PCGS Makes Good On Their Mistake by Congo Kid

[CSJournals-migration]

Finally A Real Win With A Grading Service

 

I sent an unlisted and very rare pattern in for grading to PCGS since I had a coupon for four free submissions. After several interactions online with their customer service people to correct errors that I saw on the PCGS website related to this coin, as well as providing them with a variety of information about the coin, since it is not listed in any major catalog, the coin was shipped back to me as "unable to authenticate". Now this coin is not a difficult coin to authenticate just because it is not listed anywhere. PCGS didn't used to be so skittish about figuring out the previously "unknown". They did this with a previous coin that I submitted and then authenticated it on my second submission, as the coin had been purchased by me in a Heritage auction, which they failed to search for. Anyway, after bringing all of this to the PCGS customer service representative, he gave me a credit and allowed me to resubmit this coin free of charge and free of shipping both ways. The coin was just shipped back to me, and yes, it was authenticated and graded as SP64. The coin is very rare and quite interesting as it was determined to be a 1944 Belgian Congo chrome-plated steel 2 francs piece. Chrome-plated is a first for me. Given the problems with the 1943 U.S. steel coins, I can understand mints trying to chrome-plate steel coins to try to give the surfaces some integrity.

Thank you PCGS for making good on one of your errors. They have come a long way from the first time I called them many years ago and the customer service "specialist" told me that "they don't make mistakes". Seriously.

 

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[centinel]

A great story with a happy ending. Sometimes collectors know more than full time professionals think, and your story is a great point. Sounds like you did some homework with this. Was wondering: what do these go for today? They sure beat our 1943 steel rust bucket cents.

[Scott A]

Thank you very much centinel. I have been a specialist in this area for some time now. Given that this particular coin is a pattern issue, it does make it more valuable than a standard issue coin. Of course patterns even as rare as this, or even rarer do not bring what a U.S, coin of equal rarity brings. But pattern coins in this series this can sell anywhere from $500 to $1500 or more depending on who is bidding.