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Guess The Grade
Coins4Eli
Posts: 32 ✭✭
This coin currently resides in a straight graded PCGS holder. What do you think PCGS graded it at? What would you grade it at?
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That's straight graded? Sure looks like it should have been detailed as environmental damage to me.
Mechanical Error
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
the only expert in this beautiful gem to quantify a response would be @emeraldATV
It is straight graded.
In that case I would assume PCGS graded it PO01. I would grade it POS.
What rub?
Guess the coin.
PCGS called this one AG3. I believe this coin should have been put in a details holder.
I was kind of hoping the Trueview would show the coin off in a better light:
peacockcoins
This one is a FN12:
peacockcoins
No offense to anyone, but how the hell is that straight graded? That has extreme corrosion IMHO. PCGS must have made an exception because the coin was rare?
Not only is the corrosion extreme, it looks like some parts are still active. Can anyone who knows more than me about corrosion confirm this?
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
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I would hate to see what a P1 looks like.
This is a very interesting example. Here are my two cents. Firstly, I believe that PCGS—and all grading services, for that matter—do cut slack for rare and uncommon coins. The Sommers Island shilling from 1616 is a prime case. Despite visible corrosion, PCGS assigned it a straight grade of AG03 rather than AG Details. This makes sense given the coin’s extreme rarity and the historical reality that nearly all known examples show some degree of surface damage. The price guide currently lists the value at $6,500, though at auction it would most likely sell in the $4,500 to $5,000 range. In this context, corrosion is almost expected and not necessarily considered disqualifying. If the coin retains basic eye appeal and identifiable devices, grading services tend to be more lenient—especially for coins that are as historically significant and thinly surviving as this one. There’s even a relevant thread circulating now on the Collectors Universe forums about whether CAC cuts slack for rare coins, which I found especially interesting: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1114582/does-cac-cut-slack-for-rare-coins#latest. Lastly, I think this decision reflects a broader grading philosophy—one that prioritizes context, market realism, and survivability over rigid technical standards for coins of exceptional rarity.
I understand the logic behind what @pcgsregistrycollector is stating.
My single wish is PCGS would apply this method of grading to all scarce/rare early copper and not just some issues.
Here, for example. This one did not get the same grading methodology:
peacockcoins
All I can say is YIKES!
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Agreed here. In fact, the corrosion seems to be less than the previous example and the surfaces look to have stabilized.
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