Slabbed Coins: What Are They and How Do You Collect Them?
How to Grade Coins and How to Buy Them
Slabbed coins are coins that are placed in special holders and graded by different grading companies to what condition the actual coin is in. There are several companies that grade these coins and there are several ways of collecting these Slabbed coins. There are also different levels of grading that will also be discussed in this article.
Here is how the grading of coins breaks down. There is Mint State (UNC- uncirculated) which means absolutely no trace of wear. MS 70 is the perfect coin as is PR70 which means proof 70. Below this is Almost Uncirculated (AU) which means that there is a small trace of wear that is visible on the highest points of the coin. Below this is Extremely Fine (XF or EF) which means very light wear on only the highest points of the coin. The next grading is Very Fine (VF) which means there is light to medium wear on the coin, but all major features are still sharp on the coin. The next grading level is Fine (F) which means there is moderate to heavy wear on the coin but the entire design is still clear and bold. The next grading level is Very Good (VG) which means the coin is well worn and the design is clear but lacks details. The next rating is Good (G) which means the coin is heavily worn and the design is fading in spots. The next grading level is Almost Good (AG) which means the coin's design is worn down to a smooth surface and parts of the date are fading. The last grading level is Fair (Fair) which means you can tell what the coin was but everything is worn down.
There are several companies that grade coins and here are the links to four of the well known and most reliable ones:
http://www.pcgs.com/ this is the link to PCGS one of the most well known of the grading companies.
http://www.icgcoin.com/ this is the link to ICG which is one of the older companies that grades coins.
http://www.ngccoin.com/ this is another link to a well-known coin grading company.
http://www.segsgrading.com/ another link to a grading company.
There are other companies such as PCI and SGS that grade coins very well and have great looking holders and do a great job of grading coins. All of these companies will grade your coins for a membership price or price per coin. Use Google to find other companies that grade coins.
Some of the best places to get Slabbed coins are either from coin shows or off of the Internet. Coin shows have a wide variety of Slabbed coins from cents to silver dollars. Coins shows also offer special Slabbed coins such as commemorative coins or unusual Slabbed coins such as half dimes or 2 or 3 cent coins. Another place is off of the Internet with Coin Grading companies or auction sites such as Ebay. Ebay also has a wide variety of Slabbed coins for sale. In fact I have acquired my best Slabbed coins off of Ebay for some very low prices.
Slabbed coins are coins that have been graded to what condition they are in and placed in special holders so they would not lose their condition. These Slabbed coins increase their value over their non-graded brothers and sisters simply being graded as such. Slabbed coins can be bought from the Internet either by way of auction sites or Internet Coin Stores/sites. Slabbed coins can also be bought from Coin Shows. Slabbed coins keep their value over time and are a joy to collect and share with your children.
Published by Andrew Green
I am 43 years old. I have travelled extensively. I have lived in South and Central America (Colombia and Costa Rica). I was born in England and have lived in SC for 26 years. Currently a Systems Analyst at... View profile
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13 Comments
Post a CommentRare coins have to be certified by some agency. PGCS slabs are counterfeited according to Ms.Susuan Headley, Owner of About.com of New York Times Group. But she herself is not honest and she owes me $300. But not replying messages. So the coin industry is full of bad elements. S.George e-mail: svanbraun@aol.com
What the Hell is wrong with you guys, learn to GRADE for yourself and buy more coins with all the money you save.
Port City Coin and Jewelry
31 Vaughan Mall
Portsmouth, NH. 03801
603 373-6185
Website: Portcitycoinandjewelry.com
Email: Portcitycoinandjewelry@yahoo.com
You obviously have not done YOUR homework. SEGS is a legitimate third party grading service who attends many of the major numismatic shows and offering authentication and encapsulation to dealers and consumers alike.
He is the Author of "The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of U.S. Liberty Seated Quarters" and an annual contributor to the Red Book - "A Guide Book of U.S. Coins".
The SEGS holder is a very secure holder that has a color sensative portion of the holder that will turn from clear to cloudy if the holder is opened. We have found other third party holders that have been opened and resealed very professionally to make a specimen substitution and can be extremely difficult to detect the tampering.
Your one statement that was correct is to buy the coin - not the holder.
SGS is hilariously bad. Simply put, learn how to grade yourself, and learn what you like eye appeal wise, that's all that matters...unless you're an investor. I find SEGS to actually be quite good. PCGS with circ coins has gotten suprisingly bad recently in my opinion. I just honestly can't imagine why people send in 5, 10, 20 dollar coins and pay 35 dollars to have them slabbed! I understand sending in a 50 dollar coin if the next grade up is 250, but not if there is no jump in grade.
I don't know where Zakgold gets his information, but it is not close to accurate. SGS is a grading registered company. None of the big four like competion. I'm a member of the NGC Collector Society which grades coins for ANA. I pay $16 to have a coin graded at NGC. That is the cheapest rate they have. I have submitted graded coins by NGC to SGC and visa versa. I have NEVER had a material difference in the grades. Billy's response speaks for itself. No credibility. SGS doesn't sell coins. IIsignal's response has no basis either. I have tried the same test with GEC graded coins and have found material differences with other grading companies. I agree with Charles with regards to PCGS, they have done more harm then good to coin collecting. One comment that Zakgold had the was accurate is, buy the coin and not the slab.
I bought the 20th anniversary Silver Eagle set directly from the Mint last year. PCGS grading had it for $600.00 a few months ago in MS69 and $1700.00 for the same exact thing in MS70.I can see a small premium but three times the price.If I go to E-BAY and this outfit and get a silver eagle by auction at $12.00 then I am getting it at less than the price of Silver.If it is graded as a SGS70 and I receive it and it turns out to be a MS60 then I look in the latest Red Book and see that with very few exceptions it is listed as $17.00 UNC.There are no other gradings in UNC.Which is the closest to value?The former that is three times the Price and now you aren't sure what you purchased directly from the Mint or the latter?Just because PCGS ordains it.
I hate to tell you people but even PCGS has ruined coin collecting.Lets take the Silver Eagles.I have purchased the Proof directly from the U.S. Mint since 1986. Last year I purchased the 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set.A few months ago I am looking at reputable Coin Collector sites. They have the same set for about $600.00 and it is a 69 by PCGS. but thye have a 70 graded by PCGS for some $1700.00. I have Proof sets in original U.S. Mint package that my Father gave me that go all the way back to 1970.If I were to send these sets to have them graded it would cost me more than the Sets are worth in most cases.I can remember when you got coins from the U.S. Mint and they were the most pristine.Now you get a Proof directly from the U.S. Mint and you do not know what you have for sure.I have the most recent Red Book on Coins. With very few exceptions an UNC Silver Eagle is listed as being worh $17.00. The only grades on a Siver Dollar are the Morgan and Peace.They list no separate grade
sgs is CRAP!!!! they sold me ms 70 coins, (in my opinion, are NEVER EVER cheap!!!) for 5 bucks for 5 of them, and I swear, they MIGHT have bee au AT BEST. and thats pushing it!!!! go PCGS only!!!!!!!
I agree with Zakgold - if you buy slabs stick with PCGS, NGC,ANACS, and ICG