Unique PCGS sample slab...possibly a unique PCGS hybrid slab entirely as well...but the story behind

oreville

There is an incredible story behind this PCGS sample slab!!

This sample slab was displayed at the Jan 2016 FUN show and the Feb 2016 Long Beach show.



This slab has the OGH (one of those non color fast labels that turned either yellow or blue.....this turned blue) obverse label along with the post OGH (silver foil) reverse hologram reverse.



No one has ever had ever seen such a hybrid slabfrom PCGS in a sample slab format! It is also unclear if there is even one hybrid regular production slab as





The story will follow in another post!

oreville

I received this pm from Exojunkie about a month ago:



Hi. I've been enjoying the thread started by Lakesammman about the FUN sample slab display and wanted to send you a note regarding your "unique" Morgan dollar with the pre-/post-OGH characteristics. I'm 99% sure I used to own it and I thought you might want to know its origins. I also noticed the unique Franklin half sample, which I also used to own and was the original eBay buyer back in 2004 or so, paying a then record price when it appeared. I had a collection of 200+ samples as I recall, including these two PCGS samples, and sold the collection intact in late 2004-early 2005 to a guy (can't remember his last name), who is "gus6390" on eBay (you aren't him by chance are you???).



Anyway, assuming the Morgan sample is the same one, without keeping you in suspense any more I can tell you it is definitely unique as I "made" it at PCGS. The story (as best I remember it 10+ years later) is that I bought an OGH Morgan dollar sample on eBay. It arrived damaged/cracked by USPS. I sent it to PCGS for reholdering and asked them if they could duplicate the holder -- essentially, if they could restore it to its original type/condition. As I recall, they said they didn't make that type of holder anymore, but they would reuse as much of the label as they could. To make a long story short, it came back as you have it now -- a hybrid of two different types. So ... you will never find another one, as it was a one-time deal between me and PCGS. I'm glad both it and the Franklin half found their way into a top-tier collection, although more than once I wish I still owned them........



I discussed this pm with both Exojunkie and Lakesamman and both felt it would be appropriate to post it here.



So now we know the history!!



I was also NOT that gus6390.....



But a very special poster here added 500 additional sample slabs to Exojunkie's collection and then sold the entire collection intact to me in 2010.

georgiacop50

Very Cool!



Tell us about this unique Franklin sample...

Barndog

very nice to have the story to go along with the coin/holder. Helps to explain the odd combination.

TopographicOceans

Good story

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD

That's very cool indeed!

astrorat

Great story!

Shamika

It's so great to have the back story on rare items like this. It brings so much color the item. Thank you for sharing.

Shamika

But a very special poster here added 500 additional sample slabs to Exojunkie's collection and then sold the entire collection intact to me in 2010.

So how many sample slabs do you own Oreville?

bob48

Like the story on it and like the pictures.

Sample slabs web site never does have a reverse picture of any of the slabs.

Wingsrule

Very cool post, Oreville, and thanks to Exojunkie for sharing the history.



And I hear that "gus" guy is quite the character...

Lakesammman

When I first read that story, I was floored - pretty cool.



Definitely one of a kind sample that deserves to reside in the finest collection of PCGS samples - mine.

asheland

Very cool!

oreville

Shamika,



I have forgotten long ago how many sample slabs I now own. I just count the number of intercept red boxes I have!! Keep in mind that my predecessor collected all grading services samples.



Nothing pisses my wife more than the sheer volume of sample slabs. She keeps threatening to have my mother-in-law move in with us if I don't move the sample slabs out.



What is scary is that Accugrade is competing with PCGS and NGC for numerical superiority of sample slabs in my collection!! LOL.

TheDukeK

I hate to say it but I like those samples!

keets

so, it isn't really a rare production sample slab, it's really a re-holder mule that was intentionally made by PCGS to satisfy a customer request??

oreville

keets:



Exactly. But it is a mule SAMPLE slab.



Isnt that just amazing????



Imagine asking PCGS NOW for such a thing??????

keets

wouldn't any slabbed coin sent to PCGS under similar circumstances, for re-holdering a cracked shell, be done the same way even if a request was needed?

oreville

wouldn't any slabbed coin sent to PCGS under similar circumstances, for re-holdering a cracked shell, be done the same way even if a request was needed

I believe there MIGHT be a couple of mule or transitional production slabs floating around out of millions but this is the first sample slab that I recall ever seeing.

keets

something similar was posted during the last year or two, not a sample. I believe someone had sent in a Doiley and the coin was re-holdered in a new shell with the old insert. for that stuff to take place I suppose you need to contact customer service and then follow the explicit instructions they provide.

oreville

Perhaps someone would like to volunteer to do what keets suggested??

EXOJUNKIE

Boy, that was a long time ago. Nice to see an old friend again. Sure wish I still owned those slabs haha!



Oh well, at least Wingsrule and I have a footnote in sample slab history.



Thanks for posting, oreville.

oreville

Saving this from archives.

Zoins

@EXOJUNKIE said:
Hi. I've been enjoying the thread started by Lakesammman about the FUN sample slab display and wanted to send you a note regarding your "unique" Morgan dollar with the pre-/post-OGH characteristics. I'm 99% sure I used to own it and I thought you might want to know its origins. I also noticed the unique Franklin half sample, which I also used to own and was the original eBay buyer back in 2004 or so, paying a then record price when it appeared. I had a collection of 200+ samples as I recall, including these two PCGS samples, and sold the collection intact in late 2004-early 2005 to a guy (can't remember his last name), who is "gus6390" on eBay (you aren't him by chance are you???).

Anyway, assuming the Morgan sample is the same one, without keeping you in suspense any more I can tell you it is definitely unique as I "made" it at PCGS. The story (as best I remember it 10+ years later) is that I bought an OGH Morgan dollar sample on eBay. It arrived damaged/cracked by USPS. I sent it to PCGS for reholdering and asked them if they could duplicate the holder -- essentially, if they could restore it to its original type/condition. As I recall, they said they didn't make that type of holder anymore, but they would reuse as much of the label as they could. To make a long story short, it came back as you have it now -- a hybrid of two different types. So ... you will never find another one, as it was a one-time deal between me and PCGS. I'm glad both it and the Franklin half found their way into a top-tier collection, although more than once I wish I still owned them........

Sounds like a very special, custom made slab!

It's great to have the story but we need to have the photos restored!

oih82w8

Not only did the slab label fade, so did the entire images.

"As I recall, they said they didn't make that type of holder anymore, but they would reuse as much of the label as they could. To make a long story short, it came back as you have it now -- a hybrid of two different types. "

THIS is what I have been asking for for years, reuse the labels and solid gaskets for reholdered slabs, not that I am trying to make a super rare holder, but to keep as much as the original desirable features. I don't care for the the throwback labels, and I prefer the solid gasket insets to the prongs that are used today.

Zoins

@oih82w8 said:
Not only did the slab label fade, so did the entire images.

"As I recall, they said they didn't make that type of holder anymore, but they would reuse as much of the label as they could. To make a long story short, it came back as you have it now -- a hybrid of two different types. "

THIS is what I have been asking for for years, reuse the labels and solid gaskets for reholdered slabs, not that I am trying to make a super rare holder, but to keep as much as the original desirable features. I don't care for the the throwback labels, and I prefer the solid gasket insets to the prongs that are used today.

So, it seems that you can do this

oih82w8

@Zoins said:

@oih82w8 said:
Not only did the slab label fade, so did the entire images.

"As I recall, they said they didn't make that type of holder anymore, but they would reuse as much of the label as they could. To make a long story short, it came back as you have it now -- a hybrid of two different types. "

THIS is what I have been asking for for years, reuse the labels and solid gaskets for reholdered slabs, not that I am trying to make a super rare holder, but to keep as much as the original desirable features. I don't care for the the throwback labels, and I prefer the solid gasket insets to the prongs that are used today.

So, it seems that you can do this

Probably not for the regular Joe's and Jane's in coin collecting...your name needs to be Pouge, Walton or Bowers.

Ike1964

Does anyone have a picture of this slab that they could post? I collect sample slabs, mainly PCGS. Thanks.

EXOJUNKIE

I searched my photo archives for a picture of this mule/hybrid sample and unfortunately could not find one. If we’re to ever see it, @oreville will have to indulge us.

What I did find though was a photo of how it arrived to me damaged in the mail, and you can see the obvious reason why I sent it to PCGS to be reholdered. I forgot I had this “before” photo. @oreville will likely appreciate it for his records:

Wingsrule

Now I’m going to have to dig in the archives for a “post” photo...

Wingsrule

Ran into an issue about 4 months ago where my external hard drive took a dump. Our IT guy at work is great but he was unable to pull anything from it. I am slowly 'learning' what was on there as I try to locate old stuff, with this thread being one of them. Fortunately, I had a copy of all my photos on a thumb drive.

How many people have a folder named "Oreville"?

Wingsrule

I think this is the one to which you are referring. Sorry, no photos of the reverse.

Wingsrule

And here's that Franklin @Exojunkie talked about

EXOJUNKIE

@Wingsrule said:
And here's that Franklin @Exojunkie talked about

It’s nice to see some old friends. 🥲🙂

oreville

this is what the sample slab looks like now with the obverse and reverse shown. Note that the reverse paired with the post OGH slab which has a silver colored hologram not the gold colored hologram.

Wingsrule

Wingsrule

Just noticed the PCGS 8.2 sticker on the back. That’s my writing, using the original Sampleslabs.com numbering system.

EXOJUNKIE

@Wingsrule said:
Just noticed the PCGS 8.2 sticker on the back. That’s my writing, using the original Sampleslabs.com numbering system.

It’s not actually an 8.2 is it? I don’t think I ever told CK about this “mule” or sent him a photo of it. 🤔

oreville

saving this thread from archives.

oreville

Ttt as requested by a poster

EXOJUNKIE

Good to see this thread again. 🙂

oreville

ttt for a fellow board member!

Lakesammman

Thanks for keeping the thread from the archives.

The Franklin sample used to be unique. This from my PCGS Sample thread.

oreville

Really cool!

oreville

Not being a unique sample slab makes the sample slab more legitimate and noteworthy!