Is this gold coin real or made to deceive?

?????????

 

I think it was referring to 1909 which is when the coin was minted.

 

Thanks -- that makes sense.

 

Third-party graded & encapsulated specimens will easily sell for significantly more than ungraded ONLINE, more than covering the fees, and a coin can certainly have "marks" and still grade in the AU range. In fact, many Morgan silver dollars have earned MS-60 grades despite exhibiting obvious marks from being stored in US mint bags, never released for decades.

Look at what has happened with comics -- the highest-grade 1st appearance of Marvel's Ghost Rider recently sold for over $250,000. No one in their right mind would pay that kind of money for a post-1970 comic that has not had 3rd party grading. Encapsulation of sports cards has exploded to the point that PSA and BGS had to stop accepting submissions. It may be an "American thing," but not taking advantage of it leaves money on the table, and plays into the hands of unscrupulous dealers who will make a low-ball offer -- and re-sell for much more than the supposed $50 profit, a scam of sorts.

 

Encapsulation is the way of the future for collectibles. There's no denying it. The money that the grading services earn is insignificant as sales of high-demand graded collectibles continue to shatter previous record prices, earning big bucks for the sellers. I have experienced dealer tricks first-hand over the years: resealing of sportscard packs after the stars have been switched-out, showing a seller values from a badly outdated collectibles price guide, counterfeits, not disclosing restorations, and so on.

So to bring up fraud with regard to grading services is ironic, as the authentication & 3rd party grading have eliminated all of those old concerns. I would rather deal with the infinitesimal chance that an encapsulation is a Chinese fake than to trust a seller without question who is offering an expensive raw collectible. The fact that all record-breaking sales involve encapsulated collectibles is evidence that buyers have confidence in their purchases. Better to be "fleeced" as a result of grading fees and auction premiums than to have transactions where a 3rd party has not evaluated the item. You will not find price guide values for post-1970 comics in the quarter-million dollar range -- yet a CGC 9.8/10 specimen has achieved that. I'm sure the seller feels like he's been "fleeced" by CGC...?

 

Maybe we should set up a validation service to certify TPG slabs and logos.

 

There's something you could do in your "spare time".

 

Gosh. Well that's my Sunday morning education taken care of for this week.

To my mind, the great thing about @quirkygirl's find is that she's stumbled across a coin that is interesting, not ridiculously expensive and which -- within reason -- she can handle and enjoy for as long as she continues to own it. Once we start sealing things in certified slabs we're losing part of what makes them special -- whether we're talking about coins, stamps, vintage comics or Nintendo games.

Of course I understand the investment angle, but I'd much prefer to own an older circulated sovereign, quarter eagle or 20 franc gold coin than a sealed package that will lose most of its monetary value if I open it.

Even if that package is triple certified.