Advice Needed Plz: PCGS's approach on incomplete pedigree information on label
charlie23
Posts: 9 ✭
Hi there, I would like to seek advice from the community with respect to the pidegree infomation used by PCGS on their slabs.
Long story short, recently I saw the grading result from the PCGS app, I noticed that only the surname of the previous collector was put on the slab lol.
Based on my research on other coins graded by PCGS, it appears that the pedigree information displayed on the PCGS slab follows the Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. format, or something similar. Which presented the correct and complete Full Name of the previous collector.
I recently purchased a PCGS-graded coin from StacksBowers, which is a coin from Richard August, on the slab, it shows "Richard August Collection".
I expressed my deep concerns regarding the pedigree information as it is incomplete, and I provided more than enough supporting documents to PCGS, including the references below from their own and reqested PCGS to amend the label.
However, they told me that they won't be able to put Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. format on the slab, see the below quote from the email communication with PCGS on 2 October 2025:
Quote:
"After conducting a thorough internal review and consulting with our grader team, we regret to inform you that we are unable to amend the pedigree information on the slab. Unfortunately, this wording is no longer available in our system, and "XXXXXX" (surname only of the previous collector) is the only option currently applicable in this case."
I don't understand why PCGS would apply a significantly different approach regarding the pedigree information on this coin when comparing to other recenly graded coins from PCGS.
Please kindly let me know your thoughts on this guys, I am pretty frustrated about this. So questions are:
1) what is the approach for PCGS on pedigree information on their slabs? Isn’t it Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll.?
2) PCGS said “the wordings is no longer available el in their system” so they can’t put Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll. and amend my slab. What does it mean?? Aren’t they just type in the information in their system? I thought my request is reasonable as I am not even asking them for a higher grade…
References provided to PCGS:
https://www.pcgs.com/news/how-to-read-pcgs-labels
Other reference from Mr. Ron Guth back in 2005 - Pedigrees – Why They’re Important (https://www.pcgs.com/news/pedigrees-why-theyre-important)
Comments
Hard to guess what they might have been thinking without knowing what the provenance is.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Thank you for your reply. The provenance is Irving Goodman, and they only put Goodman on the slab.
Which I believed it should be Irving Goodman Collection. Please let me know your thoughts.
I can understand why low level employees may be instructed to use only those pedigrees on a pre-existing list, and why they would want to keep things consistent by always using the exact same name. That said, I think you can and should politely provide them with the following images, and say “pretty please”. Let us know how it goes.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
“Hungary Goodman” is my favorite. Especially because they also felt the need to abbreviate “Ducats”. And felt no need to provide an estimate of the age (17th Century). I wonder what they charged for that slab?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
This was just attributed and slabbed two months ago. They initially returned the coin without the pedigree at all but (apparently...I don't think I believe them) that was a mechanical error. Either way, after multiple trips, this is how mine ended up.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Thank you for sharing the references, I actually provided PCGS with around 4 references from their own database showing the correct pedigree on their slab.
Please find the attached document I provided to PCGS for reference.
As per of last communication, they are still refusing to amend the pedigree on the slab, still trying to do some additional reasoning with PCGS. > @lermish said:
Thank you for your reply! If it is ok with you, would you please kindly let me know when did you submit the coin to PCGS? I submitted mine as a regrade in June 2025.
If I can show them there is a coin slabbed after mine which shown the correct pedigree, I think it would be helpful. Thank you for your time!
Please see below part of my communication with PCGS, I am not sure why but it seems that it is such a pain in the ass asking them to amend something that is incomplete, I am not even asking them to give me a higher grade…lol
Just putting the last name "Goodman" on the slab is not consistence with other coins from the same collector graded by PCGS, and it will cause potential confusion. Examples from other collectors:-
The collections from Wa She Wong: Wa She Wong Collection on the PCGS slab;
The collections from Ma Ding Xiang: Ma Ding Xiang Collection on the PCGS slab;
The collections from Daniel KE Ching: Daniel Ching Collection on the PCGS slab;
Please advise the following:
The reason why PCGS only put the last name "Goodman" of Mr. Irving Goodman on the current PCGS#59810094 slab (evidence form the PCGS app and website showed that "Ex: Irving Goodman Coll." is in fact available).
Will PCGS also amend all the pedigree information from other coins from Mr. Irving Goodman graded by PCGS to "Goodman"? (I have expressed my concerns that just putting Goodman is confusing without the first name).
PCGS's policy to keep the pedigree information from the same collector consistence and completed, my understanding based on the information from the PCGS website and app shows that Ex: [First name] + [Last name] Coll is the approach how PCGS handle pedigree information (this is to avoid potential confusion to mix up with one collector over the other).
Hi there again, this is how mine looks like for now. I think it is ridiculous that they only put “Goodman” on the slab as it is incomplete and inconsistent with other coins they graded.
Based on the last communication, they simply told me like: sorry what you asked is no longer available in our system. They are asking me to get the coin back but I refused to collect my coin without the issue being resolved.
And as a software product manager, I know it is a misstatement.
This was the original submission where they inadvertently left off the pedigree:
https://www.pcgs.com/shared-orders/order-details/25108125 Received by PCGS 5/15/25, Shipped back 7/11/25
And here is the complimentary re-submission where they fixed the "Mechanical Error" that left off the pedigree:
https://www.pcgs.com/shared-orders/order-details/25363903 Received by PCGS 7/28/25, Shipped back 8/6/25
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Thank you for the information, I will try to further communicate with PCGS! Will keep you posted! Thanks again!