Cert says RB, slab says BN, what would you do?

[Keigwin]

I was exchanging mail with an ebay seller trying to sell a 1917-S MS65BN PCGS slabbed Lincoln. It is in a very old PCGS holder. Here's a link

 

The cent has a bit of red to it and he feels it should have been graded RB, not BN (what else is new?). The difference in FMV, per PCGS is $750.

 

Interestingly, a PCGS certification look-up shows 65RB. The slab label says 65BN.

 

If the coin were returned to PCGS do you think they'd correct the label? The cert? Regrade it?

 

I don't think the coin will sell in this auction because he has an absurd reserve ($2200 -- he announced it), FWIW.

 

Lance.

 

 

[chinook]

Nice coin but it is BN not RB.

 

 

[bajablu]

brown all day long. it may have alittle red left but not as much as any rb i have seen. its a nice coin but its brown.

[TomB]

I agree with chinook.

[Keigwin]

I think BN too. But I'm wondering what action PCGS might take. Simply correct the certification record?

[Arizonadesertrat]

That coin is BN, it's not even a close call. If the seller wants an unreasonable minimum bid, just move on and wait until you find another that is fairly priced.

[jesbroken]

Isn't $2200 about 3 times higher than the coin would be worth even as an RB coin? I believe I would pass at either grade color designation.

[bsshog40]

PCGS shows the BN at $475 and the RB at $1225. About 3 times the value like you say Jim. I do see alittle Red in this but not enough to go RB in my opinion.

[ldhair]

The coin looks nice but it's BN.

 

[bsshog40]

I think BN too. But I'm wondering what action PCGS might take. Simply correct the certification record?

I would think this is all they would do. Alot easier than re-certifying and slabbing.

[physics-fan3.14]

I agree it is brown. He is probably trying to sucker people into paying the premium for the old holder, thinking that it is an upgrade candidate. Either that, or he is just trying to sucker someone. I am not sure about upgrade potential, I just can't tell.

[BillJones]

I agree, it's a brown coin.

 

I really like cents that look this way. They are as stable as any copper coin can be in the slab, which means there is good chance it won't go bad on you. And since the coin is graded 'brown" the price is lot lower than the red coin price.

 

To me red copper is an overrated, overpriced pleasure.

[leeg]

I'd pay BN money for it and if I won the coin I'd send it to PCGS for correction. Here's my 17-S in 65BN:

 

 

[sro114-migration]

It is a very nice coin that would go brown in my opinion. The slab does not appear to be scratched or trashed so it does not appear anyway that the coin has had its own passport. The coin may have colored up more over the years also. I have a 1909 S MS 65 RB Lincoln in an old holder that is pure brown now. Fortunately it is a nice coin that I was able to get at the brown price.

 

 

He must be waiting for the right sucker to swim along, because you are not kidding when you say the reserve is ridiculous. If he did price it reasonably it would be a nice addition to any lincoln collection.

[BULLY]

Wowza! The PCGS price guide shows the MS65 1917-S BN at $475, and the same coin in RB at $1,225, and his RESERVE price is $2,200, meaning he expects even more than that?!?!?

 

This is an example of something I posted elsewhere, about how OLD slabs (PCGS and even NGC) are commanding (or expected to command) a premium in auctions. I've seen coins bid up well past their "Price Guide" value, which is generally unusual, as people seek bargains, and it's odd to "pay retail" -- but I see it often when the coins are in these VERY OLD PCGS holders.

 

The notion seems to be that there is an "allure" that the coin, WHATEVER the coin, will upgrade, even by several grades, and you'll make a fortune. I think this is speculative at best, and foolhardy at worst, especially what we are all seeing in this particular case.

 

Many collectors here seem to agree that this is a coin that truly looks correctly assessed as BN. Even if it was RB, should it command SUCH a premium as the reserve price this seller is seeking? If it was a dear coin necessary to fill a collection gap, and you're talking about bidding, $10, $20, even $50 over the typical value in hopes of some higher achieved grade...MAYBE -- and that's $50 on a coin potentially worth $500 or more, sort of a 10% premium in hopes of a big payoff, I get it in SOME cases. But spend $2,200 for a potentially higher grade? VERY RISKY, IMHO.