Why Keeping Your Certified Coin Holders in Good Shape is Important
We regularly purchase certified or professionally graded coins that have holders or cases in varying degrees of condition. Some were kept pristine in NGC or PCGS holders, in custom foam cases or individual wood boxes while others have clearly been mistreated. In today’s tip of the week, we’re going to discuss why it’s important to keep your certified coin holders in good shape.
When certified coin holders have not been properly
maintained, they tend to exhibit scuffs, scratches, chips, cracks, etc., all of which distract from the aesthetics of a coin. This is especially the case with popular vintage coins and with pristine proof coins, the latter of which shouldn’t show evidence of contact marks or handling. One of the factors that makes proof coins appealing is the contrast between the mirror-like finish background and the frosted foreground. A coin holder that has issues clearly takes away from the aesthetics and makes the coin less attractive to investors and collectors.
Like many other collectibles, some of the first-issued items tend to draw more attention and interest than more recently produced items. This is also the case with the first holders that the leading third-party grading companies used when they launched 30 – 40 years ago. Some of these holders can be collectible since they were first generation cases and were only used for a limited time. A few examples of these cases are PCGS rattler holders, which rattle when you shake them, as the collars that hold the coins in place weren’t a perfect fit, NGC “old fatty holders,” which are thicker holders than those issued today and ANACS “soap box holders,” which are shaped like a soap box and are smaller in size than their current holders.
Not only are these cases collectible because they were among the first holders used when the certified coin grading industry was launched, but also, in the opinion of many coin collectors, were used at a time when the industry was stricter with their grading standards. In other words, you have a higher likelihood of obtaining a higher grade with a resubmission or crossover submission (i.e. submitting the coin to a different coin grading company for assessment). We have had more than one customer reach out to us in search of coins in these specific holders.
Unfortunately, you’re not likely to see an increase in value for coins in these holders if the holders are in poor condition or have been mistreated, which can directly affect the price that you’re able to sell these coins for.
Not only do coins in poor condition holders, whether vintage or modern holders, affect the price that a coin dealer is willing to offer you for your coins, but it also costs a coin dealer time and money. This is because a coin dealer will need to submit these coins to third-party grading companies to be “reholdered” to realize the full value for the coin. Not only is there a “reholdering” fee charged by the third-party grading service, but there’s also a service or handling fee, shipping and insurance to and from the third-party grading service and a delay of up to a couple of months before the coin or coins are returned.
The demand and marketability of certain types of coins can change relatively quickly, so it’s possible that the market may not be as strong as it originally was when the coin dealer first submitted the coin for a replacement holder.
In summary, if you have certified coins in nice clean retail-quality condition, we recommend that you do everything that you can to properly maintain the coins. Even using a rubber band to keep them from shifting and resulting in contact marks can help. If you happen to have coins in cases that aren’t in the greatest shape, realize that you’re not likely to receive the full value for these coins for the reasons discussed above.
Whether you’re in the market to buy or sell certified coins, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers should be your top choice. Reach out to us today for all your buying and selling needs.
