Coin Collecting News
James “Jim” Bucki has been a coin collector for over 30 years and specializes in modern U.S. coins, paper money and foreign type coins. His professional numismatic writing accomplishments including being the “Collector Tech” columnist for the ANA’s monthly magazine “The Numismatist,” a contributing writer for national coin collecting magazines and author/webmaster for the local [...]
Many auctioneers and some dealers do not recognize obvious varieties of Morgan dollars, even though these coins command a premium–meaning you can cherrypick them and build a nifty collection at discount prices. We’re not talking about the gazillion VAM varieties. (“VAM” is an acronym for the authors of The Comprehensive Catalogue and Encyclopedia of U.S. [...]
Currently I’m analyzing legends, mottos, dates, symbols and devices on U.S. coinage–not only in my work for Coingrader Capsule and Coin World (which, of course, it will inform)–but also to make a contribution to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, of which I’m a member. (See this interview.) This study will take weeks to complete, but [...]
In an earlier post, “Agreeing to Disagree on Grades,” I challenged two grades by NGC and PCGS, respectively–a 2000-W Library of Congress bimetallic $10 platinum and gold piece, graded MS69, and an 1879-S Morgan reverse of 78 crossover graded AU58. The bimetallic coin was proof, not mint state. The 1879-S coin had been in an [...]
You’ve heard the old saying, “Let’s agree to disagree,” when two viewpoints are at odds in a meeting or other get-together. Before third-party grading, that phrase often pertained to numismatics in that the owner of a coin during a typical transaction inflated a grade while the seller deflated it. After all, the owner wanted to [...]
I purchase coins on the Internet portal Proxibid, monitoring all numismatic auction houses for my personal site, Proxiblog. I send raw coins for my set registry to PCGS. Ones returned to me as altered have distinct characteristics–the topic of this post. Whizzing constitutes numismatic malpractice. Coin doctors use of a high-speed drill with a brush-like [...]
Editor’s Note: Coingrader Capsule columnist Michael Bugeja published a commentary in the April 18 issue of Coin World questioning a PCGS policy banning “plus” designations at the Economy service level and an NGC policy banning CrossOver coins from all grading companies, except PCGS. He also followed up on that commentary, reporting for Coin Update News [...]
Earlier this year we posted a popular article titled, “Them Old Green Holders,” claiming they ain’t what they used to be. What about low mint state PCGS OGHs, as pictured here with the following grades: 1880-82, MS61, and 1880-S, 1882-S, 1883-O (MS61, all prooflike). I decided to submit these to PCGS because it rarely grades [...]
Editor’s Note: Coingrader Capsule occasionally runs series, such as “Crossover-, Under- and Out,” about submitting coins graded by one company to another company, either to enjoy a premium or to qualify the coin for set registries. Earlier we ran three posts about Certified Acceptance Corporation, a numismatic firm whose speciality is identifying high quality coins [...]
Editor’s Note: Coingrader Capsule occasionally runs series, such as “Crossover-, Under- and Out,” about submitting coins graded by one company to another company, either to enjoy a premium or to qualify the coin for set registries. Earlier we ran two posts about Certified Acceptance Corporation, a numismatic firm whose specialty is identifying high quality coins [...]
