Does CAC cut slack for rare coins.

I certainly hope not, like many of the TPG companies have been doing for it seems years. Giving special treatment to rare coins and straight grading them. I count on CAC to hold the line.

Definitely cleaned and not the best way.

Does CAC cut slack for rare coins?

The 1933 Saint is a MS64 so yes.

Definitely scratched.

Looks to be nice, original and well-circulated coin gray surface to me… might be that, in CAC’s eyes, the positive attributes of the coin outweighed the obvious (and intentional) old scratch that outlines much of the central device. My $0.02…

No

Low grade coins like that have a lot of problems including old scratches. Cac's main concern is customers who paid a big premium who want to invoke the guarantee. But the hobby isn't necessarily "democratic". Cac can stand up to those who complain about a particular coin disagree with them.

@Project Numismatics said:
Heads up - this coin appears to be for sale by a dealer member on the BST.

Well then this thread is poor form

Does CAC cut slack for rare coins.

Irrespective of the coin in question, my answer is no.

Looks like for the grade (AG3) it would not make a diff, to me, imho.

But I'd like to just mention, @JimTyler 's subject line had me thinking, as a general rule I don't believe it's correct to give slack for anything altogether. For me it is a colossal turnoff.
If a rare coin is lacking, why bump it up a grade or two? It has its own feet to stand on already being it is special, rare if you say so, and so forth.
Why would slack be OK versus a generic example?
If that's the case, then the grades are all perverted, and if so, trust is lowered, greatly.

If it looks over graded or "got special" treatment it would be a total turn off for me.

@PerryHall . What is and what should be are two different things. At least in my lifetime, that is the way it has always been. Case in point; many years ago I was putting together a XF/AU set of Standing Liberty Quarters. I spent years trying to find an actual 1927-S Quarter in XF. The first one (buy sight unseen those days) I bought was from a major dealer and barely had enough detail to be a VF. I returned more than a half dozen coins to various dealers and at one point a prominent dealer in STD Qtrs named J.H, Cline told me that 95% of all 27-S coins labeled as XF were below that grade. Even rock stars like Mick Jagger don't always get what they want. James

100% some rare coins are favorable at CAC. Just saw a coin yesterday with significant damage in a wide open field (had me question why it even straight graded at PCGS), and it green beaned.

This is not a one time event but I do see CAC lenient on specific rarer types, while remaining strict on others.

@PeakRarities nailed it.

@JimTyler said:
Coin would have done just fine slabbed. Sticker hurts credibility more than helps the coin. If that coin was cracked and submitted 10 times would it come back 10 times no problem slab

If the coin “was cracked and submitted 10 times would it come back 10 times no problem slab “:it sounds solid for the grade, so likely worthy of a sticker.> @TrickleCharge said:

It's quite possible that CAC and PCGS both just missed the graffiti here, but rare coins do sometimes get passes from TPGs that common coins would not.

Photos from Heritage and Mike Byers.

Did CAC sticker the straight-graded coin? If so, it’s not apparent in the picture that was provided.
And what’s the nature of the graffiti? Thanks.

In looking for a good pickup many investors may look for slacker coins but that one…

@Cougar1978 said:
In looking for a good rip many investors may look for slacker coins but hear its seen its day.

Huh?

@pcgsregistrycollector said:
The 1877 is considered a semi key in proof though, correct?

Yes, but if coins of that scarcity/value are going to be included in a discussion of whether “rate coins” are “cut slack” in grading, the bar is being set very low. Typically, when I hear comments regarding relaxed grading standards for “rare coins” they pertain to ultra rarities that are being ranked by their grades - coins such as 1913 Liberty nickels, 1804 dollars, 1885 Trade dollars, etc.

@breakdown said:
Mark knows far more about grading than I do. I will say, however, that when I collected Buffalos, I saw a lot of overgraded mint state 26-S’s, which I perceived as rare coin leniency.

I had a difficult time finding an acceptable coin for my set that I thought was accurately graded.

It’s certainly possible that the 1926-S nickels you thought were overgraded had been given some leniency. Perhaps I’ve been guilty of focusing on the ultra rarities and largely ignoring how the same grading practice might pertain to lesser value coins.