Would you use a PCGS Ancient coin grading service?
KOYNGUY
Posts: 152 ✭✭✭
NGC has been operating one for around 17 years. Dave Vagi has done an incredible job there.
PCGS has hinted that it is considering it in a recent blog., Perhaps, testing the waters.
Would it have to be opinion only like NGC, or would it carry the normal authentication, attribution, grade
guarantees? The potential liability and rewards are high. ANACS counterfeit buybacks were less than a quarter of 1% in volume and value, . The time to authenticate, attribute, grade, would be higher but somewhat offset by hoards that can be done more quickly. Coins requiring research can be priced accordingly. I have spent hours on some coins and in a few cases sent them back as unreferenced.
How many numismatists would you need to cover Greek, Roman, Byzantine and medieval series? Reference library? I have retired the ANACS Ancient program due to my cutting back my time there. What would you pay? Value based? $20, $50, $100 per coin? Any thoughts on this? J.P.
Answers
My thought is that there is little to no chance that PCGS actually does this.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
I don’t think PCGS will, but I hope they do.
I think any service that can accurately grade, sufficiently research, and appropriately track Ancient coins could do very well in the market. I also think a registry would be amazing! I would start small with about ten really popular sets, and add more and more with time. I find it odd that NGC doesn’t do anything with Ancients registry. For example:
-One per emperor, Roman imperial
-Travels of Hadrian set
-The “good emperors” set
-Type set (different type sets based on different time periods)
-20 most popular Roman coins
-20 most popular Ancient Greek
100 greatest ancient coins
-Coins of the Bible
-Jewish coins
This would drive coin sales like crazy, the average person doesn’t know much about ancients, there’s too much to fully understand. If someone can create a “box” that would help people create sets that make sense, it would help a lot. NGC has a lot of research and materials that that don’t use except in-house. Imagine if they used that to create network and lattice of understanding for collectors. Would be so great!
I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.
To answer your question, yes, I would use it.
I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.
I would have to start collecting Ancients first... doubtful that will happen.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Since I don't collect ancients at present, my answer doesn't really matter, but I'll provide one nevertheless.
PCGS would have to make a case for being able to be #1 in a market that NGC has had to themselves for a Long Time. They'd have to adopt the multidimensional grades that NGC is having success with. They'd have to have the same or better expertise in house. Grading ancients couldn't compromise the other services they offer. If PCGS can do all of that without making people see a new dumpster fire, then they should go for it. If they try and miss, they probably won't get a second chance, and they'll bruise the brand in the process across all services they offer.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
NGC has been doing a great job but there's much room to improve. I've personally shamelessly cracked out dozens upon dozens of coins from NGC holders and many other collectors do the same. However, there is merit to third party grading and an impartial opinion on coins and NGC has an unfair monopoly at the moment.
The question of whether PCGS would be able to find sufficiently credible experts is an important one but there would be value to it if they could pull it off.
If you build it, they will come.