Here’s a list, accompanied by images, of coin grading company slabs you should avoid at all costs. If you don’t know much about grading coins (most of us don’t, even if we think we do) or can’t see a clear image, with which to grade the coin, then do yourself a favor and move on to better auctions.

I have read too many regret stories from collectors who didn’t know they were buying an over-graded coin. All of them thought that if it was in a professional looking holder then it must be graded properly. A few thought they were grabbing a bargain.

Note: Some of these holders might appear with a different design or label color, and might be sold by multiple ebay sellers. However, most are sold by a single ebay seller in large quantities.

INB International Numismatic Bureau

NNC National Numismatic Certification

SGS Star Grading Service

ANGS American Numismatic Grading Service

 NAC Numismatic Authentification Company

NCC Numismatic Collectors Company

 NES Numismatic Evaluation Service

NPG Numismatic Professional Grading

CSI Certified Silver Investments

USGS US Coin Grading

No-Name Holders

You should avoid most no-name holders since they’re just coins graded by the person selling the coins, as are most over-grading coin companies and services. If you can’t see a clear and detailed image, without glare or “masking” angles and lighting then don’t bid on the coin, no matter what the holder label claims.

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

Many collectors ask which coin grading service are most reputable, and are confused about which coin grading services are accurate and consistent. This is easy to answer since PCGS, NGC, ICG and ANACS are the most trusted and recognized coin grading companies in the business. They are the most reputable services, and consider so by all the majority of the experts, collectors and dealers. While NTC, PCI, SEGS, and Dominion Grading (formerly PCI), all get some respect, but no matter which coin grading company holder one is looking at, always examine the coin carefully, compare it to other coins of the same grade, and buy the coin for the grade it appears to be, and not for what the holder claims.

Suffice it to say, any coin grading service that’s NOT mentioned on this home page, I do NOT recommend, and neither do the experts. I have several other pages where visitors can see who I don’t recommend. If you would like to check out these other coin grading services then click on the link at the bottom of this text. I have researched over 124 coin grading companies or so-called services, and very few meet the mark. As a matter of fact, most are down right hideous at grading coins, to the point where in most instances, must be purposely unscrupulous undertakings, to say the least.

Don’t ever think, or even believe, that just because a coin is in a thick plastic holder that it’s accurately graded. Furthermore, I don’t care what the seller of these so-called slabs claim, they could promise you the moon, but don’t fall for it. The holder might look professional and have some fancy bar code, stickers or hologram stickers, a decorated label, and is a great deal on a high grade coin, but it’s nothing more a lie and a fraud.

I don’t think the question is “Which grading services are reputable”, but “Which ebay sellers are reputable”, and I say this because any non-greedy, honest and well educated numismatically a sellers is, the less likely they will sell over-graded coins, or coins with problems, touted as a high grade.

 Related Link 124 Third Party Coin Grading Services 

TPGS and Coin Grading Forum

  Before the inception of the third party grading service page on my website, I spent many months researching the topic of grading companies, and entered discussions at many coin forums on the Internet.

During this endavour, I was met with many different opinions on the grading of coins by third party services. For instance, ”I don’t need a company to tell me the grade of my coin, I learned through experience how to grade, and so should other collectors” and “I like the idea of having my coins graded, authenticated and safely housed in a sealed holder.” And these are but two of the many variations of thought that I experienced.

Personally, I have certains coin of my choosing, graded by PCGS and feel that companies like PCGS, ANACS, ICG, NGC help enhance my favorite hobby, adding a bit of validity to grading coins that was once an inconsistant practice.  Dealers could call it how they saw it, and unfortunetly not all dealers and collectors saw it the same.

It’s akin to what we see today on ebay where a dealer or a “basement” TPGS grades coins as they see fit, and in a manner that boost profits instead of protecting and furthering Numismatics in general.

With these thoughts in mind. Do we still need third party grading services? If not, what should be done about this delima? If so, then how can it be improved to prevent all the grading scams?

Feel free to enter your comments, I would love to hear them!

Want to learn more about grading companies? Click Here

Ebay is flooded with coins graded by a copious amount of different grading companies. Many of these companies are “basement” company, third party graders, practicing grading techniques that are suspect. Also, there are many horror stories of these companies grading counterfeit and damaged coins in their holders, but sold as authentic.

       Often, the dealer company (seller) might own, or is personally affiliated with the some of these “slabbers” and this creates a conflict of interest. A circumstance that introduces the unethical practice of starting grading companies for the sole purpose of selling more coins, at a higher premium, by assigning grades that do not meet the accepted standard for that particular grade.

       When looking slabbed coins, one should always question the grade of the coin. If the holder is not from a top tier grading company, then make an offer or bid that matches the book value (BV) a couple of grades lower than the holder states. Also, look for certain other details like the coin’s letter or date fonts, wrong mint mark year, etc. Try to compare the coin using an authentic example to be sure the coin in the holder is authentic.

       Another detail that requires attention-anyone can buy the Coin World holder (known by the little earth symbol in the bottom left hand corner of the holder), put a coin inside, and affix a label that states any grade they chose. This is important, because there exist many examples of coins that jump in BV from grade to grade. One example of note is the 1884-S Morgan Silver Dollar. The price dramatically increases from AU58 to MS60, and this coin is difficult to find in mint state, providing an easy target for the uneducated coin grader. Click here to see TPGS Holders