Sorry, for the typo-...such a thing, not such an thing.

I agree that you should always buy the coin and not the slab since things like exceptional strike, incredible luster and eye appeal are not noted on slabs for the uncirculated or even about uncirculated grades no matter what the grading scale is on the slab as no coin is really created or preserved equally. CGS is getting started and the 1-100 scale looks like they are splitting "hairs into atoms" when it comes to grading. The Sheldon scale we use here in the US and Canada 1-70 seemed fussy enough and the slabbing game seems to be more of the game than buying good coins to some collectors who are lulled by this game. Slabs do give a grade that can be hard to dispute and they do authenticate the coins with a guarantee, so it is a type of certification "insurance" and not much more than that if you can not grade coins yourself. Trust your eyes and not the slab is usually the better course in my experience.

Peter: I agree with all your points, especially "buy the coin, not the slab" and as of date I have not submitted any of my coins for slabbing either because I feel confident in my ability to grade. My wife always spots me before I purchase because she is very, very picky about not only the grade, but she is very strict on buying coins with a good strike. Where I think PCGS is a better bet over CGS/London Coins is there is no conflict of interest between selling and slabbing coins. PCGS does not sell coins, nor are any of their graders or board members allowed to be active dealers or investors. CGS to my way of looking at it is putting itself in an obvious conflict of interest dilemma, even though there may be a "firewall" between the grading side of the house CGS, and London Coins the selling side, there still exists the relationship that is very apparent on the London Coins website where they sell CGS slabs. The credibility and confidence in the impartiality of assigning a grade comes into question if London Coins ends up selling the coin to the public. Just my opinion, but to me if you are going to be a credible grading service, you should NOT be in the business of selling coins to be an honest broker of grading. As to your point about being able to grade, no matter what standard or scale you are using you as a collector, investor or even a dealer MUST be able to grade coins yourself with confidence. If you don't you are shark bait in the water for buying coins that won't be in line with the price asked.

Go here; http://www.cgs-uk.biz .

They have come up with a 100 point grading scale even more confusing than the confusing 70 point grading scale that is used in America.

Aidan.

I think there should be an international standard for grading coins and US slabbing services not only don't cover UK varieties, just ask the Early American Copper Association how many they don't cover for US Large and Half Cents. Slabbing is a basement safety net, but no two coins in the same grade in slabs are the same which is why buying the coin not the slab is the order for those of us that can feel confident in grading. Even technically correctly graded coins in slabs can be dogs, lacking eye appeal, blazing luster or strike and should be priced accordingly. Dog coins are dog coins and blazing gems are just that and will command a premium over a "technically correctly graded" coin.

I've had a dozen or so coins CGS graded and encapsulated.

Some of the coins were bought from BNTA registered dealers. In all bar one case, all of the coins bought from these dealers came back graded well below what they were sold to me as. Perhaps the worst case was an 1889 Crown sold as AUNC, which came back as VF50! Another, from a very well known dealer (big glossy 'ads in Coin News,) was a "UNC 1931 Penny, good lustre." Came back in a body bag, rejected with the single word, Cleaned!

I've only been collecting for a few years and have been "shark bait," for dealers and other sellers. But these experiences have had the effect of seriously sharpening up my grading skills! But, yes they have been costly errors. However, the dealers are the losers. Since December 09 I have bought £265 worth of coins. None of which has gone to those dealers above. They will continue to lose out on several hundreds of pounds worth of coin purchases in future years.

But even London Coins, (A126 lot 944 if you want to look for yourself,) sold me a 1930 Wreath Crown, with no mention of any problem in the catalogue. It was rejected by CGS for having a (small) flan flaw! (Between the R & G In Georgivs.) So the conflict of interest issue is quite real.

However, coin collectors seem to keep themselves to themselves. Good job they're used to having only themselves for company really because, given my experiences, you are on your own.

Hello all,
Interestingly there have been a few miss-labeled shillings on offer to from CGS too!

Si.