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Replies: 59 / Views: 1,535 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
802 Posts |
If a coin is in that plastic holder, it is considered "graded". There are a variety of grading companies. PCGS and NGC are the top two grading companies and those coins come at a significant premium. Someone has to pay to first verify they are real coins (not counterfeits - there are many of those) and then give a grading of the condition of the coin. You would be looking more to the "raw" coins that are loose or in 2x2 cardboard holders like yours. They are ungraded and unverified.
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
So I should look into getting my coins graded if I want a premium price, right? Subjectively, the $20 gold coin that I have seems to be in better (aesthetic) condition than the one on ebay but I'm sure I'm not evaluating all of the features/characteristics that the grading companies would.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
802 Posts |
It depends on what your end game is. There is a cost to certify and grade coins. It varies on the value of the coin, grading company, number of coins, etc. You will have to pay shipping and will also want to pay insurance for your coins in case they get lost in the mail, etc. If you just want to get rid of them and get a good price, you could sell them as to a trusted person or community. If you want to keep them, certifying and grading is a great option also. Again, depends on what your end goal is.
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Pillar of the Community

United States
1709 Posts |
Just to clarify, you do not need to be a member to attend a local coin club meeting. Find out if there is a local club, reach out and ask if you can come to a meeting as a visitor. Bring your coins to show them and you will gain a tremendous amount of information about the coins, about their value and about the best way to sell them. This is assuming they are meeting in person, a zoom meeting will not be the same.
"Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -Mark Twain
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
I live in Iowa and I see that the Iowa chapter of the American Numismatic Association is having coin shows in Iowa. Would I be able to get the coins graded there?
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Pillar of the Community

United States
4584 Posts |
If NGC and PCGS have a booth there, you can join to become a member to either one of them to submit your coins, you save one way shipping.
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Valued Member
United States
99 Posts |
Kinda intruding in here but the 10 dollar 1895 s is actually not that bad of a date at only 49000 minted, and PCGS has graded only 23 of them at MS 60 or higher. Definitely worth sending in
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
I've been trying to contact the local/area coin clubs and they must have dismantled due to COVID because I can't get a reply. I was hoping they could give me advice on grading but it looks like I'll keep reading the PCGS site to learn more about the process.
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
How can I verify that a couple of these coins that have an "S" written on the cardboard holder is correct regarding it coming from the San Francisco mint? I don't see an "S" on the coin itself.
EDIT: I found the "S" on the reverse side of the coin just above the "N" in "TEN".
Edited by testerc 04/08/2021 3:00 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
802 Posts |
I looked at your pictures and I believe I see the S below the shield under the eagle and above the letter "N" in Twenty.
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
Why don't all of the coins have the letter for their mint location?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
802 Posts |
The mint mark indicates where it was minted. Usually S for San Francisco, D for Denver or P for Philadelphia. Sometimes there is a default and it week only have a P and the D is assumed.
There is a lot of variation depending on denomination and time period.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3794 Posts |
If your intentions are to sell, it is probably best to get them authenticated. I am told NGC and PCGS are experiencing long delays, so for simple coins like these, ANACS is probably your best bet in terms of lowest cost and meeting the purpose (but I have not heard what the turnaround times are). I also suggest you take images of your coins, properly rotate them, and post directly on this forum. It would take about 5 minutes. I could do that for you, but it's your post not mine.
Edited by jimbucks 04/08/2021 7:48 pm
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New Member
United States
26 Posts |
Are NGC, PCGS, and ANACS all considered 'equal' by buyers regarding the accuracy of their grading? What do you consider a "long delay"? Months?
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
18357 Posts |
All gold coins have two component values that make up the total value:- 1. The actual net gold value plus 2. The numismatic value premium value above the gold value. Unless the gold coin is extremely rare, then the gold value is only an insignificant part of the total value.
Because the price of gold can vary greatly, it is essential that both component values are assessed accurately at the time of sale/purchase. A long delay for a slab grading just makes the pricing more difficult. Best if they are slabbed months or even years beforehand. With a top level professional auction house, that is not a problem, slabbed or not.
Edited by sel_69l 04/09/2021 07:04 am
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Replies: 59 / Views: 1,535 |
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