PCGS to start grading Medals! Medal Collectors Rejoice!

AnkurJ · April 22, 2011 12:36PM

I know the ATB folks are blowing their gaskets in the other thread, but Medal collectors rejoice!

I was about to renew my NGC collectors club membership and send them over a dozen medals. Bye Bye NGC, HELLO PCGS!

keyman64 · April 22, 2011 12:38PM

I guess PCGS decided they could make a little money in this area. Good for them.

bolivarshagnasty · April 22, 2011 12:41PM

Just photo'd this medal in an MS64 holder. Thought the contrast between the copper and aluminum was something I couldn't do without. Mel

Unknown · April 22, 2011 12:43PM

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llafoe · April 22, 2011 12:44PM

<< how about counterstamped coins.....huh, huh, huh? pretty please! I know one collector here who would be thrilled with that possiblity! >>

I agree... Larsen would love to have his dozen or so counterstamped Large Cents slabbed... how did you know?

AnkurJ · April 22, 2011 12:50PM

Nice lincoln medal! That is in a NGC holder it appears?

For what its worth, NGC charges $25 each for their large holders. PCGS is charging $20 each. So I say kudos to them!

keets · April 22, 2011 12:56PM

do you have a link or something, i can't seem to find this news??

ANACONDA · April 22, 2011 12:57PM

You can bet that over the next several years medal prices will start to rise dramatically.

They are just awesome things of art.....and the pops are usually very, very small.

AnkurJ · April 22, 2011 1:00PM

No link, but I got this email:

PCGS Services UpdateFriday, April 22, 2011 7:45 PM

From: "Don Willis" <info@pcgs.com>I

would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of PCGS. PCGS Collector Club members continue to be a valuable part of our business.

I have a brief update regarding PCGS services and a couple submission form changes.

As most of you know, we introduced a new submission form at the beginning of the year which combined the previous four (!) forms into one. The response to this change has been very positive. Unfortunately, we were not able to produce the new submission forms in time to specifically provide for the new oversized holders that PCGS is now using to encapsulate the America The Beautiful 5 oz. commemorative coins.

We now have a new submission form that addresses the oversized holders. There are a couple of policy changes to accompany that change.

First, ATB coins no longer have to be submitted under the Regular service and can now be submitted under the Modern service (that’s a savings of $16). Of course you can submit the coins at a higher service level if you need a quicker turnaround or simply choose to do so.
Second, PCGS is beginning to encapsulate Medals in the new oversized holders. We have already encapsulated certain medals in the oversized holders. We plan to replace the Photo Certificate service that we have previously used for some medals and coins with the Oversized Holder service. If you have questions about a specific coin or medal please contact PCGS Customer Service.
Third, any submission requiring an oversized holder will require the payment of an oversized holder fee of $20 per coin. We are compelled to add this fee due to much higher material costs as well as increased labor costs associated with the handling of these larger coins.
These new services and rates will be effective for all submissions received beginning May 1, 2011.
We are excited about the introduction of the new oversized holders. We believe they offer an attractive package to display your coins and medals and we hope to expand our offerings in this area as we go forward.

On completely different note, PCGS is a strong supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) as are most major coin dealers. ICTA is a national organization whose sole purpose is to advise and assist the coin hobby regarding governmental regulations. ICTA provides extensive ongoing lobbying efforts to help us influence new laws and regulations or changes to existing laws. A recent success has been the repeal of the 1099 law that was to go into effect next year. ICTA worked diligently with various officials in helping to make that happen. ICTA is also very involved in the fight against Chinese counterfeits.

The new PCGS submission form offers you a chance to help support ICTA. In the FEE CALCULATION area you can select to make a contribution of 25¢ per coin on your submission that will be donated directly to ICTA. Your contribution will be included in your total payment. This is completely voluntary, but we encourage you to support ICTA just as we do.

Best wishes,

Don Willis

President, PCGS

RedneckHB · April 22, 2011 1:18PM

That is great news.

PerryHall · April 22, 2011 7:57PM

Is there a list of the medals that they will slab?

llafoe · April 22, 2011 8:45PM

<< Is there a list of the medals that they will slab? >>

Copper, nickel, silver, gold... to name a few.

AnkurJ · April 22, 2011 8:51PM

<< Is there a list of the medals that they will slab? >>

I guess for now they want us to call and check. It will be fewer at first until they can get all the kinks worked out. And they will probably need to hire someone like Joe Levine who has extensive knowledge on these to help with authenticity and determining whether or not it's original or a restrike etc.

keets · April 22, 2011 9:18PM

i doubt Mr. Levine would even entertain the idea if it was offered, though i could be wrong.

tmot99 · April 22, 2011 9:25PM

There are plenty of qualified individuals that PCGS could hire to grade and authenticate medals. However, I still suspect that the general classification of "medals" should not be taken out of context. I would bet that the window of what will be graded is extremely narrow. I would bet the larger holders are there for medals like the large gold Chinese medals, but, for example, my Columbian Expo stuff would not be accepted. I hope I am wrong, but until I hear more specifics, I'm not holding my breath.

baddogss · April 22, 2011 9:38PM

<< There are plenty of qualified individuals that PCGS could hire to grade and authenticate medals. However, I still suspect that the general classification of "medals" should not be taken out of context. I would bet that the window of what will be graded is extremely narrow. I would bet the larger holders are there for medals like the large gold Chinese medals, but, for example, my Columbian Expo stuff would not be accepted. I hope I am wrong, but until I hear more specifics, I'm not holding my breath. >>

I agree that they will be very selective as to which medals they will grade. I'd like to be wrong in this case though.
It would be great if they would slab the Worlds Fair/Exposition medals, Wiener cathedral medals, official inaugural medals, ... etc.

It's a start!

DNADave · April 22, 2011 10:06PM

<< how about counterstamped coins.....huh, huh, huh? pretty please! I know one collector here who would be thrilled with that possiblity! >>

At least one !

RWB · April 22, 2011 10:51PM

Why is this of any importance to medal collectors, or have they been dumbed-down to the level of plastic slaves like so many coin collectors?

AnkurJ · April 22, 2011 11:01PM

RWB: with SO many medals being restruck dozens of times, its often hard to tell what exactly you're looking at without being an or cosulting an expert. The medal in the slab will make life a little easier in assigning value as well in my opinion.

llafoe · April 22, 2011 11:15PM

<< Why is this of any importance to medal collectors, or have they been dumbed-down to the level of plastic slaves like so many coin collectors? >>

Thankfully we're all human beings, with free will; some of us are a little more free. I made the choice to defend our country and have fought in three wars... because I know 99 other Americans won't chose to defend their country, or are too scared to fight. My children have chosen to collect coins from the year they were born... that's their choice. Others will criticize them, calling it modern dreck. Thankfully they're like me - they make their own decisions and aren't dependent on other people to tell them what to do. If a medal collector wants to encase their medals in plastic to preserve them, so be it. It's not for me to judge or control their decision. Calling them dumbed-down is ignorant and using the word slave for effect is irresponsible. I've been to 70 countries and have seen slavery... human trafficking, first-hand. It's not a word, it's a reality. Levity is good... arrogance is bad.

PerryHall · April 22, 2011 11:22PM

<< how about counterstamped coins.....huh, huh, huh? pretty please! I know one collector here who would be thrilled with that possiblity! >>

They do slab countstamps as long as they are in the form of chop marks on trade dollars.

ColonialCoinUnion · April 22, 2011 11:59PM

<< Why is this of any importance to medal collectors, or have they been dumbed-down to the level of plastic slaves like so many coin collectors? >>

I think it will have a profound impact on the marketplace, and expose many of these pieces to a much broader market than ever before.

MidLifeCrisis · April 23, 2011 12:13AM

<< Why is this of any importance to medal collectors, or have they been dumbed-down to the level of plastic slaves like so many coin collectors? >>

Nice.

The RWB School of How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Dale Carnegie could learn a thing or two from you.

AnkurJ · April 23, 2011 12:26AM

<< 

<< Why is this of any importance to medal collectors, or have they been dumbed-down to the level of plastic slaves like so many coin collectors? >>

I think it will have a profound impact on the marketplace, and expose many of these pieces to a much broader market than ever before. >>

For sure! Better start buying them up now

I know I have been.

RWB · April 23, 2011 12:32AM

Nice. The RWB School of How to Win Friends and Influence People. Dale Carnegie could learn a thing or two from you.

Glad to have awakened a few. You're welcome!

Anyway, it's evidently a minority opinion and will have no influence on anyone.

baddogss · April 23, 2011 1:59AM

<< Nice. The RWB School of How to Win Friends and Influence People. Dale Carnegie could learn a thing or two from you.

Glad to have awakened a few. You're welcome!

Anyway, it's evidently a minority opinion and will have no influence on anyone. >>

No offense taken. We all have our opinions. And, your statement is valid to a point. Thank you,

coindeuce · April 23, 2011 2:34AM

I knew there was a good reason why I've been accumulating 19th century U.S. Mint medals.

Aegis3 · April 23, 2011 5:24AM

ARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, at least they'll be able to be cracked out.

Of course, slabs will open the markets to, um, idiots, nah, people might not like me using that word to describe them, I'll go Fordian and use "boobs", who don't know and don't want to know more than that the item is in a slab and has a certain number on it. Sure, some might use the old "authenticity" bait-and-switch game, but we all know how little slabbing really has to do with that.They'll be especially stupid population/pop-top games, and thus some prices will rise in a bubble dismaying many true collectors. Of course, we also know what happens to bubbles.

It's happened with other specialized areas of numismatics, and it'll happen again.

Coinosaurus · April 23, 2011 6:13AM

I hate those big holders. They take up too much space.

Looks like I'll be taking the next train to Crackville.

coindeuce · April 23, 2011 7:59AM

This is the evolution of the market for a service oriented company that has promoted "sniffer" technology, which among other effects will reduce resubmission volume of their primary service (coins), and consequently a reduction of revenue in that area. So diversification into other areas that produce a stream of revenue becomes attractive.

llafoe · April 23, 2011 9:07AM

<< ARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, at least they'll be able to be cracked out.

Of course, slabs will open the markets to, um, idiots, nah, people might not like me using that word to describe them, I'll go Fordian and use "boobs", who don't know and don't want to know more than that the item is in a slab and has a certain number on it. Sure, some might use the old "authenticity" bait-and-switch game, but we all know how little slabbing really has to do with that.They'll be especially stupid population/pop-top games, and thus some prices will rise in a bubble dismaying many true collectors. Of course, we also know what happens to bubbles.

It's happened with other specialized areas of numismatics, and it'll happen again. >>

I think you meant Freudian...

If you don't know what Fordian means, you might want to look it up.

AnkurJ · April 23, 2011 9:38AM

<< I hate those big holders. They take up too much space.

Looks like I'll be taking the next train to Crackville. >>

So don't get yours slabbed....

questor54 · April 23, 2011 9:43AM

<< 

<< I hate those big holders. They take up too much space.

Looks like I'll be taking the next train to Crackville. >>

So don't get yours slabbed.... >>

The reference may be to cracking out those he buys slabbed.

You know, like some people crack out nice coins to put them in a Dansco album. Which always seemed strange to me, but to each his own.

I prefer the slabs, and am very pleased PCGS is entering this segment of the market.

fivecents · April 23, 2011 9:50AM

Kudos to PCGS for thinking outside the box.

questor54 · April 23, 2011 9:51AM

<< Kudos to PCGS for thinking outside the box.

>>

Actually, this is well within the box ATS, and has been for quite some time. I know PCGS will excel at this however.

Aegis3 · April 23, 2011 11:05AM

<< I think you meant Freudian...

If you don't know what Fordian means, you might want to look it up.

>>

No, I mean Fordian. As in John Ford. There's a famous interview he gave for Heritage's old house organ where he discussed his thoughts on slabs and high grades as shown on such.

Coinosaurus · April 23, 2011 1:47PM

<< 

<< I think you meant Freudian...

If you don't know what Fordian means, you might want to look it up.

>>

No, I mean Fordian. As in John Ford. There's a famous interview he gave for Heritage's old house organ where he discussed his thoughts on slabs and high grades as shown on such. >>

He'd probably be even more disgusted with registry set chasing.

derryb · April 23, 2011 1:52PM

This calls for a "Medals" forum.

Justacommeman · April 23, 2011 2:17PM

IPads will be smaller then some of these slabbed medals. Yuck.................MJ

Coinosaurus · April 23, 2011 2:29PM

<< This calls for a "Medals" forum. >>

That would be AWESOME! Seems like a natural if PCGS is slabbing 'em........

BigE · April 23, 2011 2:29PM

I bet pcgs comes out with a box that holds 10 slabs, the slabs laying down on their sides, in 2 rows of 5

---------BigE

Justacommeman · April 23, 2011 3:06PM

I may just wear one Flava Flav style...............MJ

MadMarty · April 24, 2011 4:04AM

Hmmmm OK I have 24 PCGS boxes of 50MM (+/-) 2 MM

20 medals per box times 24 boxes = 480 medals

480 X $16 per medal (economy) = $7680
480 X $20 per medal (holder) = $9600

$17,280 before shipping!!! I think they are going to live in the PCGS blue boxes forever!!!

PCGS to start grading Medals! Medal Collectors Rejoice!

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