MN1

When looking up the value of a coin I am interested in I check several sources and of course find differences. Curious to know where others go first when buying. Do you go to the same source or a different one when selling?

I believe so. To be honest I can't I have really seen an 1856. I was in an antique/thrift store in Bordentown NJ back in the spring/summer. It was one of those shops where you rent a section for your stuff and the shop handles the sale and takes a commission. In a flip was "1856 Flying Eagle" for $2,000. I passed on it. If graded would have definitely been a Pr1 no doubt. I could barley make out the eagle and needed a magnifying glass the shop owner let me borrow. There was no date at all on the coin or hint of one. It was basically worm flat, pitted, and cleaned to where it was so pink. It looked like a metal detector find with shovel damage too. Maybe it was worth the $2,000...if proven to be a 1856 but I really doubt it was. Who knows? My guess is the seller figured out what the coin type was, looked up Flying Eagle values and went with 1856 because of values over '57 and '58. If anyone wants to check into this for themselves to see if still available and try to verify the year, it was Big E's Thrift & Antiques on Rt 130. Look them up and call. I'm sure they would know they have (or had it). If at the store, go directly to the left and it's against a wall that has another large room on the other side with bikes and furniture. The coin was in a locked glass display that had a small wicker basket with a couple of $1.50 worn Indian cents. Not looking to send anyone on a wild goose chase or get hopes up. Like I said I passed on it and had my doubts but as I always say too, I'm not a expert in this field at all.

I would hate being taken but if it happened thankful not more than $10. Although seeing raw Morgans selling at flea markets and barn sales out my way in mid-2020 for $28 looking like F, VF, XF and then for $30-$35 last winter I would have been suspicious. But hey, anyone new and just getting into collecting won't know this. I lost 5x that on an Ebay purchase but not due to being fake but because the USPS delivered to an incorrect address and whoever the recipient was didn't return the package. The Ebay guarantee doesn't cover you if the tracking number shows "Delivered". Threw my Hail Mary pass to my credit card company which said give them 120 day to make a final decision. Will see what happens. I've been prepared as they said theft is only covered when it's an unauthorized purchase.

I buy the nicest and best I can afford but primary buy for what I like or find interesting. Typically US coins from the 1800's (but I do have some from the early 1900's). I don't have any completed sets at all. My goal is to have at least one of every coin type. So while I look for what I don't have I also upgrade on what I do or add to those types when I come across something nice. Then there are coins I'll just never own like a Flowing Hair Silver Dollar or '1856 Flying Eagle which come to mind for starters. The real goal is just to enjoy and admire and one pass on to my nephews and niece. Hopefully they'll appreciate whatever I end up acquiring in the end.

If it's that spot near the 4:00 position I could live with it...if it was a coin I wanted bad enough and difficult to get. However the 1882-CC, 1883-CC, and 1884-CC Morgans are the most common. I picked a 1882-CC up in the GSA holder with the box and COA for what I considered cheap. I'd keep looking. There are more out there. I see them at Flea Markets in the GSA holder.

Appreciate it. I have been taking the crash course in coins. I have a buddy who collects and got me into this. He has the memberships so when he sends to grade coins I piggyback off him. Otherwise I buy from eBay/Great Collections. But he choses the conservation service and I just haven't seen anything come out of looking great yet. Or at least anything other than gold like stated by someone else. I'm sure the quality/condition of the coin plays a large part in that too. Anyway thanks & enjoy your holiday!

For Alex in PA - Still at work so don't have a photo to upload but pulled these from the PCGS site If not aware, on PCGS' cert verification page they will put "Details" on the grade line. This is the same exact coin as the one from the top of this thread if you want to check the markings. It's not a details coin but looks cleaned. It's lousy.

Only one of the above was from GC. The other is a submission coin.

Both. Two purchased off Great Collections are pictured above. I can rescan later for the complete holder with label but the worst I unloaded because I was very disappointed and updated those with other purchases. Had a Flying Eagle, Peace Dollar and Morgan ruined as far as I'm concerned.

There is no certification number to change on raw coins being sent in for the first time. But I do know what I sent in and what I received back. Definitely the same coins but looking like .

I can tell after having that service added to my submissions. If the coins I bought off Great Collections weren't conserved by the grading companies of the holders they were in then they were definitely cleaned and got a free pass. I'm not complaining about not having Details on the label. I'm just saying I don't think the conservation service was worth it because coins came back looking worse then when I sent them in.

All 3 mentioned but no gold coins. Also bought that way from Great Collections but knew in advance due to their photos.

Another. This one an XF45 Three Cent Nickel. Looks like they didn't finish the job. The worst are typically those that are either silver or copper where the color changes in various areas of the coin.

Had a Flying Eagle that was ruined but not by PCGS' conservation service. That shouldn't haven been touched at all in the first place. Below is an example with a straight graded XF45 Shield Nickel.

Has anyone tried the Coin Conservation Service on any past submissions? Or bought a graded coins that had it? Whether from NGC, PCGS, or ANACS? Curious as in my opinion the coins come back discolored, spotty and looking like "Details: Cleaned" should be on the label afterward.

I get the Greysheet free every quarter at the local coin shows and watch the "Sold" prices on Ebay. Sure, that's not always consistent due to the level of activity there but gives a fairly decent idea of what people are paying. I can't go by the inflated NGC or PCGS price guides. I do look at them still and compare everything but don't think there is a specific percentage one can deduct. I found a coin or two that could actually use an update to price to upside. With NGC too (leaving out the + and * in the grades) you one value listed for XF and below so in the case of VF (20, 25, 30, 35) what's listed there really doesn't represent VF accurately. Just saying for the mid & low grades.

Not to sound like a hypocrite but...I did buy 3 of the 2021 Morgans and a Peace dollar. Just not the "CC" or "O". Received the Morgans already. As for what the big companies/authorized retailers do who knows?? I do see some sell the empty US Mint cases. Surely after buying from customers and separating the coin for maximum profit. Same with early CC GSA Morgans and selling off the COA and boxes separately. I have one of those too but a common year 1882-CC that my grandfather purchased in the 1970's. If or when the day comes when I decide to part with it I would sell it complete. Just seems wrong to break it up. I wouldn't want to buy one that way. I see so many on Ebay and Great Collections and know the COA is not original. The CC GSA that only says "Silver Dollar" and not "Uncirculated" on the front should not have a serial # on the COA.

Maybe because I just have a year under my belt in terms of collecting but surprised to see companies like MCM now listing their Morgans/Peace dollars in the OGP for $199 +/-. I was expecting them to only list them as graded in NGC or PCGS holders like they do most new coins. In OGP I would have expected a lower price. Wow is that high for an upgraded coin but then I heard the US Mint's authorized retailers had to pay a 10% fee so guess with that and knowing the demand they gotcha. I thought it was just those on Ebay back in the summer asking bizarre prices. Only seen graded sets for these 2021's listed with MCM and GovMint so far so wondering what an individual graded MS69 or MS70 will be selling for. On a personal note, of all of them the "CC" and "O" should be worth the least due to the fact that those mints don't even exist anymore and were produced in Philadelphia. Fakes to me.

The more I look I think this one came from a fountain.

Perfect for the vending machine.

I never had an issue with the coin and when it was graded when I was looking into it. I didn't even ask. The dealer saying only a month ago was just his deceptive sales practice. It was the point that he lied and he did the same thing on another coin saying is was graded a few months earlier than the other. The 2nd coin had the older standard NGC label from 2008 which made it obvious immediately it wasn't just recently graded. It turned out that coin was actually graded and slabbed in 2015. I just don't understand the need to lie when selling a coin but I guess that's how that dealer works and so I don't do business with him. A coin and it's grade should sell itself so there is no need to make deceptive sales pitches and that's what my point was.

They are sad looking clouds. Why did they feel the need to put those on the coin. I didn't count them to see if there is some significance behind them like what the number of stars represent on coins but they give the appearance of filled holes.

Only saw this once before in a photo and thought it was a one-time tampered with/damaged coin. Seeing a news story earlier today about an 1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar in MS68 condition fetch $7.68 million dollars and then seeing the pictures I noticed it again. I looked up the Draped Bust Silver Dollar and all pictured have these same blotchy spots on the reverse above the stars and under the words "STATES OF". Why is that? Did something have to be covered up at one point in time? It's first I'm seeing this where every coin of it's type looks like this. I'm aware of coins being drilled for jewelry in the past and then filled later on and others shaved for what were called love tokens but something different appears to have been going on with these.

I wouldn't have it graded at all. If not counterfeit it would be too low of a grade. Guessing a "Details" G grade at best with "Corrosion" and "Scratched" for sure depending on if you send it to the cheaper grading services like ANACS or ICG. They are not shy about listing 2 flaws on their labels.

In looking at the Registry or Verify Certification tools here or even at PCGS for that matter, how accurate can the stats be for the number of Total Graded coins and those "In Higher Grades"? I'm asking after conversations at two local coin shows where multiple people have told me they crack out coins all the time from the holders and resubmit them in hopes of a better grade. I've seen videos of course online too but by doing this the original record of a graded coin is not deleted. So are some coins really more rare they they appear? The image is just an example of the stats I am asking about and not for a specific coin I own. It can be the stats for any old coin and even a different grade.