My First Crossover Experience

[Guest]

I am recently back to collecting coins after a 30 year absence and spent 1-2 years re-learning before I bought a single item. Then it was only NGC and PCGS slabbed items as I felt to minimize the risk as I continued to re-learn. My re-introduction to numismatics was entirely Coin World and Internet driven.

 

I am presently working on Seated Liberty and Barber quarters in MS63-65 for now. There is enough opportunities for a life time or two with these areas. Completion is not important for now, but having fun is!

 

Well to the point (finally). I took my first big risk with the purchase of an ACG "MS-65" 1896-S Barber Quarter off e-bay. At first I watched the item not sell twice at the posted starting bid and finally jumped in and was successfully when the starting bid was removed and the hidden reserve dropped dramatically (almost 50%). The scan was only marginal, but with the return privilege and huge positive feedback of the seller I felt the urge to take a chance. The coin had good eye appeal despite the scan.

 

My biggest concern was if the coin was genuine, cleaned, or altered, etc. Especially after being previously aware of the all the comments regarding ACG (and the grading service survey results). Off it went instantly to ANACS to get thier opinion since I needed to get it back within 7 days if the coin was problematic. I live in Michigan, ANACS in Ohio, so quick express mail turnaround was nearly assured.

 

The results:

 

1896-S Barber Quarter

 

ACG MS-65 to....

 

ANACS MS-63.

 

It really is a lovely coin with light golden toning and mirrored surfaces and FULLY struck (claw, eagles head, liberty's ear, etc) with only minor hairlines in the fields and two small contact marks on the portrait. I think it has chance at MS-64 someday. The ANACS MS-63 was a solid conservative grade.

 

Certainly a MS-65 to MS-63 down grade could have been a catastrophic financial down fall, but I only paid a legitimate AU price.

 

Beginner's luck (?) I guess.

 

Maybe for it's birthday I buy a NGC holder!

 

Your comments appreciated.

 

postalamericana

 

 

 

 

 

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Welcome to the boards and back to collecting!

 

It looks like you did a very good job of buying this coin safely below the grade/price it ended up as and was able to move it into a more acceptable cointaner. I'm assuming that you sent it into ANACS still in the ACG container so you could return it if you didn't like the results...I'm curious what minimal grade did you tell them to cross it into? Also, what was the cost for express servie from ANACS to get it turned around so quickly?

 

Your results shows that coins in lesser tier slabs can be bought at the right price and crossed - but I have not doubt that experience and some luck play into getting results you're happy with.

[Guest]

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Yes, the coin was submitted to ANACS in the original ACG slab (to retain my return privileges if needed).

 

The minimum cross over grade I indicated was MS-62. I wanted it out of THAT ACG slab quickly (only of course if the coin wasn't problematic, which it wasn't!).

 

My costs for getting it re-holdered were a total of $49 for one-day express service at ANACS plus US Express Mail to ANACS, fully insured at $53.65 and finally ANACS return postage to me at $18.50. Total $121.15. Total time out of my hands were; mailed Friday PM and back to me at Wednesday PM (6 days including a weekend).

 

A very, very minor cost to get it into a more acceptable holder. Even with these additional costs my total still keeps it in the "AU" purchase price range!

 

postalamericana

[CarlWohlforth]

You are lucky.

 

It was a gamble, but you had checked out the return policy.

 

With a bad scan the coin could very well have been AU. Or worse.

[keithdagen]

There are the occasional problem-free coins, and the even rarer accurately graded coins, in ACG holders, but the odds are never in the buyer's favor.

 

My only experience, several years ago, was buying some MS-62 gold pieces that crossed to AU-58's at other services. Fortunately, I had paid AU money, so did not get burned that way.

[Clankeye-migration]

and spent 1-2 years re-learning before I bought a single item.

 

I really have to applaud you for your patience here. Welcome back to the hobby and welcome to the boards.

 

Yes, you took a risk, but it sounds like with your study you minimized it. You knew to a certain degree of confidence when the coin arrived that it was infact worth sending to another party, and not damaged or AU or less. I would say that sometimes there can be simpler ways to get coins for your collection. But, the hunt and sometimes even the risk is what quickens the pulse.

 

Glad it turned out well for you!

Clankeye

[Hoot]

I'm also happy for you - congrats. And as Clankeye said, you deserve note ofr having done the study before taking the risk. That was wise. It was also in keeping with the good advice on the eBay advice thread (Water Cooler) to only buy from someone who had a solid return policy.

 

In terms of crossovers, I recently had two ANACS coins cross to PCGS straight across with attribute designation. (These were 5-step Jeffersons, otherwise I would not have crossed with PCGS). ANACS does a nice job. I wish ANACS graded coins were allowed in the NGC registries.

 

Hoot