1920-P/D/S Winged Liberty Head Dimes - Unique

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As a dealer/collector, I am always looking for the best value for my dollar when buying coins and submitting them for grading. It seems like everyday though, I get information about these fly-by-night coin grading services offering these unbelieveable prices for grading coins. I am a researcher by nature, I rarely take anothers opinion and apply it to my life, I have to look into it and form my own opinion, and this was a subject I had to investigate.

Here on ebay, I see them ALL over now... A NNC MS68 Washington quarter 1932 D.. WOW you think, and the bidding only starts at 1000 dollars... How can a dealer be making ANY money selling such a high valued coin so cheap? Well the answer is in the grading company....

You see, in my shop, when someone brings a coin in from one of these shaddy companies, I use to send them packing, and I didnt care what the coin was, or what the grade was... Until about a month ago when a guy came in with a NNC MS68 1932 D Washington quarter...

He stated he got it off ebay for 3500 dollars, and wanted to get my opinion and try to make some fast cash. Now I have to say this, the coin was AMAZING, which is why it caught my eye. I mean full cartwheel, solid unmarked fields, and a luster that would make you cry for this coin... IT GLEAMED. So I examined it under my scope, and sure enough, the d was real, the field were immaculate, and the coin was breathtaking. BUT......... Being in the buisness, I know one thing.. NEVER BUY CRAP you cant fully see from these companies.

So I made a deal with the guy, he has been a customer for about 3 years, that I would send it in to PCGS for regrade and reholder at my expense, and pay the agreed price upon return of the coins authenication. He agreed and off the coin went. Low and behold, my intuitions were right, The coin was a fake.. The coin had a 1932 face, and another D minted reverse.. Some mackinist had literally sawed the coin in half, and bound to different sided together. and of course in the NNC holder, you couldnt see the seem. I contacted the owner, and he spoke to the PCGS rep, and the coin was sent back. Upon recieving it, I got to see the seem, and man was if OBVIOUS.... Someone had done a good job to be honest, but it was very evident the edge of the quarter was tampered with.

Well this sparked my interest even more in these companies, so I decided to do my own trial. I like many other collectors have a few Black Cabinet Coins for professional review only might I add. So I decided to send one of them to NNC to see would happen. Now I sent a 1916 D Mercury dime in, and this thing had a added mintmark that any trained eye with 10x would spot in a moment, at a grade I would say AU50 tops. So I submitted it 17 days ago, and I got it back today.................... NNC slabbed it with a MS61 grade and had it back to me in 2 weeks..........

Now I am an honest seller, and pride myself that I have never scammed anyone intentionally, so I took this coin, diamond drilled two large holes in top, and have it on view in my shop! Before I sent it in, I got good pictures of the coin, and mintmark for show, and made a little show case about my certified MS61 1916 D Mercury dime that never was.