Dumbest things to grade...

Out hunting for deals on eBay and I stumbled across this lovely pair. Someone has gone out of their way to grade a pair of 1956 shillings that came out as XF! 1956 is a better date, but the coins are worth at least 10x less than the grading fees.

Have any of you encountered coins like this where it was certainly a really bad decision to get them graded? This seller in particular seems to love grading coins that aren’t worth grading like UK and US pennies from uncirculated sets.

This low grade 1936 buffalo nickel probably isn't worth more than 50 cents but was graded anyway -
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363229771252

And pretty much any modern bullion coin

Mostlikely only a tiny fraction of the usual fee was paid for these though.

Quote: "Idolenz"​Mostlikely only a tiny fraction of the usual fee was paid for these though.

​Could you please explain how could you pay less than the "usual fee" at NGC or PCGS? Just curios. Thanks!

Quote: "iiruig"​

Quote: "Idolenz"​Mostlikely only a tiny fraction of the usual fee was paid for these though.

​​Could you please explain how could you pay less than the "usual fee" at NGC or PCGS? Just curios. Thanks!

​He probably means bulk grading.

I’m not sure how much the bulk discount saves you, but standard NGC grading is $22 if I remember correctly. Definitely not worth it for these common coins.

Someone might have hoped to resell a common coins at a markup to an uninformed buyer because it looks "valuable" with an official slab. I don't know that it would actually manage to work out as a business strategy but it seems like something someone might try.

Alternatively, someone with disposable income and very little knowledge just wanted their whole collection uniformly slabbed regardless of value.

Not even nice examples, plus XF45 American = barely VF to gVF for us which is average and no one wants that staining.

They spent $40 to grade 2 coins worth 10 - 25 cents each!

I’m not sure how much the bulk discount saves you, but standard NGC grading is $22 if I remember correctly. Definitely not worth it for these common coins.

perhaps it was done for a sentimental reason, "the coin my grand-dad gave me for my 5th birthday", or such. I confess I have done as much.

I like coins in ANACS holders, there are many low value coins in ANACS holders on ebay for less than the $19 they charge for economy grading.

I’m not sure how much the bulk discount saves you, but standard NGC grading is $22 if I remember correctly. Definitely not worth it for these common coins.

To make it worth while for bog common cupro nickel shillings, that bulk rate would have to
be about 20cents per coin and no more than 50 cents including holder!


I wouldn't even have any post 1946 British Cupronickel slabbed even like this!

(Okay maybe a 1952 Halfcrown, but that's it)

I don't have links to any particular coins.
But NGC census shows that a fair number of U.S. coins from the past two decades have been graded that were in AU condition (58). I also was looking at dimes and pennies. Not varieties or special commemoratives.

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For us guys on the other side of the world who is best option to have coins slabbed NGC or PCGS

Quote: "muzz0000"​For us guys on the other side of the world who is best option to have coins slabbed NGC or PCGS

​American coins graded by PCGS typically sell for more here in the US, but NGC is usually recommended for world coins (from my experience they are a bit more consistent when grading older world coins)

Thanks for your help