Since our series “Crossover, cross-under and cross-out” began this summer, no coin from third-tier grading services has successfully crossed over from its holder to one by PCGS. Last week marked my first success of the year, with this PCI 1896 Morgan Dollar crossing over to what many consider to be the hobby’s premier grading company [...]

As a journalist, whenever I see the abbreviation DNC I think about the Democratic National Committee. As a numismatist, of course, I know the abbreviation as “Did Not Cross,” meaning one grading company disagreed with the grade of another and refused to label a coin at the exact level. In some ways, DNC can stand [...]

This post continues our series titled “Crossover, -under and -out,” or coins with holders by one company being graded at the same, lower or ungradable level by another company, in my case, PCGS. In my view, PCGS has flaws noted in previous posts but ultimately ranks as the most consistent and rigorous grading company, especially [...]

Coin Update News complained, and PCGS listened … kind of. Beginning August 1, 2010, PCGS “Plus” (+) designations will be awarded at no additional charge “for all qualified coins submitted in the Regular, Express and Walkthrough service levels,” according to a news release this week. For many PCGS members, this truly qualifies as “The Big [...]

I’ve received emails and read advertisements about NGC‘s new “Collection Manager,” a tool associated technologically with its set registries while being hyped as new software. The emails proclaim, “Michael Bugeja, managing your collection just got easier.” My response? Not so much. The advertisements declare, “You spoke. NGC listened.” My response? Now it should learn to [...]

Let’s begin by referencing an article by Susan Headley in “About Coins,” concerning “[h]ow online auction sellers use coin grading services to defraud coin buyers,” the subtitle of her piece, which can be found here. In it, she links to a company that specializes in MS60-70 coins. Most readers of “Coingrader Capsule” know the top [...]

WARNING: Cracking out coins (removing them from sealed third party grading holders) can be dangerous, both to you and/or your coins. Michael Bugeja and Coin Update News take no responsibility whatsoever for any damage to yourself, others, your property, possessions or coins should you attempt to break open a holder to retrieve a coin. This [...]

There are rules to the breakout and crossover game–cracking open a holder to free and re-submit a coin or sending the coin in its holder to a different grading company. Even if you follow those rules, you always won’t get the grade or the result you wanted. In future “Coingrader Capsules,” we’ll discuss how to [...]

For a long time I was reluctant to become a member of VAMworld because so many varieties of Morgan Dollars and Peace Dollars exist. I just couldn’t imagine my searching for them all and adding more designations to labels, especially since major grading companies now include stars, plus signs and stickers on their holders. Then [...]

I’ve been pretty harsh on my grading company of choice in my last several posts, criticizing its Secure Plus program, touting NGC’s, and complaining about PCGS “genuine” holders, which seem to have increased in frequency over the past year or so, and probably for good reason: PCGS never liked returning coins in body bags and, [...]