Should You Get Your Coins Graded?

What PCGS and NGC actually do

PCGS and NGC are the two grading services most dealers and collectors trust. You send them a coin, their graders check that it is genuine, assign a grade and note problems such as cleaning or damage. The coin then goes back to you sealed in a plastic holder called a slab, with a label showing the date, mint mark, grade and a certification number.

The slab does two jobs. It protects the coin from handling, and it gives a buyer in another city or another state a shared opinion of what the coin is. That trust is what can raise the price of a coin that deserves it.

Grading does not make a coin rarer or better. It puts a number on what is already there. A worn coin in a slab is still a worn coin.

How the 1 to 70 scale works

Graders use the Sheldon scale, which runs from 1 to 70. A 1 is barely identifiable. A 70 is a perfect coin with no flaws visible under magnification. Most circulated coins fall somewhere in the low and middle numbers.

The letters before the number matter too. MS means mint state, a coin that never circulated. PR or PF means proof, a coin struck twice on polished dies for collectors. Circulated grades carry labels such as Good, Fine, Very Fine, Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated.

Want a real number? See how Chris handles graded coins, or call (469) 599-3283.

When grading pays off

Grading earns its cost when the slab changes what a buyer will pay. That usually happens with scarce dates and mint marks, coins in high mint state grades, and many U.S. gold coins struck before 1934, where a slab settles questions about authenticity.

A raw coin and a slabbed coin of the same grade can sell for different prices, because the buyer of the slab does not have to trust anyone's eyes. For a better-date Morgan dollar in sharp condition, that trust can be worth far more than the fee.

• Scarce dates or mint marks in any condition where the grade affects price
• Uncirculated coins that look close to the top of their date's grade range
• Pre-1934 U.S. gold coins, where proving the coin genuine matters to buyers
• Coins you plan to sell online or out of state, where buyers cannot see them in hand

When grading does not pay

Common bullion is the clearest case. An American Silver Eagle holds one troy oz of .999 silver, and its value moves with spot. Sending a common date off to be graded adds cost and rarely adds enough price to cover it, unless the coin comes back at the very top of the scale.

Worn common-date coins are the other case. A circulated 90% silver quarter or a common worn Morgan dollar trades close to its silver value with or without plastic around it. Paying to slab those coins usually turns a small profit into a small loss.

Grading also hurts when a coin comes back with a problem note. A coin labeled cleaned or damaged can be harder to sell than it was raw.

Fees, membership and waiting time

Grading services charge per coin, and the fee rises with the coin's value and with how fast you want it back. You also pay insured shipping both ways. Sending directly often requires a paid membership, so many people submit through a dealer instead.

Expect to wait. Standard service can take weeks, and busy periods can stretch it to months. If you need the money for an estate or a closing date, factor that time in before you mail anything.

Raw coins, details grades and crossovers

A raw coin is simply one that has never been slabbed. Raw is normal. Most coins in most collections are raw, and dealers buy them every day by looking at them in hand.

When a grader finds a problem such as cleaning, a scratch or environmental damage, the coin may come back with a details grade instead of a straight number. The label names the issue. Buyers treat those coins with caution, and they often sell for less than an unproblemed coin in a lower grade.

Some collectors also send already slabbed coins from one service to the other, hoping for a higher grade. That is called a crossover. It costs another fee and does not always work, so it only makes sense on coins where one grade point changes the price a lot.

Ask a dealer before you submit

The cheapest grading decision is the one made before anything is mailed. A dealer who handles coins every day can tell you which pieces are worth sending, which are close calls and which should be sold raw.

And please, never clean a coin before grading. Graders spot cleaning at once, and the slab label will say so. A coin with honest, original toning will do far better than one that was polished to look new.

Getting a grading opinion in Dallas first

A lot of Dallas collectors started the same way: a few Morgan dollars from a grandfather, a roll of uncirculated halves from a bank teller in the 1960s, maybe a gold piece bought at a coin show years ago. Now the coins sit in a safe deposit box at a bank in Preston Center or University Park, and someone has read online that everything should be slabbed.

Before you pay a single fee, bring them to the table. Chris looks at each coin under magnification for date, mint mark, grade and eye appeal, and tells you plainly which ones he thinks would gain from a PCGS or NGC slab and which would not. Most piles split three ways: a few worth grading, a few close calls and a stack that should stay raw.

If you would rather sell now, you can do that too. Raw coins are priced on what they are today, collector coins on current dealer demand and bullion on the live spot price. Gold and silver go under an XRF reader on screen, and weight comes from a scale inspected by the Texas Department of Agriculture. You get a written offer before you decide.

Already have slabs? Graded coins are welcome. Chris checks the holder, the certification label and the coin inside, because a grade is an opinion and eye appeal still matters. He also sells certified coins, so a collector from Highland Park or North Dallas looking to fill an album can ask what he has, with honest advice and no push. Families settling an estate off Inwood Road or near the Dallas Arboretum sometimes ask whether to grade first and sell later. The honest answer depends on the coins, the timeline and how much waiting the family can handle, and Chris will walk through that with you coin by coin. Appointments are one-on-one, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Call 469-599-3283 to set one up. Chris returns calls the same business day, and directions come when you book.