CGS grading service

[HistoryTreasures 0]

I was wondering whether this was a good idea - I am thinking of sending some coins to be slabbed at London Coins' CGS service?

Does this service offer a good value service? i.e. are the returns well worth it when compared to the costs for the service itself?

[Gary D 76]

I was wondering whether this was a good idea - I am thinking of sending some coins to be slabbed at London Coins' CGS service?

Does this service offer a good value service? i.e. are the returns well worth it when compared to the costs for the service itself?

It all depends on the value of the coin. Pay £10 to slab a 1967 penny or 1965 crown and you will never get your money back. The TPGs will always talk about value added, but then they would.

[argentumandcoins 70]

I was wondering whether this was a good idea - I am thinking of sending some coins to be slabbed at London Coins' CGS service?

Does this service offer a good value service? i.e. are the returns well worth it when compared to the costs for the service itself?

That depends on what you class as the returns

If you wish to preserve your coins, have them authenticated or have a third party grade applied, the returns will be worth it.

If you are talking about financial gain your coins would have to be top notch examples to stand any chance of it being well worth it.

I don't like slabbed coins and tend not to bid on them unless they are on the wants list or part of a lot with other saleable items. Some people only buy slabbed but they are chasing the high end pieces....

[Nick 329]

I was wondering whether this was a good idea - I am thinking of sending some coins to be slabbed at London Coins' CGS service?

Does this service offer a good value service? i.e. are the returns well worth it when compared to the costs for the service itself?

You also need to bear in mind that the grading might come back lower than you expect. CGS are very strict graders.

I have only used them once when I had 3 coins of the same year and I couldn't decide which one was best. Two of the three were bought from a top London auction house as 'practically mint state' - these came back graded as UNC 80. The third was what I would describe as lustrous UNC and it came back as AU 75.

So in my case I would say the resale potential has not been helped by grading.

[1949threepence 3,367]

I was wondering whether this was a good idea - I am thinking of sending some coins to be slabbed at London Coins' CGS service?

Does this service offer a good value service? i.e. are the returns well worth it when compared to the costs for the service itself?

I suppose they lend an independent authenticity to grade, and a slabbing service if you like slabbing. But I personally wouldn't use them. Firstly because the grading is purely subjective and can vary from person to person, and day to day in the same person. I feel just as capable of arriving at an accurate grading. Secondly, I don't like slabbing.

[SionGilbey 1]

Half the hobby is being able to have a piece of history in your hand.

[Colin G. 147]

Half the hobby is being able to have a piece of history in your hand.

I think the appeal is either to people who strive to have the best, and if they are not willing/experienced enough to determine that by themselves, they will collect a highest number. This may also be true for investors. It inevitably reduces the risk to buyers.

It is also a method of confirming authenticity on a scarcer piece, or piece that can be easily misattributed to give confidence to potential buyers (although this is not always a certainty as we have seen in the past!! ..... mistakes do still get made)

Finally, for some people it does offer a long term storage option, and I would also say will inevitably help should the need ever arise to make an insurance claim.

I don't know yet whetehr there is enough confidence out there yet for CGS to say with certaintly that it adds value to a coin. Because people will inevitably see that CGS AU 75 as not being UNC, and therefore it may put off some buyers who may in fact have wanted the coin in its raw state.

I think it is those rarer coins where it will add value, but on the more modern/common coinage, you would do well for it to pay off.

[declanwmagee 122]

So who are these superheroes who do the attribution, authentication, and grading? The coin world isn't that big, and there can't be many people better qualified to do it than you lot, I'd have thought.

Are they deliberately incognito, are they full-time, does anyone here do it?

[Peckris 579]

I think the appeal is either to people who strive to have the best, and if they are not willing/experienced enough to determine that by themselves, they will collect a highest number. This may also be true for investors. It inevitably reduces the risk to buyers.

The flaw here, is that newbie collectors with a fat wallet, will buy slabbed coins by that reasoning, but then will learn nothing about what it means to examine a coin 'in hand' and learn about grading for themselves.

So who are these superheroes who do the attribution, authentication, and grading? The coin world isn't that big, and there can't be many people better qualified to do it than you lot, I'd have thought.

Are they deliberately incognito, are they full-time, does anyone here do it?

Stephen Lockett, who is behind the UK slabbing service, is a long-time dealer and reliable grader to my knowledge.

[HistoryTreasures 0]

Question 2: Would there be any point in slabbing a Conder Halfpenny with the Anglesey Druid in XF?

Also, what are your thoughts on Halfcrowns, I have an XF and a VF+ would this increase their value. I suppose this is really the main sort of question. And where is there PCG label recognised as a mark of quality? Is it just London Coins auctions?

[RLC35 288]

The value added, especially with rare Half Crowns, would be the authentication of the coin as genuine! This is especially important with a 1905 Half Crown, where many forgeries exist! I am not a fan of slabs, but I can see where a slabbed 1905 would attract more bids, and higher sales, based on the knowledge that it was guaranteed to be the "Real McCoy!"

[HistoryTreasures 0]

The value added, especially with rare Half Crowns, would be the authentication of the coin as genuine! This is especially important with a 1905 Half Crown, where many forgeries exist! I am not a fan of slabs, but I can see where a slabbed 1905 would attract more bids, and higher sales, based on the knowledge that it was guaranteed to be the "Real McCoy!"

They are not super-rare, a pair of 1817 Bull Head's.

[1949threepence 3,367]

The value added, especially with rare Half Crowns, would be the authentication of the coin as genuine! This is especially important with a 1905 Half Crown, where many forgeries exist! I am not a fan of slabs, but I can see where a slabbed 1905 would attract more bids, and higher sales, based on the knowledge that it was guaranteed to be the "Real McCoy!"

Totally agree. In cases like the rare 1905 halfcrown, where fakes exist, CGS comes into its own.

[Red Riley 2]

The value added, especially with rare Half Crowns, would be the authentication of the coin as genuine! This is especially important with a 1905 Half Crown, where many forgeries exist! I am not a fan of slabs, but I can see where a slabbed 1905 would attract more bids, and higher sales, based on the knowledge that it was guaranteed to be the "Real McCoy!"

Totally agree. In cases like the rare 1905 halfcrown, where fakes exist, CGS comes into its own.

Yes I agree, the only coins worth slabbing are those where the market has become overheated and there is a problem with Far Eastern forgeries. Northumberland Shillings spring to mind.

[azda 979]

The value added, especially with rare Half Crowns, would be the authentication of the coin as genuine! This is especially important with a 1905 Half Crown, where many forgeries exist! I am not a fan of slabs, but I can see where a slabbed 1905 would attract more bids, and higher sales, based on the knowledge that it was guaranteed to be the "Real McCoy!"

which is exactly what i'm going to do with the 1905 HC i bought, hopefully this week

[Peter 615]

OK everyone mentions CGS....but what about sending it accross the pond to PCGS or ANAC's...they turn them around quickly and appeal to our US buddies (who probably own a large proportion of the worlds rarities).

[azda 979]

OK everyone mentions CGS....but what about sending it accross the pond to PCGS or ANAC's...they turn them around quickly and appeal to our US buddies (who probably own a large proportion of the worlds rarities).

We actually have a PCGS certified grader in Munich. I emailed the Frau at the new PCGS place in Paris and she gave me a list of German PCGS approved graders, one of which i met last week at the Munich coin fair, but i know the guy, or know of him in Munich, he has a shop in one of the poshest districts in Munich, so after its in hand and obligatory pics taken, weighed and measured i'll be heading directly over to him for (more authenticity) and grade of the 1905 Halfcrown

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

OK everyone mentions CGS....but what about sending it accross the pond to PCGS or ANAC's...they turn them around quickly and appeal to our US buddies (who probably own a large proportion of the worlds rarities).

We actually have a PCGS certified grader in Munich. I emailed the Frau at the new PCGS place in Paris and she gave me a list of German PCGS approved graders, one of which i met last week at the Munich coin fair, but i know the guy, or know of him in Munich, he has a shop in one of the poshest districts in Munich, so after its in hand and obligatory pics taken, weighed and measured i'll be heading directly over to him for (more authenticity) and grade of the 1905 Halfcrown

Taking it's time to arrive isn't it ?

Is that a whiff of fish.....

[azda 979]

OK everyone mentions CGS....but what about sending it accross the pond to PCGS or ANAC's...they turn them around quickly and appeal to our US buddies (who probably own a large proportion of the worlds rarities).

We actually have a PCGS certified grader in Munich. I emailed the Frau at the new PCGS place in Paris and she gave me a list of German PCGS approved graders, one of which i met last week at the Munich coin fair, but i know the guy, or know of him in Munich, he has a shop in one of the poshest districts in Munich, so after its in hand and obligatory pics taken, weighed and measured i'll be heading directly over to him for (more authenticity) and grade of the 1905 Halfcrown

Taking it's time to arrive isn't it ?

Is that a whiff of fish.....

No its a whiff of me making an arse of the international bank transfer, which i didn't realise until they emailed me asking where the payment was

[Colin G. 147]

The flaw here, is that newbie collectors with a fat wallet, will buy slabbed coins by that reasoning, but then will learn nothing about what it means to examine a coin 'in hand' and learn about grading for themselves.

And that must be their target market, along with the authentication benefits

For the seasoned collector/numismatist then it becomes a matter of choice/storage, and this the market that will be the hardest to break, but it seems to have captured a large portion of the market in the USA, so is it inevitable that it will slowly happen over here?

I am not necessarily an advocate just condiering the facts

[Accumulator 52]

It's interesting to compare PCGS and NGS. According to their websites, PCGS has slabbed over 21,000,000 coins, whereas NGS has 16,000 to it's name. In business terms, it's rather like comparing Macdonalds to your local chippie!

Nevertheless, it's horses for courses and as we are discussing British coins it's worth taking a closer look at the figures. The 'population reports' for NGS and PCGS are both available on-line (you do have to register with NGS first though) and it’s interesting that PCGS have certified 10,500 British coins of which, staggeringly, 6,500 are year 2000 sovereigns! One wonders whether they were asked to do this for one client? So, stripping out this big anomaly (and there may be others that I failed to notice) the balance for British coins is very much in favour of NGS. Of course, PCGS are now in Europe and, judging by their website, making major inroads, particularly in France.

I think, on balance, I would go CGS though.

[Rob 3,152]

It's interesting to compare PCGS and NGS. According to their websites, PCGS has slabbed over 21,000,000 coins, whereas NGS has 16,000 to it's name. In business terms, it's rather like comparing Macdonalds to your local chippie!

Nevertheless, it's horses for courses and as we are discussing British coins it's worth taking a closer look at the figures. The 'population reports' for NGS and PCGS are both available on-line (you do have to register with NGS first though) and it’s interesting that PCGS have certified 10,500 British coins of which, staggeringly, 6,500 are year 2000 sovereigns! One wonders whether they were asked to do this for one client? So, stripping out this big anomaly (and there may be others that I failed to notice) the balance for British coins is very much in favour of NGS. Of course, PCGS are now in Europe and, judging by their website, making major inroads, particularly in France.

I think, on balance, I would go CGS though.

NGS? NGC is the other main TPG in the States.

[Accumulator 52]

Sorry, put brain in gear... I meant CGS!

[Rob 3,152]

Sorry, put brain in gear... I meant CGS!

TMA

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

Hmm

I get that they have slabbed 16007 coins, of which the most popular are, Sov 2520, Shilling 2039, Penny 1502, Sixpence 1497, Halfcrown 1396.

6,500 year 2000 sovereigns leapt out at me as an insane figure when I first read it - I couldn't deal with it. I became highly stressed, started hyper ventilating and I had to check.

Everything is quiet again now....