CGS Grading

[ozjohn]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254956110884?hash=item3b5c918424:g:A5YAAOSw609c5XNK

This coin has been graded at CGS 80. I have a coin of the same date and TPG that has a CGS 60

grading assigned. Personally I think the coin I have is of a higher grade than the one listed on Ebay.

As I have observed before the whole point of TPGers is consistency in grading and confidence

in the product you are buying. This one fails on both counts

[secret santa]

I always struggle to understand how 3rd party graders can hope to achieve consistency given that the same person won't always grade a particular denomination of coin, the lighting conditions (whether natural or artificial) will always be slightly different when examining the coin, and it's not possible to make comparisons with other coins of that denomination other than via photographs and we all know how photos of the same coin can differ dramatically depending on conditions and technology used.

Theoretically, the only way to grade truly accurately would be to have a library set of every denomination of coin in every physical (not photographs) grade to make side by side comparisons.

Given that that's not practical, we have to accept that 3rd party graders will have to work from previous photographs of similar coins and written descriptions of grades, much like the rest of us, and can only be accurate to within a range of uncertainty.

[ozjohn]

I note the price for this item is low perhaps because of the quality of the coin. For example the following

coin https://www.sterlingcurrency.com.au/1899-silver-florin-victoria-s-3939-pcgs-ms64    

has a price tag of $AU 425 about GBP 236 also cataloged at GBP 225, Spink Coins of England 2016.

[copper123]

A reasonable price might be £135  that mark on the cheek makes me so no

[Sword]

It is sometimes very hard to take decent photos through a slab. I suspect that the coin in question might look much better in hand. It would have been better to compare CGS photos rather than photos of slabs taken by different people under different conditions. 

However if I am buying a coin, I would always go along with what I can actually see in the photos rather than trusting the numerical grade. I wouldn't buy something if photos are inconclusive. 

[Sword]

8 hours ago, copper123 said:

A reasonable price might be £135  that mark on the cheek makes me so no

Yes, that mark on the cheek is too distracting for me.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Sword

[ozjohn]

The mark on the cheek as does the flatness of the veil look like wear to me. I agree it can be difficult to photo graph thru the plastic. Perhaps CGS would help their grading reputation by allowing access to their pictures of coins as do PCGS .

[Sword]

I don't understand why they wouldn't make their photos available. It would only make their coins more marketable. 

I am uncomfortable buying a slabbed coin without the pre-encapsulation photos. The CGS capsule hides the entire edge of the obverse making it impossible to see any nicks or knocks.

[ozjohn]

On 5/5/2021 at 5:38 AM, Sword said:

It is sometimes very hard to take decent photos through a slab. I suspect that the coin in question might look much better in hand. It would have been better to compare CGS photos rather than photos of slabs taken by different people under different conditions. 

However if I am buying a coin, I would always go along with what I can actually see in the photos rather than trusting the numerical grade. I wouldn't buy something if photos are inconclusive. 

Just as a belated aside my coin was photographed thru plastic but presents IMO as a better coin than the subject of this discussion.

[Sword]

I personally find it difficult to get consistent photos of coins in slabs. Sometimes, I can get very good photos as if the plastic isn't there. However, I do find that high grade toned coins can sometimes result in "flat" images. 

[ozjohn]

Some of the best images of coins I have were  from scans on a flat bed scanner. This is probably due to the coin being very close to the light source eliminating reflections from the plastic surface.

Edited May 8, 2021 by ozjohn
Typo