Sandon

The article in the preceding post should be read by anyone who believes that coin prices can only increase or that the current list prices for abundantly common coins such as 1881-S and 1884-O Morgan dollars in frequently encountered grades are reasonable and not likely to decline.

1904 Barber half dollar, purchased uncertified in 1997 and now NGC graded AU 58:

I see no evidence of this coin having been struck by any dies other than Lincoln cent dies. Some of the copper plating was then removed by physical and/or environmental damage.

@HT SME--I'm sure that NGC will shortly create a competitive registry set category for the newly issued 2023 clad proof sets, as have been created for all previous modern proof sets. Proof Sets 1999-Date | United States Categories | NGC Registry | NGC (ngccoin.com). As I understand it, the "Collectors' Society" site is a "legacy" site with an old-style interface that is now mostly used for non-competitive "Custom Sets". Competitive sets are ranked with scores based on points awarded for each coin in the set; custom sets do not have scores. The newer version of the Registry, which has been in use for some years now, has a newer interface with newer features and is now generally used for competitive registry sets. Its home page, at NGC Registry | Online Coin Registry Set Collecting | NGC (ngccoin.com), includes a link to browse the "custom" sets on the Collectors' Society site, as well as the competitive sets on the newer site. If you already have coins on the old site, they should appear in the list under "My Competitive Coins" (tab at left side of home page) in the new site, and you can create competitive sets using the instructions under the "About" and "Help/FAQs" tabs, as well as the Help topics on this forum. The "Autobuild Set" feature is particularly convenient.

It's definitely a 1923, with the same nearly closed "3" used on all 1923 Peace dollars. The OP presumably has a photo of the entire holder and can confirm this. I created a cropped blowup of the date area, which came out small due to poor resolution, but you should be able to see that it is a "3": The 1928 dated coins features an "8" whose top loop appears narrower than on the "3", as well as having other numerals with slightly different shapes, and looks like this: You don't want to confuse these two dates on Peace dollars!

Irregular or blotchy discoloration of this sort is sometimes referred to as "staining" by both NGC and PCGS. NGC classifies it as an "environmental effect" and defines it as follows: "STAINED coins display discoloration but not corrosion. More often than not such staining is irremovable. When isolated to one side, it is described as OBV STAINED or REV STAINED." See NGC Details Grading | NGC (ngccoin.com). 1923 Peace dollars are abundantly common except in "gem" (65 or higher) uncirculated grades, and one that is impaired like this one probably isn't saleable for more than $25-$30.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. I am sorry for your loss. Before responding to your question, I would like to note that the NGC Registry forum is for topics regarding the NGC Registry. You will likely receive more responses by posting an inquiry like this one in the "Newbie Coin Collecting Questions" forum. (The moderators may move this topic there next week.) The laws of many states require that the property of a deceased person go through a probate process before it can be sold or distributed to the person's estate beneficiaries. This may be the case whether or not your father had a will and even if all of his property is to go to your mother. The probate process generally requires the appraisal of estate property by qualified appraisers. You should, therefore, consult a lawyer who is experienced in estate administration in the state in which your father lived at the time of his death before taking any further action. Heritage Auctions (ha.com) is one of the larger players in the rare coin market and could likely perform the appraisal or recommend an appraiser if one is required. Even if an appraiser is not required by law, you may wish to obtain an appraisal to determine which items are worth auctioning by this major auction house and which are of low value and should be sold in some other way or perhaps retained as mementos. To the extent your father owned coins that were graded and encapsulated by NGC, PCGS or ANACS, you could see their current retail list values on the NGC Price Guides (under the "Resources" tab on the NGC home page) or the PCGS Price Guide at pcgs.com. (I noted that your father had NGC registry sets of American Eagle silver bullion coins, which would be on these price lists.)

The only reason that registry sets are feasible for me is that NGC allows both NGC and PCGS graded U.S. coins on its registry. I participate in the registry primarily for educational reasons and include photos of my coins, so I can show other collectors some of my better coins without having the security risks inherent in transporting them. I own a somewhat greater number of PCGS graded than NGC graded coins, but it wouldn't be worthwhile to have them on separate registries. I've submitted some pieces to NGC primarily to include them in the registry and would be unlikely to submit any more if I no longer participated in the registry. I wish that the major grading services (NGC, PCGS, CAC, and perhaps ANACS, which doesn't have a registry), could cooperate to create a single coin registry. This would reduce the overhead associated with operating the registry for each service and be more convenient for collectors. (The services could still issue separate prizes for the "best" or otherwise notable collections of coins in their respective holders.) I'm a realist, however, and doubt that this will ever happen.

1947 Lincoln cent, PCGS graded MS 64RD:

Welcome to the NGC chat board. In the future, you should post inquiries like this in the "Newbie Coin Collecting Questions" forum. This forum is for issues relating to the NGC Registry. To find retail list prices for NGC graded coins, use the NGC U.S. Coin Price Guide, which can be found among the "Price Guides" under the "Resources" tab at the top of the NGC home page. The 5 oz. ATB "coins" are listed under "American Eagles and Bullion Coins", and the "SP" version under the "PF" button at top right. Here is a link to that page: America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Coins | Price Guide & Values | NGC (ngccoin.com). You can also compare these prices with those on the PCGS Price Guide at no charge at pcgs.com and at publications such as Coin World (coinworld.com) if you have a subscription.

Most of the painting or coloration of coins is done by private parties outside and without the authorization of the issuing mint by private companies for sale as novelties. This is viewed by traditional coin collectors as a form of alteration and is unacceptable to them. However, some recent collectors' issues have had some pieces colorized with the authorization of and for sale by the issuing mint. The only instance of colorization being authorized by the U.S. Mint was for some 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame commemorative clad half dollars and silver dollars. Per the "Redbook", the mint distributed 32,581 of the colorized clad half dollars (2020-S) and 25,719 of the colorized silver dollars (2020-P). The mint also offered regular versions of these commemorative coins. As I recall, the mint engaged a contractor to do the colorization.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. Although your photos are somewhat blurry, your coin is definitely not, nor does it resemble, the extremely rare 1958 doubled die obverse cent, of which only three are known to exist and all of which, as I recall, reportedly turned up in the same place at the same time decades ago. It is extremely unlikely that any more will be found. This variety exhibits clear, crisp doubling on "LIBERTY" and the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST", as on this photo from NGC VarietyPlus:

1999-S (PCGS graded PR70 DCAM) and 2000-S (NGC equivalently graded PF 70 UCAM) proof Jefferson nickels. Neither one appears flawless to me, but I bought them inexpensively.

1890-O Morgan dollar, PCGS graded MS 63 in old "rattler" holder. Purchased in 1995:

I'm not quite sure what your question is. If you're comparing a circulation strike 1970-S "small date" (a.k.a. "high 7" or "level 7") cent to a proof of that variety, collectors nowadays regard a proof coin as a different issue from a circulation strike of the same date and variety, so each is priced based on its own perceived scarcity and market demand. The circulation strike 1970-S "small date" is viewed as somewhat less scarce than the proof "small date", but proofs tend to come in much higher grades than coins made for circulation. Most circulation strike "small dates" are circulated or lower end mint state and worth only a few dollars, while most proofs are of choice or gem quality, so in Coin World a MS 67 RD is priced at $600, while a PF 67RD is priced at $100. (A MS 60BN is only worth $5.) If you're talking about a proof coin in a grading service holder versus a coin that is still part of a proof set in original government packaging, there is substantial expense to having a coin third-party graded, which will affect the price. Of course, the price will also vary with the grade awarded by the grading service, which for proofs will vary not only with the numerical grade but also with whether the coin was called a "cameo" a "deep (or ultra) cameo" or a non-cameo.

NGC's definition of "MS/PF 70" is "[a] coin with no post-production imperfections at 5x magnification." NGC Coin Grading Scale | About Coin Grades | NGC (Emphasis added.) PCGS defines the "MS or PR 70 " grade as "[f]ully struck and lustrous, free of visual marks. The PCGS 70 grading standard does allow for 'as minted' defects, as long as those flaws are minor and do not impact the eye appeal of the coin." https://www.pcgs.com/grades#grade70 These TPG definitions contrast markedly with the definition stated in the seventh and latest edition (2013) of The Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, which (p.25) defines the "70' grade as "[t]he perfect coin. Has very attractive sharp strike and original luster of the highest quality for the date and mint. No contact marks are visible under magnification. There are no noticeable hairlines, scuff marks, or defects. Eye appeal is attractive and outstanding. If copper, the coin is bright, with full original color and luster." Unlike the NGC and PCGS definitions, the ANA definition doesn't permit any defects, including those that existed from the moment the coin was struck, so under the ANA's standard a coin might not grade MS 70 when "pulled straight from the press", while under the NGC and PCGS standards it generally would. However, the magnification to be used in looking for defects even under the ANA's standards is only to be in the 3x-7x range. (ANA grading guide, p.17) Until the mid-1980s the "70" grade was considered to be one that didn't exist in reality, as perfection is not of this world. Then, as I recall, ANACS, which was still owned by the ANA and issuing photo certificates, graded a few newly issued 1986 Statue of Liberty commemorative coins MS or Proof 70. Although I don't think that any U.S. coin made for circulation without special handling has ever been graded MS 70, the major grading services have now awarded the "70" grade to many millions of modern (1960 and later) coins made as collectors' issues, including proofs, commemoratives, and bullion coins. PCGS has graded over 6.5 million coins "70", some 19.3% of all coins to which PCGS has awarded numerical grades VG and better. https://www.pcgs.com/pop/pcgs-population-totals The NGC Census doesn't show aggregate grade totals but is probably comparable, with many collectors' issues of recent years showing "70" as the most frequently awarded grade. In my opinion, "70" as presently interpreted by the grading services is a marketing gimmick, not a legitimate grade. My practice is to examine coins at 10-15x magnification, and I seldom see any real difference between pieces graded 69 (or sometimes even "68") and those graded "70". Almost invariably, I can find one or more tiny shiny areas, nicks or spots on pieces awarded either "69" or "70". These minute flaws likely occurred after the moment the coin was struck and before or during packaging, although I have no way to be sure. Any of these modern coins could accurately and more or less objectively be described as "Superb Gem", but then they would all price the same.

1942-P proof wartime Jefferson five cent piece, PCGS graded PR 66+: Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries, from whose auction I acquired the coin in 2017.

As I recall, the only source of "matte finish" 2009 coins is the 2009 uncirculated coin ("mint" set), which per the "Red Book" had a distribution of 784,614 sets.

Based on what I can see in your somewhat blurry photos, your 1926-S Lincoln cent should grade XF 40 to 45 and at best would grade in the low AU range, with retail values for these grades ranging from $30 to $80. The coin also has a deep nick on the reverse that could result in a "Details" grade. In my opinion the coin isn't in any case worth the $23 "Economy" tier grading fee, much less the $10 per order processing and $28 per order return shipping fees, plus your own shipping cost. Coins of this value are best collected and displayed in a nice modern Whitman or Dansco album. The only Lincoln cent I've ever removed from my album to submit to NGC is the 1909-S V.D.B., which has a longer but much shallower reverse blemish than your 1926-S. NGC graded it "XF Details, Reverse Scratched". As NGC doesn't give free grading opinions, you should post inquiries like these in the "Newbie Coin Collecting Questions" forum.

The host coin is definitely not an S-241, whose reverse features the bottom part of an "S" punched beneath the second "S" in "States" and a doubled fraction bar, neither of which is present on the host coin. There are a number of differences in the positioning of the letters and numbers on both sides, such as that on the obverse of the S-241 the "E" in "LIBERTY" nearly touches the hair, while on the S-231 the "E" is higher and farther to the left, with the highest curl point on the hair situated between the "B" and "E" as on the host coin instead of beneath the left side of the "B" as on the S-241. I happen to own an 1802 S-241 graded VF 20 by NGC, whose photos you may compare with yours of the host coin:

Although some of the diagnostics are flattened by the stamp or wear, the host coin appears to be an example of the S-231 (stemless wreath, single fraction bar) die variety, a common (R1) variety that is nevertheless popular as a "Redbook" variety. The area where the stems would be is weak, so this coin would likely be mostly of interest to collectors of counterstamps (or "countermarks" if you prefer, a term I've never encountered before).

I've thought about starting a service where I would place my sticker on certified coins that are correctly graded in accordance with my 1970s-80s grading standards. I wouldn't charge as much as CAC for this service, but there would be a "catch": If I find your coin to be overgraded, I will crack it out of the holder and return it to you in a "body bag" with my grade written on the grading service tag. I expect that my hammer would be in frequent use. Would anyone like to be a customer?

I frequently see counterstamped coins offered at Stacks Bowers and other auctions with many referred to as "Brunk--unlisted". Some coins were counterstamped to advertise a business or product to those who subsequently received the coin in circulation, and the merchants who counterstamped them can often be identified through archival research of contemporary public records, newspapers, and periodicals. Other coins were counterstamped as a convenient way to test a punch that was intended for other purposes, and these are usually much more difficult or impossible to identify. This is one of the latter category. I don't know why the U.S. government would have counterstamped a coin that it had already minted and issued and doubt that the stamp is of government origin. The surfaces of the obverse of the coin that are unaffected by the stamp are rather nice for an early large cent, but the coin is worn down to Good or so grade, and only collectors of counterstamps would have much interest in it, unless it were of a rare (R5 or higher) die variety. I would need to see a photo of the reverse to attempt an attribution.

@Cesar E--I assume that you don't have any existing sets to which you can add these coins. These are the basic instructions for creating a set, which I copied from the page "About the NGC Registry", which appears when you click the "About" tab at the left of the Registry home page: If you added an NGC-certified coin, you can immediately place it into an eligible competitive set. If you added a PCGS-certified coin, you can add it to eligible competitive sets as soon as it has been reviewed by an administrator. Click image to enlarge. To find the perfect set for your coins, you can browse the NGC Registry to see all of the options. Some collectors choose to participate in the most popular set categories while others try to find a set category where there is less competition. You can find sets with a lot of slots, a few slots, varieties and more. The NGC Registry can also tell you where your coins may be added. When viewing your coin list, click on the green + symbol near the coin description to see eligible sets and slots. You can also use Autobuild Set to quickly create sets and to make sure your sets are receiving as many points as possible. Click image to enlarge. You can use the NGC Registry menu at the left side of the NGC website to find your coins and sets or browse the NGC Registry. It's all relatively simple once you have had some experience doing it. You can get additonal help by clicking the "Help/FAQs" tab on the Registry home page, at (click)NGC Registry | Online Coin Registry Set Collecting | NGC (ngccoin.com) . You can also check out the various topics posted by the Administrator at the top of this forum. If you still have questions, you should post them as a new topic on the Registry forum. The Administrator will usually answer within a few working days, but sometimes forum members such as I can respond more quickly. Edit: I may have misunderstood your question. As I stated in response to your topic on the "Testing" forum, "If you've already selected a set and don't know what to do when you are prompted to enter a set name the answer is that you write in a name you want to call the set, such as "Cesar's Lincoln Cents", or "The CE Morgan Dollar Collection", or any other appropriate name."

It is difficult to assign a grade that would pertain to a genuine example to this counterfeit piece. Much of its roughness, discoloration, and uneven or incorrect details relate to its being a (probably cast) counterfeit than to environmental or other damage or alterations that may befall a genuine coin. An unimpaired 1796 silver dollar currently lists $2,150 Very Good, $4,000 Fine, $4,900 Very Fine, and $10,250 Extremely Fine in the NGC Price Guide (retail prices).