Graded medals are less expensive than raw ones!

Here's another example of how purchasing coins, in this case a medal, from dealers already graded can be less expensive than purchasing them raw from the US Mint, and submitting them on your for grading, to NGC or otherwise.

While I don't ordinarily collect medals, in this case, the 9/11 Memorial Medal, made with ONE OUNCE of SILVER, and of a design which I found appealing, was something I wanted to buy. The medals are currently selling on the US Mint's web site for $66.95, plus shipping of course, with $10 going to charity.

I managed to find the Philadelphia minted version of the proof medal from a reputable dealer for $49 even, postage paid. The medal was graded by NGC as PF69 Ultra Cameo, and had an Early Releases label to boot.

The NGC Serial Number is 3550700-030 if you want to look it up, since I've been unable to successfully scan NGC holders. I welcome feedback on how folks scan or photograph slabbed coins.

About a month later, I came across the West Point minted version of this medal, for $62.99 postage paid. It too was graded by NGC as PF69 Ultra Cameo, with an Early Releases label. Admittedly, it wasn't quite the deal I got on the Philadelphia minted version, but it was STILL LESS THAN ISSUE PRICE and rather than getting a raw version, I got an NGC HIGH-GRADED version, with an Early Releases label to boot.

The Serial Number for the West Point Medal is 3553035-028

If one doe the math in simple terms, buying both from the mint would have been:

$66.95

$66.95

$ 4.95 (per order shipping)

$ 8.00 (per Invoice submission to NGC)

$40.00 ($20 each for 2 at the Modern Special Tier, assume I submitted with others)

$20.00 (conservative shipping estimate for shipping TO and FROM NGC)

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$206.85 Estimated Total if I bought these myself, and submitted them to NGC - with no guarantee of grade that would be achieved.

Actual Price paid:

$49.00

$62.99

$ 0.00 (free shipping for each, different dealers)

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$111.99

This amounts to an actual realized savings of $94.86 or 45%!

The math for my 2011-S Jefferson Nickel (see previous entry) is a little more complicated. But to do simply break down the US Mint Proof set by coin and divide the price by nine, it is $3.55 per coin. Let's be generous and assume that I didn't pay extra shipping, because I bought the proof set at the same time I bought the medals. Let's also assume I shipped it to and from NGC with the medals, so we need not add shipping costs to and from NGC. So, the math would look something like this:

$ 3.55 (original purchase price)

$20.00 (Grading for one coin at Modern Special Tier since I bought an Early Releases coin)

$ 0.00 (Assume shipped with other items)

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$23.55 (not including any shipping)

Actual cost: $8.99

For: NGC graded coin, condition: PF69 Ultra Cameo with Early Releases label. We also know that I might have submitted several proof sets before I got a PF69 Ultra Cameo coin -- though I might also have been lucky and received a PF70 graded coin, but for the price, at $8.99, the sure PF69UC coin just seems like a STEAL OF A DEAL, IMHO.

In this case, the savings is $14.56 or roughly 62% for a NEARLY perfect coin, delivered to my door with no work submitting it to NGC!

Frankly, I like removing the hassle of it all -- especially when it's cheaper. Not to mention that the NGC price guide already lists the coin at a value of $17.50 -- nearly twice what I paid for it.

It seems like a "minor" coin -- pun intended -- but it's a MAJOR value!