how does PCI measure up?

slipgate

Just wondering - how does PCI grade? Would they list as #4 right behind ANACS?

DennisH

Highly inconsistent, but generally not very well. Some great bargains are to be had, however, if you look at enough PCI coins and know how to grade yourself.

PhillyJoe

Some of the older green bordered labels are worth a look, most of the newer gold labels are not.

Joe

Colorfulcoins

I recently cracked a 1954-D PCI MS67 Roosevelt dime from one of the newer gold holders. Sent it to NGC and it came back NGC MS67FT. I knew it was FT when I bought but the coin was clean and it came back from NGC in the right grade. As noted above, their grading is inconsistent and you have to judge each coin on it sindividual merits sight seen. But there are deals and opportunities for those willing to put in the time....

cape

only the old green holder 10 digit numbers are worth your while ,they are usually graded quite conservatively!

Barry

More like #10 in my opinion.

MICHAELDIXON

I have to agree with DennisH. If you know how to grade, you can find some bargains in their Gold holders. I've picked up several Morgans in MS64 holders, cracked them and they came back 66.

777

<< Would they list as #4 behind ANACS >> definitely not, but I think ICG does

Deadhorse

I think the best part is that many people won't give them a second look.

I just picked up a 96W $25 Proof Gold Eagle in the old green label slab, it was graded as PR70.

I don't think it would cross, but the point is that I got it for well below melt spot price.

BillJones

<< <i>How does PCI measure up? >>



In two words, "It doesn't."

In the old days PCI was a third world grading service with very inconsistent results. After its was sold, it became something that is far below third world status.

Sure you can find some properly graded and undergraded coins in old PCI holders. But be prepared to cross the coins. You will never get the true value for a really nice coin when it is in a PCI holder.

PerryHall

<< <i>only the old green holder 10 digit numbers are worth your while ,they are usually graded quite conservatively! >>

PCI at that time was under different ownership and was very conservative in their grading.

SanctionII

My only experience with PCI was last summer at the SF ANA. A dealer had a 1950 Proof Frankie in a gold label PCI holder graded PF67CAM. I bought the coin and not the slab. The coin is the best looking 1950 CAM proof Frankie I have ever seen, far better than some PCGS 65 CAM's I have seen in dealer cases. The frost is thick and even across all of the devices and the fields have deep, black, watery mirrors. It has great eye appeal and looks like a high grade CAM proof from say 1962. I cracked the coin out of the PCI slab and have looked at it in detail under a 10x and a 20x loupe. The only problem with the coin is that on the obverse there are some minor hairlines in the field to the left of the Ben Franklin's bust.

Absent the hairlines I could easily see a 67 grade. With the hairlines, who knows. If I ever submit it to PCGS or NGC for grading I will expect not less than a 64CAM grade and will be very happy if it comes back a 65CAM. If it comes back higher than a 65CAM I will be jumping for joy.

TwoSides2aCoin

I've yet to have one that didn't cross.... I guess I got lucky. This includes a 74DDO Kennedy, a gold five dollar indian, and um... I can't remember the other and am too lazy to check.

oh, when I say cross.....

I never sent a coin anywhere to be slabbed except PCGS, and I am only a year into using the service. So that should tell you I got lucky, or my eyes are pretty good.






... it sure ain't the latter.

orie

I have had some good luck buying PCI on ebay and have had some bad. Purchased a xf45 Morgan a couple of months ago and it's now raw at anacs. I suspect it will come back no better then a 30.

Moral to the story, if you buy sight unseen don't expect much.