Observations on my first new style ANACS holder

mozin · August 21, 2006 3:04PM

I just received my first ANACS new style holder from Heritage Rare Coin auctions. I do not think it a flimsy holder. It does look to be a modern style.

It will stand up on its own, even though it is very thin.

The label on top only shows part of the coin description, not all. On my coin, 1921 Pilgrim 50C MS66 only shows on top as 1921 50C MS66.

The blue color appears appropriate, not gaudy as some members have stated.

The rim shows up completly, but the edge itself only partially. I do not know if one could read the edge lettering if it were a Bust Half.

Only problem I can see is the plastic itself has not only small imperfections, but it also has some imperfections streaks, not scratches. It appears to have a normal amount of scratches for an auction coin that has been handled by many potential bidders, same as PCGS or NGC.

Cladiator · August 21, 2006 3:09PM

I handled the first generation of the new ANACS plastic at the last Santa Clara Expo. I was very under impressed on many levels.

I got the chance to hand the new generation of the new ANACS plastic just last week at the Denver ANA. I even got a sample slab from Tracy (thanks!). I must admit that all of the issues I had with the first slab have been rectified. The new slab is much more sturdy than the first and I think it looks great.

Keep up the good work ANACS

mozin · August 21, 2006 3:26PM

Cladiator,

How do I know I have the newest ANACS holder?

Whizzard · August 21, 2006 3:40PM

I've cracked out two coins from the new ANACS holders now to place coins in my 7070. Tin snips or a vise are not necessary. All you have to do is twist it in your bare hands and it cracks right in half. No question but that its flimsy. I suppose if your careful with it and don't handle it roughly its just fine.

Myqqy · August 21, 2006 5:09PM

I wonder if the sturdiness has been improved of late?

Cladiator · August 22, 2006 12:12AM

It's my understanding that they are no longer producing the ones that you can easily crack in your hands by twisting. The one I have is extremely rigid and would require tools to crack.

bushmaster8 · August 22, 2006 12:15AM

That's good news indeed if really true. I got some back about 6 weeks ago and was under the impression that the "auto-crack " feature had been eliminated. It wasn't.... a gentle twist and snap, busted the corner clean off!

notwilight · August 22, 2006 12:23AM

<< <i>I've cracked out two coins from the new ANACS holders now to place coins in my 7070. Tin snips or a vise are not necessary. All you have to do is twist it in your bare hands and it cracks right in half. No question but that its flimsy. I suppose if your careful with it and don't handle it roughly its just fine. >>

Sounds like a good design to me. Should eliminate coin damage during cracking out. If they don't fall apart during normal use, then I wouldn't call them flimsey. --Jerry

partagas · August 22, 2006 12:28AM

I just got some back last week. They are very nice. Clear easy to view the coin, and not flimsy at all. I like the holders better then ngc, and they remind me of the old rattlers.

agentjim007 · August 22, 2006 12:43AM

I like them

Cladiator · August 22, 2006 12:51AM

The more I look at the new one I have the more I like them.

Conder101 · August 22, 2006 1:59AM

But is there any way to visually tell one of the newest ones from the earlier ones?

Cladinator, do you have pictures of yours (both sides)

Cladiator · August 22, 2006 2:03AM

I don't know honestly. I'll take some pics of the new one I got last week and post them tonight to this thread.

PonyExpress8 · August 22, 2006 2:03AM

I was impressed with the new ones I saw last week in Denver and the sample. They seem to have taken all the initial problems seriously and vastly improved them. I think in terms of holders PCGS, ICG, and ANACS are in one class, and NGC is now a step lower IMHO.

GoYankees · August 22, 2006 4:07AM

All of this is good to hear.

123cents · August 22, 2006 6:19AM

I like them but they look like they will scratch easily.

Wolf359 · August 22, 2006 6:33AM

I think in terms of holders PCGS, ICG, and ANACS are in one class, and NGC is now a step lower IMHO.

SEGS has the best holder in the market.

ziggy29 · August 22, 2006 6:35AM

<< <i>SEGS has the best holder in the market. >>

Except that they're so damn hard to crackout that you are at much greater risk of ruining the coin as you try to get it out!

coinpictures · August 22, 2006 6:40AM

Ummm... is that really a strike against SEGS? You're *not supposed* to be able to crack out the coin easily; that's the whole point of encapsulation.

I understand that people like to play crack-out bingo all day long around here, but criticizing a TPG because you can't easily break their slabs is inane. That's like criticizing a guard dog because it has a fierce disposition...

Rampage · August 22, 2006 9:23AM

I agree, SEGS does have the best holder in the industry. The new ANACS holders are not bad. I have two coins in the first generation holders of the new ANACS anmd they do appear to be flimsy; however, I have submitted coins to them recently (and have some coming back this week) and the slabs did not appear flimsy at all. Of course, I am not one for cracking coins out of slabs, so I cannot state for sure from experience.

techeff · August 22, 2006 9:29AM

About a dozen of the new ANACS holders arrived today. I do like the holder! I still like the PCGS holder the best even though they could take some lessons from the ANACS holder and others. The NGC holder is pretty much my least favorite...

Whizzard · August 22, 2006 9:39AM

<< <i>I was impressed with the new ones I saw last week in Denver and the sample. They seem to have taken all the initial problems seriously and vastly improved them. I think in terms of holders PCGS, ICG, and ANACS are in one class, and NGC is now a step lower IMHO. >>

Didn't you forget SEGS? Aren't those good slabs?

Leiana · August 22, 2006 9:42AM

I have two "new" ANACS slabs. One is a darker shade of blue and one is a lighter shade of blue. I think the darker shade is the First Generation and the lighter shade is the Second Generation.

-Amanda

Conder101 · August 22, 2006 10:58AM

Amanda,

If they have actually made a change in the new slab this will be the FIFTH generation of the new slab since the first week of Feb 2006.

JRocco · August 22, 2006 12:47PM

I hope ANACS can put it together and get back on its feet.
3 at the top would make the other 2 keep looking over their shoulders and that can only be a good thing.

stman · August 22, 2006 12:54PM

So what's going on here? Oh, trippin' over holders again. OK, carry on.

Cladiator · August 22, 2006 12:59PM

Here ya go as promised.

oreville · August 22, 2006 2:38PM

Cladiator: Your sample slab looks exactly like my sample slabs I received in Baltimore in the July show.

The only possible difference is that the oval area where the word SAMPLE RED as well as the area displaying the bar coding on the reverse and the upper viewing area appears to be LIGHT BLUE as shown in your picture whereas mine are WHITE.

Discussion?

Leiana · August 22, 2006 2:43PM

Here is the darker one.

My lighter one looks like the one posted above.

-Amanda

Newmismatist · August 22, 2006 3:24PM

I discovered the absolutely best unintended consequence of the new ANACS slabs and their clear box (which holds 25 coins instead of 20 as the holder is thiner). The benefit? When I went thru security, the TSA people opened and inspected my PCGS and NGC coins - one inspector actually looked at an entire double row box of NGC and PCGS coins - about 66 coins. The ANACS boxes - they picked one up, saw the coins and put it back - no opening, no taking them out, no mixing them up. It took 5-10 minutes to examine and pass the several boxes of PCGS & NGC coins - less that 30 seconds to clear the ANACS coins and not a single box was opened.

That said, the other nice thing is that the ANACS grading is very consistent and accurate and I did not have to discount a single ANACS coin that I sold. On many I get very nice premiums over sheet (some even over PCGS values and Coin Value prices) - But I attribute that to the fact that most of my coins are attractively toned - though everyone agreed that the grading was very accurate.

deansmint · August 22, 2006 3:41PM

Amanda is right , it seems as though they have lightened the shade of blue that they use for the background. I just got a coin back from them the other day and was pleasantly surprised by the customer service and turnaround time. The plastic seems to be of an entirely different composition compared to the coins that I recieved from them about 6 months back. The slab is also much more sturdy and just feels a little better in hand. I think they might be headed down the right path and hope things work out great for them.

Cladiator · August 22, 2006 3:42PM

I had the privilege of having dinner with two of the ANACS team during the Denver ANA. I like these new slabs. I really like how crystal clear the plastic is and how the coin appears to float in the slab. I like the people there. They are slowly but very surely pulling me (and my money) away from PCGS.

Conder101 · August 23, 2006 12:54AM

I really don't see a real difference between the sample slab and the fourth version of the new slab.(I haven't used the lighness/darkness of the blue color as it has seemed to vary back and forth ever since they were introduced.

Amanda's slab appears to be one of the early ones (second variety) used at the end of February with the gold border around the label, the grade oval, and the fill on the ANACS logo.

mozin · August 23, 2006 2:10AM

My coin was encapsulated in May of 2006 according to ANACS. It looks to me like Cladiator's latest holder.

Conder101,

How about listing what you see as the first four or five versions of the present ANACS holder?

Moose1913 · August 24, 2006 5:52AM

<< <i>Conder101,

How about listing what you see as the first four or five versions of the present ANACS holder? >>

I'd be interested as well.

Conder101 · August 25, 2006 5:17AM

Prototype- Grade oval goes most of the way across the bottom of the label. ANACS logo is in the top half of the label. There is a thin brown line that seperates the blue label from the data on the top label. (Brown line does not touch blue area.) This was not used for production slabs but is the one pictured in their early ads, and on the baner behind their table at shows. (They may have changed that by now. I haven't looked recently.)

First design - Same as prototype but without the brown line.

Second design - Oval has ben made smaller and the logo has ben moved down and to the left of the oval. There is a gold line that goes all the way around the blue labeland the oval. It is inset slightly from the top and sides of the blue label. The "fill" of the logo is also gold.

Third design - same as second but now the line around the edge, oval, and fill is silver.

Fourth design- same as third but now the information on the top half of the label and on the top label are both in a bold font.

ANACS could not tel lme whether the gold or silver border came first,and it seems there may have been some overlap when both were in use at the same time.

As I mentioned the blue color seems to be lighter or darker somewhat at random,but ANACS did tell me that they did make a deliberate attempt to lighten it. Due to the variation though, I have not been able to pin down a specific time period for the change.

There are probably some other changes in there that I have not spotted yet. (I just don't get the chance to see enough of them.) but I observed all of these between when they were introduced in early Feb and early April. I have not had a chance yet to see a fresh one since they have strengthened the slab. Maybe next weekend in Columbus.

mozin · August 25, 2006 10:35AM

Thanks Conder101.

coinkat · August 25, 2006 10:40AM

I have owned one and I bought the coin that way. The coin was sold even though it was appropriately graded and had very nice color. I have not submitted to ANACS for awhile. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Observations on my first new style ANACS holder

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