Read Part I First

Sample slab collecting can be fun and interesting. In some cases with only a few hundred samples handed out to dealers or show attendees, they can quickly become very scarce. The fun begins with the search.

You can peruse through ebay or search your local coin shops hunting for that elusive sample that’s so hard to find. While the coins may be common, the holders are not! Sometimes, Sample Slabs will contain some very nice coins. We’ll look closer at them in my next article.

With all the changes that have come about since the mid 1980’s there’re many different samples to collect. Sample Slabs were created as a way for TPGS’s to advertise their new holders, any new label changes as well as any new security features that have been added.

It’s best to start at the beginning so we’ll cover two TPGS’s; NGC and PCGS. PCGS was founded in 1986. They wanted to create a product whereas a collector could buy a certified coin, in a plastic holder, without ever seeing it. They could do so with the knowledge that the coin was authentic and with the grade being guaranteed.

The best part was, if a coin was found to be over graded, the company would buy it back from the customer at the retail price. NGC was formed a few months later, offering pretty much the same service.

Both were in competition with one another, and each offering guaranteed authenticated and graded coins, and with a money buy-back policy. What the two companies’s offered was very similar, but when it came to the slab’s, that’s where the similarity ended.

In the beginning their slabs could not have been more opposite. As you can see in the picture PCGS has an almost generic and plain slab, with an insert looking like it was made on a dot matrix printer using common card stock. NGC had a far more modern look to it.

So let’s look at a first generation PCGS sample‘s, we will look at the holder first and then discuss the coin. You can see that the insert looked quite primitive, there are perforations lines all around the insert and the print is very a basic typed written label.

From what I’ve read, PCGS used Roosevelt Dimes at first dated 1964-D and 1963 . These coins ranged from no grade to a Proof type but both contained very nice coins.

PCGC chose these coins in the first place because they were low cost common coins but sill good enough for people to want to hang onto, but that’s only my opinion

It’s now very hard to find this type of sample, I’ve seen very few if any for sale so if you do see one, and you can get it and still stay within your budget , my advice would be to grab it wile you can.

Now let’s look at the NCG first generation samples. This sample slab has the nickname “The Fatty” as it is thicker than later NGC slabs. Now the NCG is a smaller more symmetrical looking slab, with a modern type face and a logo pressed on the back of the outer shell, which PCGS didn’t have.

The NGC label has a more all around pleasing Appearance. Again you see the Roosevelt Dime’s being used. Here we have a 1960- D, this slab was not graded , however, they also used a 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963 and a 1964 some with grades some without, the graded coins ranged from Pf -64 to PF-65.

Now just to keep it interesting NGC also used a 1964 Kennedy and even a 1943 steel war penny The 1964 The Kennedy was a MS-64 and the 1943 steel war penny was a MS-65. The one thing first generation NGC slabs have in common is the green label (or do they)? I will cover this in a future article.

Remember some sample slabs can be valuable, I have seen them for sale on Ebay from $0.99 to over $500.00. When I started collecting you could buy a first or second generation PGC or NGC for around $10.00 now they can go for over $40.00.

This is not to say you still can’t get a deal out there, what this should tell you is that more and more people are realizing the value of sample slabs. Don’t wait until it’s to late, because they have gone up so high you find yourself saying, remember when I could have bought them at a far lower price. Star now and stay with it…

So until next time remember to buy the coin and not the slab, but when it comes to sample slabs, buy the slab and not the coin..

All the Best,

Alan Canavan

Welcome to the wonderful world of Sample Slabs!

The picture you see below is the first Sample slab that I’ve ever bought.

I’m new to the world of coins and even newer to collecting Sample slabs. I bought my first sample completely by mistake; I saw the slabbed coin for sale on ebay and noticed the word Sample on the label. The first thing I though was that this must mean it’s a stock photo and the one I would receive will be a nice graded coin.

When the coin arrived I opened it and to my surprise there was the word Sample just as in the picture I saw at time of purchase. I’m glad that I had the good sense to do some research on the Internet before sending the seller an email asking why they had sent me the wrong coin. That’s when I discovered that the word “Sample” applied to the slab and not to the coin.

So what is a Sample slab? Well the quick answer is that this is a way for TPG to show a new holder or label change for any given year. Ever since the first slabbed coin, companies have been updating their holders. The first were very basic holders with what looked like a typed label with the usual information. They were quite plain without holograms or any of the other types we have today.

For the most part they’re given out at coin shows sometimes to the public and, to dealers and in some cases people who attend special functions. There are many different ways that samples are distributed and I’ll try to cover them in future articles. There are countless types of Samples covering many different coins. Some are quite rare while others are quite common and that is the fun of collecting Sample slabs.

Now why would anyone want to collect Sample slabs? Well my answer to that question when asked is always the same, Why does anyone collect anything; because it’s fun and isn’t that the reason why we all collect anything?

Now remember that I’m just a rookie at collecting and still have a lot to learn, when it comes to any kind of coins. I’ve spent much time researching Sample slabs as I find them very interesting and lots of fun too, but still I am by no means an expert.

If you have any questions I’ll be happy to try and answer them, or at the very least point you in the right direction. There are far too many sample slabs to cover in just one article and if allowed I will try to cover the different types of Sample slabs.

This Sample Slab, I accidentally purchased, is the first PCGS sample slab to contain a world coin inside. From what I’ve read, it’s a Mint State coin but nothing is indicated on this slab. PCGS started grading world coins back in the first part of 1990. This in itself is very cool, but it’s also not that easy to find. I saw one just recently on eBay sell for around $40.00 but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen since I bought mine several months ago.

So until next time remember to buy the coin and not the slab, but when it comes to sample slabs, buy the slab and not the coin.

All the best, Alan Canavan

Read Part II Of  This Sample Slab Series

To see more about third party coin grading services visit this LINK

It’s been awhile since I last blog posted, but for a good reason, I have been expanding and updating all the US Coin Price Guides.

It’s been a slow process but one that will have positive results for everyone! These price guides are being compiled using the latest internet auction’s final values.

It’s not been an easy task considering how fast silver has been rising in value. The precious metals market is very important to consider when trying to find the value a any coin and while looking at a price guide.

I encourage everyone to visit the new and expanded coin values. The Dollar’s, Half Dollar’s and Quarter Dollar’s values are completed. The home page link is here

The above Peace Dollar is an image of an authentic US silver dollar for reference, even though counterfeits are out there, it’s not the only problem collectors need to be aware of in the market places. It’s true that counterfeit Peace Dollars abound but so does cleaned, artificially toned and mis-represented specimens that are major concern as well. Information from reputable sources is the key and I will briefly introduce some important pointers in this article.

First, let’s talk a little about counterfeits and how to identify them. The image below is of a counterfeit Peace Dollar.

Counterfeits and Copies:

It should be obvious to experienced collectors that this coin is a fake, but not all images or coins are as obvious. A counterfeit could appear authentic in-hand but the weight will not be correct for a 90% silver coin of the same size. If you can’t readily weigh a coin, because your at a flea market or it’s being sold by a Street Vendor, then don’t buy the coin.

Another thing you should check is if the date and mint were actually produced because I have seen a few wrong date and mint mark combination Peace Dollars.

The US Mints only produced Peace Dollars from 1921 through 1928 and then again in 1934-1935, and the best way to know if the date and mint you’re looking at was actually minted by the US  is to know the coin series, and the dates and mint marks that were produced for each year. I just wouldn’t buy a coin that I didn’t know something about, but if you’re knew to collecting the following paragraph is a must read.

In 1921, the Peace Dollar was minted at the Philadelphia Mint and have no mint mark, from 1922 and 1923 they were minted without a mint mark or with a D (Denver Mint) or S (San Fransisco Mint), 1924 and 1925 was minted with no mint mark or an S mint mark, 1926 and 1927 was minted without a mint mark or with a D or an S, 1928 through 1935 was minted with out a mint mark or with an S mint mark.

If you see an 1928-D or 1935-D or any other date or mint mark combination, different than the years and mints specified above, then you should realize it’s a counterfeit coin.

Also, closely examine coins that appear to be good bargain, because they are usually fake. You should look at the letter and number font and compare them to an authentic Peace Dollar. Ask yourself some questions like “Do I know this seller?” or “Is this deal to good to be true?” If they’re are selling a large amount Peace Dollars, at prices well below retail, then it’s not wise to purchase their coins.

Furthermore, you should never buy a silver dollar on the seller’s word alone or if you’re not experienced in buying Peace Dollars. It’s just not worth the risk. 

Proof and Proof Like:

It’s very rare for a Peace Dollar to be proof like or deep mirror proof like, so it’s no wonder that some sellers have tried to describe the Peace Dollars they are selling as such or even clean or doctor their coins so they appear to have these attributes. Don’t be fooled!

Proof Morgan Dollars were only produced, in very small numbers, in 1921 and we’re talking about a number less then twenty specimens total. So the proof Peace are very rare and are in collections of well known collectors and can be tracked. Also, any PL  Peace Dollars should be examined closely and preferably purchased already attributed as such by a reputable grading service like PCGS or NGC.

Don’t be fooled, very few coin grading services will suffice in regard to attributing PL Peace Dollars! Only by PL Peace Dollars in PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG holders.

Graded and Slabbed:

The above image is of two graded Peace Dollars and that are over-graded. You should never buy a coin by the grade on a label, and never take the word of a seller who is selling already graded coins by just any “Alphabet” grading service. If you do, remember this, the coin might have been graded by the seller, placed in the holder with the label of just their opinion of the coin they own. If this doesn’t say conflict of interest then I don’t know what would.

You should remember four grading services, and stay away from the rest, until you gain more knowledge about grading Peace Dollars. These coin grading services that can be trusted more than the rest are as follow: PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS.

If the Peace Dollar isn’t graded and authenticated, by one of these top four services, then you risk losing money immediately after your purchase. You also run the risk of paying to much for an over-graded coin. You work for your money so don’t let anyone steal it, for an inferior graded coin, just because they placed it in a “professional” looking holder with a lofty grade.

INB, SGS, PCG, among many others, are among the worst offenders and should never be trusted because their grading standard is much more liberal than the accepted grading standard. You’re just throwing your money away buying coins housed in any other holder then the top four coin grading services.

Make no mistake, the MS66-MS69 grades, authenticity and condition of a coin isn’t an opinion and you owe it to yourself to be informed before making a coin purchase. High grade Peace Dollars are rare and valuable in a PCGS, NGC, ICG or ANACS holders and can’t be purchased for much less than retail. If you see a great deal on a high-end graded coin, in any other holder, then you should know it’s too much of a risk to purchase.

Altered Surfaces:

The above to Peace Dollars have altered surfaces, the left example has been cleaned and this can be identified by the hair-like lines on the neck. The coin on the right has been cleaned and then artificially toned. Notice that both coins are circulated and were cleaned or retoned so as to make them appear uncirculated.

The coin below is an example of an uncirculated Morgan Dollar, with natural toning, housed in a PCGS holder.

It’s recommended to learn the facts about silver tarnish and toning and only purchase toned coins, in a reputable grading service holder, until you get the feel for what toning isn’t natural and what cleaned coins look like.

The coin below has what is considered an altered surface and this alteration can come in many forms. An altered surface is usually an over-dipped or lightly polished BU or AU coin and can be identified by their “jewelry” like surface. A jewelry surface is often a polished and dipped surface that brings out the luster of the metal, but an original coin’s surface was obtained by a great amount of pressure and heat from the coin die pressing the metal into the design elements of the die. No other process will reproduce this appearance.

A Peace Dollar’s surface shouldn’t look sleek and to clean, but retain a soft or frosty luster obtained during the strike of the die.

I am most certain that many other aspects of buying Peace Dollar could be mentioned, but I chose the most obvious to give you a jump start. If you want to learn more about Peace Dollar grading, mintages and values then visit the links I provided at the end of this article.

Peace Dollar grading, Peace Dollar mintages and values, Peace Dollar facts and key dates

If you want to buy authentic Peace Dollars at ebay then here are links to every date and mint mark.

AMG stands for American Morgan Graders and is an ebay seller from Australia. This seller, usa-dollars, sells coin in their own AMG holder on ebay Australia (AU) and commits many wrongs with their auction listings. 

The most important offense is their grading standard, and it’s to liberal to be accepted as a serious attempt at grading Morgan Dollars. AMG is also not a grading service since they don’t accept submissions from collectors for grading and authentication. This coin holder company uses a false grade and a value in their listing’s title to gain more exposure gain. 

Fortunately, their images are good enough, that you can see their coin’s details and it’s obvious that the coins are over-graded by most serious and widely accepted standards! Below is an example of an over-graded coin and all of their coins are graded MS67 and up, but Morgan Dollars in these grades are rare and demand a higher premium. This is the only reason AMG prints these high-end grades on their holder, it’s for pure profit and nothing else.

 Compare the above graded MS68 Morgan Dollar with the coin below, graded MS68 by PCGS.

 It’s easy to realize, and I could list hundreds of MS68 PCGS and NGC graded Morgan Dollars, that AMG’s MS68 doesn’t even come close. As a matter of fact, the AMG MS68 just might be AU58 is that’s circulation wear I see on the eagle’s breast feathers.