the glare from overhead lighting is obscuring the surfaces, unable to determine luster or any surface marks. I try to make it my mission to inform collectors who may not be aware of the costs associated with having a coin graded.
consider the following for having a coin professionally graded.
two are really only two reasons to slab a coin
1. its a rare coin that needs authenticated and preserved
2. you are planning on selling the coin and the cost of acquisition plus the grading fee's would warrant it without chewing up all your profit. typically a value of at least $150
PCGS charges a minimum of $69 for a subscription other subscription levels include grading vouchers though so you could reduce these costs. add to the subscription cost, per coin grading cost which I think for this one might be $23, shipping & ins both ways (1-4 coins is $27 if the total value is under $1000)
NGC - economy grading tier is $22, plus $10 handling fee, plus $28 for shipping (1-5 coins).
ANACS grading would be $16 but there's a 5 coin minimum. Shipping would be $29-35.
CAC - $99 subscription ($50 grading credit), economy grading $15, gold $28, $40 shipping/handling/ins
i don't slab coins for these reasons especially the cost involved. I don't know why this is so popular today. just making the grading companies wealthy. place your coin in an album or individual airtite to protect it. even if your coin would come in at MS66 it would have a value of about $80. I doubt it would even make that due to marks in the jaw and neck areas as well as the K5 field area.