When submitting valuable vams should you...

mcmxi

submit it without the Vam attribution first? Then send them in for attribution I have heard they are much tighter on valuable coins when grading them.

DennisH

The first batch of VAMs I submitted to PCGS, which happened almost immediately after they began attributing them, went in as VAMs for both grading and attribution.

But that was the last one. I can't help but think that what appears to be a circulated $18 XF 1878 7TF Morgan might be looked at differently than a $1000 key VAM.

However, I'm able to do this because I drop off/pick up in person, so the postage aspect of multiple trips is not an issue.

Wolf359

<< <i>submit it without the Vam attribution first? Then send them in for attribution I have heard they are much tighter on valuable coins when grading them. >>



Usually, yes.

My issue is some vams look downright different and get bagged for cleaning or altered surfaces. This especially happens with me on early rarer 1878 coins with AUPL surfaces (1878-CC VAM-24 for example)...PCGS just seems to misunderstand this is the way they look, and they bagged several coins for cleaning that later holdered when submitted with
the VAM fee. Also, if you have a rarity in higher condition census grades they may slide a bit on a borderline coin and holder it, but bag these on a submission w/o a vam.

Neither one worked on my raw MS64 8TF 14.4 concave reverse though....