Seeking Help Grading 1988 1/4oz Eagle

[ChronicAngel]

Hello everyone I've been looking on pcgs grading examples to try to figure out what grade my coin might get if I send it in. First let my start im very inexperienced but trying to learn everything I can. Second I bought this 1988 1/4oz AGE from dealer online who said it would grade in high MS he said he thought lowest would be a 68 but he thinks it would be graded a 69 but thinks more of a 70 I didn't pay anything extra got for the average cost of a 1/4oz eagle. I told him I'd ask around for advice and do my own research before I decide to send it to be graded. Which comes to my last question if the people who help me with this and think it will grade high which would be the better of the grading companies to send to either PCGS or NGC and would greatly appreciate anyone's help and recommendations on what grading service to use and Mayne a reason why that specific one.

[Daniel]

We don't grade coins for mint state as in MS65 or MS66 in this forum, you must send it off to get a grade. There's no shortcuts in grading coins, no one can tell you what PCGS would do hence the dealers comments you quoted.

[josephcolorado]

We don't grade coins for mint state as in MS65 or MS66 in this forum, you must send it off to get a grade. There's no shortcuts in grading coins, no one can tell you what PCGS would do hence the dealers comments you quoted.

I love how it's most often the seller, telling the buyer it will grade high MS. If it's going to grade so high, why don't you send it in yourself! Seller discriptions on their coins can be hilarious, even on slabbed coins. "Mirror like finish, deep reflection, cameo like appearance, +++++proof like fields!" then you look at the coin for sale and the capsule says something like "MS 64", and that's it!

[Earle42]

Hello everyone I've been looking on pcgs grading examples to try to figure out what grade my coin might get if I send it in.

Please take the time to read the following. It gives a reality check to why there is no way of knowing the grade that will be assigned, and that the grade can change anyway if resubmitted!

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life. Here is some beginners fishing tackle. Its worth your time to read.

Following is info concerning the actual nature of grading companies that can help people make better educated decisions.

Thinking of Slabbing? Make sure you understand the Facts...or You Could Lose Money.


Popular mistaken mindset:
1. The grading companies are not a way that the majority of people, even those with a great deal of experience who know what they are doing, are going to be able to use in order to make huge personal profits. Many people start using grading companies thinking they will find a way to finance their hobby, but they learn a hard lesson quickly.

Professional predicting not possible:
2. Watch some of Daniel's videos where he gets slabbed coins back from the grading companies. Note even people who live, eat, breath, and deal coins for a living (like Daniel) can accurately predict what grade the companies will give. And...the "fault" (not really a fault) is in a widespread mistaken perception people get from being exposed to all the slabs being sold nowadays:

a. Coin grading companies are a business out to make a profit - this is why they exist. They use a system where allegedly three, but in reality its normally two, graders look at each coin and give an opinion. The company videos showing the process make you believe this is a relaxed paced process of studying each coin. In fact one PCGS video shows a number of guys sitting around a table discussing what they think a specific coin should be graded as (on youtube somewhere - sorry no link). Uh uh.

b. If you take a PCGS graded coin slabbed as MS64, break it out, and resubmit it to PCGS, you are never guaranteed the same grade again. The slabbed coin might come back MS62 (extreme and a bad day for graders), 63, 64, 65, 66 (extreme and a great day for you!). This is b/c the process is all subjective: No scientific/verifiable standards or methods are used. This subjectivity makes for greater company profits since people resubmit the same coin trying to get a higher (better price when selling) grade. In the 90s the companies, at great expense, created better (their own words) scientific methods not relying upon human opinion. No doubt the large profit from the re-slabbing game fell. The companies abandoned the science and went back to their less accurate systems.

But..this is all hearsay without proof. So...
Grading the Coin Graders

Here is another good read from someone there at the start of the grading companies:
Hobby negative impacts from slabbing companies

Error on errors:
3. People also seem to think grading companies will examine a coin to see if they can find an error and then slab it as such. But again, they ONLY GRADE coins. The companies will NOT try to find and ID an error for you. You must FIRST ID the error yourself, CHECK to see if the company you want to use recognizes that specific error, PAY them to verify the error on the label, and then you may or may not actually get what you pay for! The companies have a bad reputation for attributing errors correctly.

Link to and read (download if you want it) the pdf link in my signature as an eye opening example. Sadly, the verifiable data presented from the PCGS website shows trusting people have spent thousands of dollars on many slabbed coins that are not what the companies claims/slabbed the coins to be.

Cost concerns:
4. B/c people do not understand the businesses, so very many people end up with spending far more money to slab a coin than the coin is worth. The companies profit greatly with membership fees, submission fees, insurance fees, shipping fees and extra (chosen) fees. ANACs does not have all these fees though.


You don't have to throw in the towel over these companies...but education about the reality of them will put you on the right pathway to dealing with them in a legit way without losing money in the process.


And…if you just like to collect slabbed coins for what they are, which makes losing/making money from slabs irrelevant, then of course enjoy them!"