Question about grades and encapsulation 1 1

[DFWHunter]

I just received the coin back I submitted in February. It was not encapsulated and the only thing on the label was Scratches. Was it authenticated? There is no explanation. 

[DFWHunter]

I called customer service today and was told they don’t encapsulate fragile or odd shape coins. Well this coin is like a silver dollar and I know they get encapsulated. I am very disappointed since I have waited 5 months for this coin to be verified, graded and encapsulated. I certainly hope someone contacts me with an explanation 

[JuliaJ CS]

Hello @DWFRareCoins, thank you for reaching out to us. Happy to help with your inquiry. Looking at the details, it seems you were misinformed by the customer service representative you spoke with. The reason for this being rejected was not due to the size/shape as we can accommodate a large range of different-shaped coins. We apologize for any confusion. There are certain instances where a coin may be rejected for being too fragile, but this was not the case with your coin. This was rejected due to the scratches as noted on the label. I unfortunately do not have any grader's notes to provide, however, I reached out to check if this coin would be eligible for certification despite the scratches. I will keep you posted when I hear back regarding your coin. Thank you!

[DFWHunter]

Thank you for the reply. Is there a way to get a copy of the graders notes? 
And now I am even more confused because I thought since the coin was returned to me and it has been identified and labeled that the coin is certified. I am not a coin dealer or collector . My son saw it and said I should send it in for grading. We knew it was scratched. 

Edited July 9 by DFWHunter
TMI

[Greenstang]

Neither NGC or PCGS will grade coins that are scratched. That is why your  coin was returned    
in a “body  bag” and has not been certified.

Edited July 9 by Greenstang

[DFWHunter]

Thanks for your input. I have sent customer service an email for further clarification. 

[powermad5000]

On 7/9/2024 at 12:29 PM, Greenstang said:

Neither NGC or PCGS will grade coins that are scratched. That is why your  coin was returned    
in a “body  bag” and has not been certified.

I am a little confused by this whole thing. Here is why. This coin was brutalized by someone. It was one of my earliest submissions.

 

[K Scott]

I'm confused as well.  I don't see anything on the OP's body bag label that says the coin is not genuine.  Seems like it could (or should) have been encapsulated with a details grade.

From NGC's Details Grading Page:

Surface Problems

There are several primary categories of surface problems that make a coin ineligible for numeric grading by NGC and result in an NGC Details grade being assigned. Review the categories below to see more information about the specific types of surface problems that require NGC Details grading.

Mechanical Damage

Contact between coins and various surfaces or objects, including other coins, can push metal out of place and leave a permanent disfigurement on the subject coin. This may happen routinely in the normal course of circulation, or it may be the deliberate result of abuse with an instrument of some kind. 

The following terms describe the various forms of mechanical damage to which coins are subject:

BENT coins are simply that — they show a non-mint-made curvature when viewed on end.

CHOPMARKED coins have had Asian characters punched into them as assurances of their value by the merchants who handled them many years ago. This was a common practice with silver coins, particularly trade dollars, circulating in Southeast Asia.

COUNTERMARKED coins have had a figure or character punched into them by some non-official agent, such as a merchant or jeweler. Lacking any official sanction, these punchings are considered just damage.

DAMAGED is a catchall term used when the coin displays any form of destructive contact that may not be defined more precisely. This may be narrowed down a bit by specifying OBV DAMAGE, REV DAMAGE, RIM DAMAGE or EDGE DAMAGE.

GRAFFITI describes a coin into which initials or some other writing has been scratched or carved. This may be narrowed down to read OBV GRAFFITI or REV GRAFFITI.

IMPAIRED is used to describe Proof coins that have received light circulation or mishandling, but whose Proof surfaces remain detectable, even if marred or worn.

MOUNTED refers to some sort of jewelry attachment still present with the coin.

MUTILATED coins display an extreme form of damage, whether intentional or accidental.

SCRATCHES of a very minor nature may permit a coin to be certified, but use of this term in Details Grading indicates that the damage is more severe.

SOLDERED describes a coin that has been used as an item of jewelry and still displays evidence of this traditional bonding agent. Solder cannot be removed with NCS conservation.

WHEEL MARKS occur when a coin-counting machine has left a shallow indentation on the coin, resulting in a highly polished spot. This may be narrowed down to specify OBV WHEELMARK or REV WHEELMARK.

[DFWHunter]

Here is an update. I sent multiple emails and made many phone calls to customer service and finally was told to send my coin back and  they would encapsulate and grade it. They had it for 7 months to do that and now they have it again. I mailed it back 1 month ago. I was told they made a mistake and they didn’t have any graders notes. This has been a frustrating experience. I am not a coin dealer and this is the only coin I will probably send in for grading. Is there a different standard for customers who send in a lot of coins? 

[Coinbuf]

On 8/22/2024 at 1:09 PM, DFWHunter said:

Is there a different standard for customers who send in a lot of coins? 

The company line which you would get from any legitimate TPG is no, there are no favors biased on who submits or how much they submit.    I have never worked for a grading company so I don't know for a fact either way.   But for the most part I do think this is true because if a TPG were awarding higher grades or giving favors to certain submitters and that info became public it would ruin the reputation and destroy the business of a TPG.   Could there have been in the past (or currently) situations where certain individuals were given favors, of course it is not out of the realm of possibility.   Although it wouldn't very likely be over the scenario that you are in, there is really not much upside (for the TPG) to holdering a coin as a details coin vs returning it in a body bag as happened to you.

I can certainly understand your frustration, all of the TPG's are on occasion inconsistent with how they treat some of these "problem" coins.

Edited August 22 by Coinbuf