Hallmark Coin Grading Service?

AnkurJ · October 6, 2006 1:27PM

I bought a few coins last month that were slabbed by HCGS from ebay. I had read that Hallmark was a good company but was no longer in business. The genius that i am, I bought these thinking that they were the old Hallmark....

I just discovered that there is a new Hallmark called HCGS! What type of reputation do they have? Are they serious overgraders? Thankfully the 3 coins I bought were not overly expensive....

Ankur

ziggy29 · October 6, 2006 1:30PM

Not sure. The original Hallmark had a reputation for being pretty conservative. I'm not surprised that someone slimy might try to piggyback off that reputation and slab junk.

123cents · October 6, 2006 1:30PM

Treat anything graded by them as raw. Yes, they overgrade. That is if they are the new Hallmark Service.

AnkurJ · October 6, 2006 1:35PM

Here is the coin I won:

AJ

mtnman · October 6, 2006 1:35PM

The old Hallmark Grading Service used slabs just like the old ANACS slabs.

123cents · October 6, 2006 1:43PM

AnkurJ, that is the new Hallmark grading service. The old Hallmark used the same slab that PCI now uses.

ziggy29 · October 6, 2006 1:44PM

Can't tell for sure from the image, but it looks about AU-55 to me.

GAT · October 6, 2006 1:46PM

Wrong, the old Hallmark slabs were green PCI slabs.

123cents · October 6, 2006 1:48PM

Same slab different label to be sure.

Wolf359 · October 6, 2006 3:30PM

I paid $400 for an 1878 8TF MS67DMPL.

It was a vam 14.6, so I grabbed it and flipped it for nice profit. Real grade? AU cleaned.

Coxe · October 6, 2006 3:42PM

<< Here is the coin I won:

AJ >>

I think that coin speaks for itself. If you don't hear it, you seriously need to read more and look at a lot more coins before you buy. I wouldn't pay more than twenty bucks for that dollar and sure hope you didn't pay MS66 prices ($2K-$3K) for it.

seemyauction · October 6, 2006 4:07PM

Another good reason to buy coins and not plastic holders.......

UncleWiggly · October 6, 2006 4:11PM

Heritage Auction 20094 Lot 4336 Sep 26, 2000. I can't get it to link. But the slab does look like a PCI old green. I found a INS also with just a search of Morgans.

Jerry

changed NCI to INS

D · October 6, 2006 4:17PM

The old Hallmark Grading Company did definately have PCI-like slabs. Additionally, IIRC, their grades were quite close to the top 3 TPGs.

-Daniel

UncleWiggly · October 6, 2006 4:36PM

There's probably 10 Morgans in the Heritage archives going back to 93. All look like PCI type green.

Mark · October 6, 2006 10:55PM

Let me quote from Conder101's book about Hallmark: "The company was probably counting on the excellent reputation of their parent company, Bowers & Merena, to help them make it in the market place. Begun around 1987, Hallmark only managed to survive for approximately four years before it went out of business. Once they closed, PCI bought all of their slab shells and supplies." Because the first Hallmark closed in 1991, I doubt this new Hallmark grading service is trying to ride the coat tails of the older, defunct version.

Conder101's book on third party grading services is excellent. I even contributed a slab to him. (Though I wasn't credited in the book

. But, who cares--the information in the book more than makes up for my loss of ego!!) I sure wish he'd put together a second edition since the first edition has a 2003 copyright. Indeed, I expect that Conder101 will reads this thread and I hope he takes the opportunity to say when/if there will be a second edition. And I sure hope he says "when," not "if."

Mark

majorbigtime · October 7, 2006 12:11AM

You were ripped-off majorbigtime

AnkurJ · October 7, 2006 12:29AM

Nope, I paid $50 for it. I have to learn how to grade from seeing coins on ebay. I am still not very good at it.
Ankur

ziggy29 · October 7, 2006 12:33AM

<< Nope, I paid $50 for it. >>

Looks to be worth $20 on a good day.

<< I have to learn how to grade from seeing coins on ebay. I am still not very good at it >>

Asking here for opinions on the coin *before* bidding will help.

Nocerino18 · October 7, 2006 12:42AM

<< 

<< Nope, I paid $50 for it. >>

Looks to be worth $20 on a good day.

<< I have to learn how to grade from seeing coins on ebay. I am still not very good at it >>

Asking here for opinions on the coin *before* bidding will help. >>

I agree with you!

RotatedRainbows · October 7, 2006 12:50AM

Conder101 · October 7, 2006 1:35AM

Yes Mark I'm reading the thread, and my hope is to have the second edition out sometime this next year. I'm trying to hold the size of the book to the same number of pages, but there will be a lot more companies and varietes listed. I cut off the new additions with the introduction of the new ANACS slabs back in February, and the count is roughly 125 companies and 331 production varieties, an increase of 43 companies and 110 varieties over that of the first edition. (And I already have about five new companies in the files for the third edition.) I'm checking with a couple of other printers and the second edition MIGHT be availabe in a Hardbound version for not much more than the first edition was for the comb bound.

And Mark, if you'll drop me an email, Conder101@jayco.net and remind me which slab it was I see if I can't get you the proper credit.

As long as I am talking about this I'm going to use the opportunity to make the announcement that today will probably be my last day on the forum for awhile, I'm going Yeti. I have several writing projects, including the revision of the slab book, that I have been reglecting because I am spending too much time here on the forum. If someone has something they need to ask about slabs, or if there is something on here that you think should be brought to my attention please drop me an email with the question or the URL for the forum topic. I may float back through from time to time but I'm going to try to keep it to a minimum. Once I have the other projects caught up and the slabbook revision well underway I will be back.

By the way there have been THREE Hallmark grading services. The one that QDBowers was involved with, the fly-by-night based on the SGS model that resulted in this thread, and back in the late 1970's there was a Hallmark Currency Grading Service that was not associated with either of the other two. I don't know a lot about it yet, and I have only seen one example. (I don't own one yet or have a picture.) I find that even most of the long time currency dealers have never heard of it although it apparently was active for at least two years. Most of the information I have has come to me from PMG currency grading service. They say they still get a couple of them a year come through for grading. They are supposed to eventually provide me with an example of the holder (empty of course) but so far nothing. The currency holder is similar in style to that used by CGA but it has holes in the holder so that the note can "breathe".

Frankcoins · October 7, 2006 1:50AM

<< The old Hallmark Grading Service used slabs just like the old ANACS slabs. >>

The old Hallmark was affiliated with Dave Bowers, and used the slabs later used by PCI.

Hallmark Coin Grading Service?

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