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Authenticity of Problem Coins...

Hello!

If I submit a coin that I know will body bag for an obvious reason (scratched, etc) but that I am interested in having authenticated, does any stated problem OTHER than "not genuine" suggest that the PCGS graders think the coin IS genuine?

Put another way, can I presume a coin is authentic if it bags for some other reason?

I know that some of PCGS's competitors actually slab authentic problem coins, and I'm not suggesting that PCGS should, I just wondered if a submitter could use the PCGS service in the same way, knowing the coin will come back raw, but with reasonable assurance (though not a guarantee) that it is, in fact, authentic.

Thanks!

Rex

Comments



  • << <i>Hello!

    If I submit a coin that I know will body bag for an obvious reason (scratched, etc) but that I am interested in having authenticated, does any stated problem OTHER than "not genuine" suggest that the PCGS graders think the coin IS genuine?

    Put another way, can I presume a coin is authentic if it bags for some other reason?

    I know that some of PCGS's competitors actually slab authentic problem coins, and I'm not suggesting that PCGS should, I just wondered if a submitter could use the PCGS service in the same way, knowing the coin will come back raw, but with reasonable assurance (though not a guarantee) that it is, in fact, authentic.

    Thanks!

    Rex >>



    Hi Rex,

    At PCGS, the issue of authenticity trumps condition when such a determination can be made. Thus, if you send a problem coin that is not authentic, PCGS will no-grade the coin as "Not genuine" rather than noting the problem. However, if the nature of the problem is such that we are unable to determine authenticity (i.e. heavy cleaning, oxidation, damage to areas where die markers are known to exist, etc.) PCGS will no-grade the coin for the problem. Thus, it is not 100% reliable to assume authenticity on a coin that is returned as a no-grade, problem coin by PCGS. The coin may not be authentic, because our experts were unable to make a certain determination.
    Ron Guth
    President
    PCGS CoinFacts - the Internet Encyclopedia of U.S. Coins
    www.CoinFacts.com
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