I got them in the mail on Saturday morning and the coupon stated "postmarked by July 1st."

For years I have had both a PCGS and NGC membership. I do tend to side toward NGC/Collectors Society as my preferred Chat Boards, slabber of raw coins and registry however I join both sites for 1 primary reason. With a certain level of membership a collector can actually get a submission coupon ( 5 for NGC and 8 coins for PCGS) which makes the cost of membership essentially free when the coupon value is considered. In fact, I believe the savings of a 5 or 8 coin submission may actually be cheaper than joining these sites at the most basic memberships.

For years I always had cubbies of raw coins that I planned to get graded "some day." Or also I had those slabbed coins that I was always sure were undergraded by a point and would double in value ( and registry points) if they could get a single point upgrade, a star or now even a + sign. I have raw gold and raw world coins. I have ship coins to add to my sailing ship themed set- High Seas. There were always more coins to send away than money to pay for grading and slabbing.

My how times have changed. I actually only realized I almost let my coupon for 8 PCGS submissions expire because I was on vacation last week and had some time to go through some things in my desk ( after I got back from 4 days in Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Jamestown VA).

What also amazed me was not that I almost let my $240 Voucher expire but that I struggled to actually assemble an 8 coin submission.

--I had 3 coins that really needed reholder ( including 1 that REALLY needs reholder after I experimented with a scratch removal technique--)

--I have 4 nice Peruvian gold 20 sol pieces that are raw but I already have 2 high grade Sols in NGC slabs and didn't want to mix the set.

--I have 4 of these, or 5 for regrade...or a 6 coin set of world coins--you get the idea...I couldn't come up with either 8 coins of same service, holder/reholder/regrade or crossover, same country or US vs World...I was getting frustrated and I needed to get the forms done, the coins in flips and the package wrapped and mailed by the next morning....

In the end I "settled" on 8 half dollars. I went through some raw Walkers of harder dates which if they grade VF should be about $80-$150 each, 1 Barber which is an easier date --1910-S-- but a solid VF30, and a long shot with a superbly struck and clean 1965 Kennedy Half from a mint set.

The Walkers include some scarce dates like 1919, 23-S, 27-S and 29-S and all are problem free with normal wear. The Kennedy is a chance at a prize. An MS65, 66 or --67 even would be a significant score. The 1965 SMS's are pretty common in those grades and the real money is in cameo or DC/Ultra--but a mint set 1965 in gem quality is a scarce coin.

So that is what I ended up sending away--not exactly a submission that I'm gonna be checking on daily to see its progress or the grades. All of the coins will grade. The Walkers will be a mix of F to low VF's..the Barber a solid VF and hopefully the Kennedy garners at least a MS65.

Here is a coin I just won from the recent Stacks/Bowers auction in Baltimore. A 1916 Walker MS64 in an old fattie--the coin has luster, patina and lots of character...happy hunting e1..

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