Here is a lovely 1890 liberty head nickel (black NGC slab) The assigned grade? ANSWER PR63 - receiv

oreville

Note that what appears to be scratches around the date is really toning. Also the "spot" in the date is also toning.

Grade?
This coin is a PR63.

Did this coin/slab pass the CAC test?
Yes- it received a gold sticker

coinkat

I just changed to 63


Personally I would grade it 64

291fifth

Proof 61 or 62.

Connecticoin

Gorgeous coin. PF 65 CAM.

fcloud

64
The blacks slabs sure look better than the white.

astrorat

Where's the back of the slab...who cares about the dang coin!

Wow...I thought you picked up another one! I hold my "you really, really suck" for your next NGC black slab.

Do you know why it is not for sale...other than because of the slab?

As to the grade...how about XXXX (although it would be nice to see it in hand)?

Lane

Edited ... because I peeked!

relicsncoins

Cool.......PF-63 then, PF-65 now.

WTCG

I believe this is a coin from a Bowers and Merena auction in Baltimore from the summer of this year. I know what the grade on the holder is, but in terms of actual grade I think the coin would grade PR65 if submitted for grading now.

pontiacinf

P69CAM. Very nice but out of my collectinginterest, so I do not know much about the series.

DennisH

65

robkool

PF64...

GoldenEyeNumismatics

pr66 then, 67 now.

DRUNNER

Proof 64 Cam.

I have a dream . . . I am working in a B & M shop and have answered my 17th "1943 copper Lincoln" question of the day, broken 3 elderly ladies hearts who bought their "retirement" off the shopping networks and felt it was time to sell, and chased off 2 Franklin Mint sellers who refused to believe they had anything other than bullion.

Now . . it's 4:45pm. A middle aged guy walks in carrying a small daypack. He shuffles up to the counter and pulls out an old NGC box. He says, "I've got a few old slabs I've had around for a while. I know they're not really keys, but thought I'd see what I could do out of them if you don't mind."

I say, "Sure . . . let's see what you have."

He takes the lid off and I see 10-11 Black NGC slabs without so much as a hairline on the plastic. Semi keys . . . a 1914-S Lincoln in AU53 . . . a 1910 Barber dime in 62 . . . and am 1868 Shield nickel in XF45. The remaining 9-10 are PCGS. I look closer and see they are "Doilies", consecutively numbered. Nice collector coins, but nothing out of the shops price range.

Ohhhh . . . . . dreams . . .

Drunner

pursuitofliberty

Very nice

PF64 when slabbed ... if so then gold sticker worthy today

that's my WAG, and I'm sticking with it

GoldenEyeNumismatics

<< <i>Proof 64 Cam.

I have a dream . . . I am working in a B & M shop and have answered my 17th "1943 copper Lincoln" question of the day, broken 3 elderly ladies hearts who bought their "retirement" off the shopping networks and felt it was time to sell, and chased off 2 Franklin Mint sellers who refused to believe they had anything other than bullion.

Now . . it's 4:45pm. A middle aged guy walks in carrying a small daypack. He shuffles up to the counter and pulls out an old NGC box. He says, "I've got a few old slabs I've had around for a while. I know they're not really keys, but thought I'd see what I could do out of them if you don't mind."

I say, "Sure . . . let's see what you have."

He takes the lid off and I see 10-11 Black NGC slabs without so much as a hairline on the plastic. Semi keys . . . a 1914-S Lincoln in AU53 . . . a 1910 Barber dime in 62 . . . and am 1868 Shield nickel in XF45. The remaining 9-10 are PCGS. I look closer and see they are "Doilies", consecutively numbered. Nice collector coins, but nothing out of the shops price range.

Ohhhh . . . . . dreams . . .

Drunner >>



Keep dreaming

Although a dealer friend of mine did have someone walk in and sell him a proof Morgan collection (12-15 pieces, I don't remembder the exact number) that were all fresh PCGS rattlers. Most of them upgraded one or two points.

astrorat

<< <i>I believe this is a coin from a Bowers and Merena auction in Baltimore from the summer of this year. I know what the grade on the holder is, but in terms of actual grade I think the coin would grade PR65 if submitted for grading now. >>



Yes, it was from the Bowers and Merena auction.

Lane

PerryHall

Why ruin a very rare, valuable and highly collectable slab with a sticker?

oreville

<< <i>Why ruin a very rare, valuable and highly collectable slab with a sticker? >>



Perryhall: This is what this slab looks like AFTER it was gold stickered. Do you see the sticker and does it looked ruined to you? The purists say all slabs are ruined because you see the grade on the slab when you look at the obverse of the coin. Here you see nothing at all.

Once again, how is this slab ruined?

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i>Why ruin a very rare, valuable and highly collectable slab with a sticker? >>



Perryhall: This is what this slab looks like AFTER it was gold stickered. Do you see the sticker and does it looked ruined to you? The purists say all slabs are ruined because you see the grade on the slab when you look at the obverse of the coin. Here you see nothing at all.

Once again, how is this slab ruined? >>



I'm confused. If it was "gold stickered" then where is the gold sticker? Did you remove it? My concern is the adhesive on the sticker may react with the plastic over a long period of time. Nice coin and very nice slab by the way.

oreville

Perry: You stated:



<< <i> I'm confused. If it was "gold stickered" then where is the gold sticker? Did you remove it? My concern is the adhesive on the sticker may react with the plastic over a long period of time. Nice coin and very nice slab by the way. >>



Ahhh.... the magic of the old slabs. The front is the back of the slab. The reverse is the front of the slab. Or is the front really the reverse?
Endless permutations of possibilities! LOL.

The grade and gold sticker are shown on the same side as the REVERSE of the coin. Now that is magical in itself.

Elcontador

<< <i>I believe this is a coin from a Bowers and Merena auction in Baltimore from the summer of this year. I know what the grade on the holder is, but in terms of actual grade I think the coin would grade PR65 if submitted for grading now. >>



No f***ing way. The coin has unattractive toning and hideous haze. It might make a 4 if the graders are having a bad day; I think it's properly graded. If Albanese & crew disagree with me so be it; I don't like the coin. I know what a PF 5 or 6 should look like, and it should have far more eye appeal than this coin has.

If you think this should grade PR 5, I think you need to see a lot more of them before buying one of them. I am sorry if this sounds overly harsh, but I sincerely believe it.

adamlaneus

Does anyone think that the presence of a gold sticker will increase the chances of this slab being cracked and the coin regraded?

Or is the sticker irrelevant?

I'm not necessarily talking about the current owner; i'm talking about the future of this coin/slab combo as it passes through other folks hands (assuming it does).

I ask because it seems sort of 'cool' to preserve these old slabs.
Yet, if the coin is generally considered undergraded because of the tighter standards back then, isn't that a pressure to crack it out and submit?

Does the gold sticker alter the "crack it out" equation in this case?

RYK

I don't get this black slab attraction, but, then again, many of you don't get what I dig. I guess that's what makes the coin world go 'round...

WTCG

<< <i>

<< <i>I believe this is a coin from a Bowers and Merena auction in Baltimore from the summer of this year. I know what the grade on the holder is, but in terms of actual grade I think the coin would grade PR65 if submitted for grading now. >>



No f***ing way. The coin has unattractive toning and hideous haze. It might make a 4 if the graders are having a bad day; I think it's properly graded. If Albanese & crew disagree with me so be it; I don't like the coin. I know what a PF 5 or 6 should look like, and it should have far more eye appeal than this coin has.

If you think this should grade PR 5, I think you need to see a lot more of them before buying one of them. I am sorry if this sounds overly harsh, but I sincerely believe it. >>



Disagree if you may, but after examining and making notes on the coin I stand by my opinion that the coin should grade PR65. I believe my grading abilities are sufficient when it comes to Liberty Nickels. I buy and sell a lot of them every month and I submit more Liberty Nickels for grading than any other classic proof denomination.

RYK

I buy and sell a lot of them every month and I submit more Liberty Nickels for grading than any other classic proof denomination.

You have my deepest sympathy.

(I have purchased a single Liberty nickel in the last seven years and never look at them, but the patch of hairlines by the date would concern me for a gem.)

Elcontador

Wei, I'll respectfully agree to disagree with you. If that's a 5, my 05 PF in PC 6 is a 70, and it has a small carbon spot in Miss Liberty's hair.

oreville

All the gold sticker does is say that they felt the coin was at least a solid 64. Anymore is a bonus.

That will be left for the next 3rd opinion company 20 years from now? By then, they will use laser beams?

roadrunner

Obviously, on a desireable black NGC slab the CAC sticker is relatively meaningless and most anyone would automatically expect such a coin to upgrade....hopefully 2 points if it were a PQ coin when first graded. The coin is worth many multiples of PF64 or PF65 money. Fwiw I don't see why it couldn't meet 65 levels today...which to me falls short of true gem condition anyways. A true gem coin today is really on the order of 65.8 to 66.4 (my 2 cents). It's the same gem coin standard that got it back in 1986-1990.

roadrunner

coinkat

How many of these black NGC slabs are left?

oreville

I would estimate between 85 and 200 black slabs are left.