grader who has recently been running Sahara Coins in Las Vegas. He has just rejoined PCGS. >>



So, what will happen to Sahara Coins? I would love a shot at all his 1930-1970+ ms and pr coins, when he sells.

morris <><

WANNABEDEALER

John is a welcome addition to their staff. As someone who has been in the trenches for years, then working at PCGS and then back to the retail world, John is familar with both sides. I think that being on both sides of the fence is a huge advantage.

MAULUMALL

Good news for sure.




(did you get their finger prints on file)

FrattLaw

Mitch -- like Pat said, you would make an excellent grader -- you should consider it, even if it is just to help out for a little while to get the turnaround times down. Sorta like a pinch-hitter grader.

Michael

Gilbert

Thanks for the announcement. I've only been asking "who's the grading staff" since the crackdown started.

Oh gawd, that John Butler guy came on this board telling us we should like AT coins and bragging about how he sold AT coins. Just who I would want grading my coins..........WTF!!!

Does that mean there will be a "revolution" in PCGS encapsulated toned coins?

I guess I'll have to continue to keep my finger in the wind. EVENTUALLY, things will settle down so we can get the "pulse" of PCGS. At least, I hope they will.

MrEureka

We are fortunate to have John Butler, formerly with Sahara Coins in Las Vegas join the PCGS grading staff.

Great hire, congratulations!

MadMonk

What, you didnt get Lucy Bop to grade Frankies.......Shame Shame

TheNumish

John Butler is a good guy. I didn't read the threads Dog97 is talking about but have no fears. John will never knowingly put an AT coin in a PCGS holder.

STEWARTBLAYNUMIS

David


Does this mean Rick Montgomery will not be rehired as a senior grader?????????

Stewart

tradedollarnut

Stewart continues to search for that magic way to get on PCGS's good side!

homerunhall

FYI...John Butler, the new PCGS grader, is not the same John Butler that was on the message boards mouthing off about AT coins. When that happened the John Butler from Las Vegas immediately sent me a message that the "AT" John Butler wasn't him...

PS...I am not the same David Hall that was ex-governor of Oklahoma who was convicted of fraud.

David Hall

Russ

Ah, yes, the pitfalls of automatically believing anything that's posted on an anonymous BBS.

Russ, NCNE

kieferscoins

Is Miles Standish the same as the colonial era Miles Standish?

Cameron Kiefer

homerunhall

And Ron Howard used to play "Opie" on TV...

And then Ritchie Cunningham...

LucyBop

I'm the real and only HepKitty!

Russ

<< <i>And Ron Howard used to play "Opie" on TV...

And then Ritchie Cunningham... >>



And then he made a movie about aliens that take long naps inside of big rocks.

Russ, NCNE

BigE

Lets nickname John Butler "Opie' , then things will be a lot less confusing-----------BigE

MS68

Congratulations on your new hire. He is one of the best graders in the business. You were fortunate to pull him away from Sahara Coins.