Did you ever submit a coin to a TPG just to see what the grade would be?

ajaan

In my recent submission to PCGS I included a coin that I know isn't worth getting slab. The cost of slabbing is more than the coin is worth but I was just curious to see how PCGS would grade the coin. Am I nuts? Perhaps, but I've been called worse.



Anyone else ever submit a coin more for curiosity than logic? BTW, the coin I submitted was a proof Canadian dollar.

PatAR

Absolutely. Many of my submittals were lower cost coins for which I noted the grade that I believed it to be and submitted to see how PCGS graded it. This, combined with the fundamentals and plenty of practice over the years, has enhanced my grading skills considerably.

I have also submitted a few items from my collection just to have them holdered for protection when handling. (Having already weighed, measured, and photographed them)

Looking forward to seeing your Canada dollar!

SmEagle1795

I've thought about it for a few ancients but at a high dollar value they cost 1% of their value to slab, which isn't worth it for curiosity.

coinkat

Yes... And that is part of understanding and appreciating expectations

oldlinecoins

Yup

Stork

Yes.



I do the same, I write down my prediction on my invoice copy and see how I do. Last one I had almost everything do what I thought--one that I HOPED would cross made it (ATS is a bit tougher on that type of coin). I thought it was correctly graded but wasn't 100% sure both TPGs would agree.



I had one each of a true positive and negative surprise, both being DNCs.



Of the surprises, one I'll have to take a closer look when I get it back. It was a super cheap coin not worth the first slabbing cost, let alone the second (I'm only paying the second go round...it was bought in plastic). Purely an academic question and I wanted it's slab to match the others in the set.



One DID cross and I REALLY didn't think it would make it..I thought it a bit to baggy if not scratched but both our host and ATS agreed on the grade. I bow to their combined knowledge and will accept it. It's a good one to keep at that grade. And, that was me trying to learn something by sending it in even though I expected a worse outcome.



Many I send in raw are not economically sensible on a spreadsheet, but the process is immensely useful for educational purposes...and satisfies an OC desire to have my keepers in a relatively uniform case. Hopefully the OC never gets so bad I need ALL the slabs to match across the board. That would suck.

SYRACUSIAN

Yes, mainly with you Mr Ajaan, but that was over 10 years ago. I still submit banknotes for grading, worth sometimes less than the grading fees, but this is because I want all of my collection graded, or because a graded choice-gem unc world note tends to sell for 200-500% of the value of the raw one. World banknote grading is still in its infancy and coming from coins, having already "watched" the same movie twice so far gives me a great advantage. I simply watch the exact same arguments by purists who do not want their notes graded vs the ones who want and approve of grading, knowing already what the outcome will be.





PS: Cathy, you really do NOT need any more education. In fact, you're now overqualified in a world composed mainly of people who think that they know, but who really don't know much, myself included. So next time that you have cheap coins that you already own, pls send them to me RAW, because it took me a while to break 5 slabs of 3 different companies last time, and I even almost damaged one, but saved it at the last minute (it was the tiny 1875 rin MS62BN by Anacs, whose new holders are truly almost unbreakable).

lordmarcovan

Yep.



I got a bodybag.



(This was before "Genuine" holders, back in the old, "no grade or plastic slab for you, thanks for your money" days.)