Comments on: Submitting Coins to PCGS and NGC

By: Michael Bugeja

Michael Bugeja — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:01:03 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Kathryn. I think it’s important always to buy the coin, not the holder; and when you do, you can end up with a great coin, as you own. You can read about cracking out coins and other posts by reading my past columns: http://news.coinupdate.com/author/michaelbugeja/

By: kathryn

kathryn — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:06:16 +0000

Hi,
I have also purchased an NES coin and I must say it is a beautiful coin, I have compared it to some of my PCGS and NGC coins and it is more impressive than some of them in the same grade. The company I bought it from gauranteed it’s authenticity . I have showed it to a few coin dealers and they were pretty impressed by it also. I’m looking forward to your future column on breaking them out of the their holders before sending to NGC or PCGS. I’d like to know if there are others who have bought quality coins from them.

By: Michael Bugeja

Michael Bugeja — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:22:18 +0000

Dear Coinhunter,

Thanks for reading my column and for your comments. You’re right about holders not coming apart; it makes me wonder if someone slipped a different coin in that holder. Take the coin and the holder to a local expert or dealer and ask her/his opinion.

Concerning NES, it is not considered a top-tier grading company; but that doesn’t mean the coins in its holders are subpar. You should use NGC and PCGS for sight unseen purchases (and, to a lesser extent, ANACS and ICG). I’d never do that with NES, though. Basically, I consider a coin in any holder other than top-tier as a raw coin and utilize my numismatic knowledge to make a decision about a purchase.

On NES, I’d break those coins out of the holders before submitting to PCGS or NGC. I have a future column about when to submit with the holder and when to break out the coin.

By: Coinhunter

Coinhunter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:19:37 +0000

I’m new to coin collecting and enjoyed reading your reports. I bought thru auction many Morgan Dollars encapsulated by NGC and there was one encapsulated by anncs which I happened to let fall on the wooden floor, when I picked it up the cover had come open so I imediately clasped it shut again. From what I’ve read this should never have happened. I also bought Morgan’s encapsulated by a company NES and they can say what they want and toot their own horn’s the nes coins are absolutely beautiful and I’m scared to submit them for regrading to NGC or PCGS for fear they degrade them to a lower MS

By: C Kayt

C Kayt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:32:29 +0000

Yes they DID clean the coins WITHOUT my permission several times over and were very evasive. One thing I forgot to mention that they dropped one of the coins (apparently on the floor). It came back to me with drag marks on the devices. I noted this to them, and they did not deny it. Their argument: It meets our grade specification (in this case a PR69DCAM !). I was sorely tempted at this point to file a lawsuit but decided against this since the total value of the processed coins was under 7K raw.

By: roy

roy — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:31:15 +0000

i had no clue that pcgs even cleaned coins.but to go ahead and clean coins without permisson should not be tolerated.i will now go back and check all my coins.thanks for the info

By: C Kayt

C Kayt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:42:03 +0000

Michael, I’ll certainly provide you the info when it is ready. I had put this off, just being busy with work but now that I have promised I will have to get it done!

By: Michael Bugeja

Michael Bugeja — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:13:01 +0000

When you write your paper, can you let us know at Coin Update where we might find it, C Kayt? Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. I must say that my PCGS experience differs, but that’s not the point. There are many stories to be told about grading, and we will try to do that here.

By: C Kayt

C Kayt — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:47:00 +0000

Yes I did photograph the coins. I do have high resolution images showing the damage they progressively did to the coins, and which they finally admitted to after much discussion. They tried to put the onus on the mint and also tried to “fish” my personal info to explore if I was cheating them. I did seek reimbursement and was turned down. I was told that these coins do not have the original mint surfaces but they meet PCGS “grading” standards. I have saved all the documentation and will write a paper on the whole process and include all the e-mails which flew back and forth. Needless to say I DO NOT do business with them anymore. Given this experience over several coins, I would CAUTION strongly if you have a valuable coin to consider not having it encapsulated in their idiot (not proof) holders.

By: Les

Les — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:33:03 +0000

To C Kayt’s point, I would recommend photographing/scanning your coins before they are shipped out, so you have an accurate image with which to compare the coins after they return. Would be very useful for any reimbursement effort.