Ever get a coin back graded that is a rarer variety and you didn't even know?
machoponcho
Posts: 355 ✭✭✭
Three times in recent days this has pleasantly happened to me. I'm not one for cherrypicking varieties; I specialize in nicely toned coins. If they are varieties so be it, but I do not go out of my way to diagnose RPMs or VAMs. Just got a coin back from PCGS 1880/9-S they graded a 65 and I didn't even know it was the overdate! Lucky I got it, and lucky they caught it and called it. I just liked the swath of blue toning on the obverse and figured it had a shot at Gem. I guess the graders are trained to look for the major varieties? I know about 1880/9-S but I didn't expect to accidentely land one! In that grade I believe it carries about a $75 premium. Also got a toned 1884-O back from ANACS they labeled as O/O. Also some of my 1885-O toners I sent to ANACS were apparently a "belly button" variety and they labeled them as such. Never even heard of the belly button variety, but it was very distinct on the eagle alright! In all of these cases I did not pay a premium for variety, but only for toning when purchasing, so I thought.
Has this happened to any of you guys and how often? Any huge surprise scores that the graders picked up on for you?
Thank you, PCGS!
Has this happened to any of you guys and how often? Any huge surprise scores that the graders picked up on for you?
Thank you, PCGS!
I have existed since the creation of this world and will exist until its end. Only my form will change. For these 80 human life years, I have the benefit of having a functioning body and consciousness. I will not waste this opportunity.
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Edited to add: And yes, always a nice surprise. Especially the O/CC trade dollar once.
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<< <i>Thought ANACS was VAMing all Morgans now?
PCGS graders are supposed to know and identify the Major varieties in their sets when they're in for grading, you're not supposed to be able to cherrypick the major varieties in their slabs... but it happens. I found a '46 Walker DDR in PCGS 64 unattributed before, just as an example.
Never had a coin come back with a major variety before that I didn't know about in advance, though. Congrats. >>
wow what a score there on that 46 ddr
i look for miss-attributed examples and that's one on my radar...you found one
yayy >>
just this month i had posted a pcgs 1913-s buffalo type 2
sitting in a type 1 holder
that was alarming...even heritage didn't catch it
buyers did though...
However, if someone wants an FS number on the slab, regardless of whether or not its a heritage variety, then its gonna cost you $24 and that simply will not happen for free.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>Thought ANACS was VAMing all Morgans now?
PCGS graders are supposed to know and identify the Major varieties in their sets when they're in for grading, you're not supposed to be able to cherrypick the major varieties in their slabs... but it happens. I found a '46 Walker DDR in PCGS 64 unattributed before, just as an example.
Never had a coin come back with a major variety before that I didn't know about in advance, though. Congrats. >>
Last shipment of Morgans I got back from ANACS a couple months ago and they were not VAMed, just one of the 1884-O was labeled as O/O.
I know misattribution and mislabeling happens; this isn't what I'm referring to here. I'm talking about a coin you didn't know was a rarer variety and comes back labeled as such.
Nice score on the O/CC, AMRC!
Just happened again! Thank you, PCGS! I know now to look for the die polish marks on the upper part of the "0" in the date for this variety. Feel free to continue to share your stories.
That was nice of them to label the coins variety.... did they also charge the attribution fee? If not, that is a double win.... Cheers, RickO
What a great surprise! Bonus!
So i buy coins for nice toning and don't really notice varieties or errors. I've been trying to upgrade my 1909 plain Lincoln for a while (I have a few nice 1909 VDB's so that wasnt on my radar). I saw a listing for a raw 1909 plain on ebay with some nice color for $100. So I popped for it.
To be honest, I didnt even really look at it when I got it in hand. Then sent it off to PCGS.
Not only was it NOT a 1909 plain ... turns out it was a 1909 VDB ... (neither I nor the dealer that sold it to me noticed) -- but on top of that it was a semi rare DDO.
With PCGS's assigned MS65BN grade, it was top pop in BN.
If this was properly listed as a 1909 VDB, I would not have bought it. Just fell @ss backwards into that one.
Since I dont collect errors, I thought I would sell it to someone that could love it and give it a good home so it popped for nearly $1200 in an open ebay auction. Quite a windfall on a $100 buy.
1909 VDB DDO (PCGS MS65BN)
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My Toned Lincoln Registry Set
This must have been a fluke. I can't tell you how many unattributed Redbook varieties are out there in PCGS holders. If the submitter does not ask for the variety, the graders (who don't attribute), from what I have been told, are not going to send it to the attributors. They will grade it and send it on down the line.
It has been suggested many times that IF a variety is found on a coin that the attribution was not requested, for PCGS to contact the submitter and ask them if they want it identified. Too much time would be wasted on this type of service.
You apparently got lucky on the 1880/9-S since it is not a readily apparent variety for what little time the graders have it for.
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No fee should have been charged for this variety. If it had a FS (Cherrypicker) variety number, then a fee would have been collected. Still surprised that it was identified without requesting it.
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I once submitted an AU/UNC 1939-D Jefferson nickel to ANACS (I got it for around $5 and was taking a shot at a low MS grade), and it came back as DDO-001 AU58. It was a nice DDO I never knew existed until then, and I made a handsome profit on it. I now look for that variety when I'm cherrypicking, but have not found another.
Yes,, sent what I thought was an 1878cc PO01 and it came back 1880cc PO01. The 78 has a pop of 9 and the 80 a pop of 3. Big win. Well, to me anyway.
bob
I bought a 1850 Type 1 No Motto $5 in 1975 in a Superior Charles Ruby sale. I submitted it ATS with about 100 raw US gold at the January 2015 FUN show.
To my surprise and delight it came back as a 1850-C Weak C, unfortunately in a details slab (AU Details, rim filed, cleaned) but still a nice surprise. It wasn't attributed as such when I bought it but in hindsight it does have that characteristic Charlotte look. Bad news it now I need a 1850 for my set.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
No
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As long as it's a "Heritage" Variety, PCGS will recognize it. BUT, if its one of the newer CPG Varieties, no way.
The name is LEE!
I did get a coin fully attributed without requesting variety attribution....which I thought was impossible.
"1806/5 50C O-103 Large Stars"
Now, the "1806/5" part seems like a reasonable thing to put on the holder, since it's one of the main varieties for the date. But it seems like the O-103 part was a free gift. (Not that I was shocked, having done the Overton attribution myself. I just didn't think it was worth paying for).
They did not charge an extra attribution fee either time.
WingedLiberty1957, me too. I'm a toner guy, not a variety guy. I owned the 1955 Franklin Half someone made a topic here about a month back. Apparently the new owner was asking $1000 for it. It was now labeled a Bugs Bunny. I know about that variety; I know the major ones, but even so, I forget to check usually. Left some money on the table on that one. Nice pick by someone else.
Interesting stories, all.
Yes... I can testify to the affirmative that there are unattributed varieties of several series in every TPG's holder.
Back in the early 1990's I sent a moderately toned 52-S Roosie to ANACS, hoping for a high grade. They graded it MS67 and
designated it as a 52-S/S. I didn't know. Later, in 2014 or 2015 I found it in a box of mish-mash and sent it to PCGS for cross-over and PCGS obliged. Sold it to my good friend Ruben (he's treated me right over the years when selling me coins.)
Awesome! I just picked up this same 1880/9 s unattributed and hopefully undergraded as well...from the white plastic to clear she goes
Some varieties and errors don't hold much of a premium. I had an 1829 H10c that was a much better LM variety, but I realized it after selling. This leads me to believe that many varieties are relatively common or were set aside and save because they were unusual in some way more that the millions that weren't.
I sent in a 1909 S Lincoln, as an 09 S. Little did I know it was an S/S Horizontal with a value less than that of the plain 09 S. Still own it as I like the coin and see it as a nice investment piece at PCGS MS65RD.
I had to look that one up because it did not sound right...but sure enough...a $100 decrease for the variety at the present time...if you go by PCGS Trends.
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