PCGS And NGC Slabs

I don't know how to decode the numbers but I can tell you as far as PCGS graded coins are concerned that the older green labels are considered under graded by some collectors. And are to some degree a little more sought after. I have owned many of the green labels and as with the newer PCGS gradings, some seem to be under graded and some are not.
All pretty much the same to me.

Thanks to all of you...I greatly appreciate the information!

I can't take credit for that website, it is the work of Cameron Kiefer not me. The only influence I can claim is that I got Cameron started on the sample slabs and he does base his order of emission on my work. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Cameron does not show the back side of the slab and there are several cases where there are more than one generation of slab that would match the slab he shows. I also don't agree with his assigning different variety numbers to the same slab type simply because it has a different coin in the slab.

I have posted a thread on the NGC board that has all but maybe two of the NGC slab generations. http://boards.collectors-society.co...#Post2248404

Eventually I will post similar threads on the PCGS and ANACS slabs as well. There is a thread on the PCGS board that contains many of the PCGS generations, but several of the pictures are missing. http://forums(dot)collectors(dot)co...eadid=222533 (can't post this as a link, replace (dot) with . )

I updated it shortly before I was banned over there and then my photohost closed down and a bunch of the pictures disappeared.

If you have any questions about when a slab was produced I will be happy to help but I don't spend all my time here so it may be a bit before I get back to you.

As to the original question about determining from the serial number when it was slabbed, it isn't possible. At PCGS each submission is assigned a "block" number at random and each coin is sequential within that block. The computer keeps track to make sure that no number is used twice. If that would happen then when the duplicate would occur a new block of numbers is assigned, also at random. Since the blocks are assigned at random there is no way to know from the number when it was used. (PCGS can tell from information in their computer but until recently they would not give out that information. I still can't confirm that either PCGS or NGC will actually give out the date of slabbing.)

At NGC the first part of the serial number is the invoice number on the submission form and the last three are the number of the coin in that submission. Since invoices are scattered around the country and sometimes not used for years the invoice numbers come into NGC at random and can't be used to assign a date. In cases where the invoice is downloaded from the net and multiple copies, or photocopies are used, the computer assigns a new number at random to make sure that no number is used twice. If more than 999 coins are submitted on one invoice the computer will assign another number and start the three digits over at 001.

I do not know how ANACS assigns their numbers.

Gradual.

Back before slabs there was a well known tendency for grading to loosen during an up market and to tighten during a down market. Slabbing was promoted as a cure for this since the grading would be consistent. But since they are market grading the market still affected it and the TPG grading still loosened during ups and tightens during downs. The swings weren't as extreme, but they were still present. (One of the problems of market grading over technical grading.)

But this could cause slabs from loose periods to be rejected or to trade at a discount during down markets or compared to slabs from tight periods. That would defeat the whole purpose behind slabs, to try and make coins "fungible" A 64 is a 64 is a 64 no matter what generation of holder it is in. Collectors who have been around awhile know this isn't true but the TPG's try to maintain the illusion.

This is why they will not put a date of slabbing on the holder or tell you when a particular coin was slabbed. Because they say it doesn't matter. (It is also one of the reasons why I have such bad relations with PCGS. They were quite unhappy about me identifying the different time periods for each of the different holder generations. NGC didn't like it at first either but has been more accepting of it and from reports is even beginning to become a little more open about when some coins were slabbed if asked. So NGC becomes more open, PCGS wants to kill the messenger.

Hi Conder,

Just wondering a couple things since you sound like you really know what you are talking about. What would be my best choice for grading services in canada? Also, if a coin is down graded (in the owners opinion) how does someone go about having that rectified. Do you send it to another grader or send it back to the first place again? I havent gotten very good yet at grading coins and for the last few year I went on eye judgement alone to grade ALL of my coins myself without realizing that you have to grade each coin type according to different features and sometimes weak strikes right from the start. Now I am trying to regrade hundreds of coins but still not all the way aware of the grading levels for each different coin. What would your advice for my situation be? Also, I hate the thought of sticking my coins in the mail and hoping for the best. Are people allowed to take their coins into to these places and be graded on the spot? thanks