New! Heart Shaped Pandas from the China Mint

I used to have a lot of OMPs but I have whittled down the numbers and I have had a number of unexpected excellent grades from NGC that made me very happy for getting them graded.

It's personal preference but especially for expensive coins and medals graded coins are more predictable buys.

Who wants to buy a $15,000 OMP 1/2oz 1995 gold panda (apart from contracted set builders)?

 

I should follow German forum more often. I think it's still one of the biggest in the world. Might help me improve my German as well.

Noticed in the past that in Germany there are even TV shows. They had live auctions and people were calling to make offers for same coin. If I remember correctly one coin sold for more than you could
get it on eBay.

NGC Europe currently has only "standard" grading tier, no express or something if you want your coins faster, because they ship everything to US in "bulks" and the same amount of coins that was sent to US must return back due to customs.

I think if you do submissions relatively often it gets faster and if you don't fill out all paperwork by hand. It could be still simplified. Printing many forms it's quite annoying work.

 

When theSilverForum was setup I received lots of negative comments about grading. Brits have not been big grading fans at all. Personally i am a big fan of TPG and usually use NGC in Florida. This has become more expensive for us in the UK for sure post BREXIT but I am still a fan of TPG and apart from standard bullion and most Royal Mint Proof Sovereigns I grade things. Grading provides me with a world market and fills buyers with confidence.

I started offering forum members to send me their coins and I would include them with my own for grading and initially the takeup was very small. This weeks submission will have the largest ever number of coins to be submitted by UK and European members. What are the coins that members are submitting to NGC?

2016 Nanjing Pandas including a full set of Antique Medals (30 minted) and also Copper, Brass and Silver Proofs
Sovereigns including 1918-I and Shield Backs
2016 Swan and Mandarin Duck
USA Pre-33
Classical Gardens from 2014 and 2016
UK 1/4oz gold beasts

To me these are ALL great candidates for grading and most forum members should well cover the grading costs even at todays exchange rates.

 

Does anyone ever get concerned about sending in gold or silver to grading companies, and wondering if they slab a fake, and keep the real thing? I've got a couple of gold coins that I'd like to send in for grading, but I'm afraid to. I know, I'm a conspiracy nut case, but am I the only one that wonders about this? The reason I ask is, I know for a fact that NGC recently graded a brass baby panda as a gold baby panda PF70!! Thankfully this guy was honest, but can you imagine if he wasn't? It looked like gold, it was labeled gold, but it wasn't gold, it was brass.

Anyway, I'm not trying to cause people to stay away from NGC, because I use them, and quite frankly, I love slabbed coins. I'm just expressing a concern to see if anyone else thinks crazy thoughts like me. I've thought about getting a verifier to be sure I test and video tape before sending in, and then when I get them back, to do the same to be sure what I have is the real deal. Thoughts.

 

@numistacker: after Brexit you can have a nice trip to Munich (NGC) or Paris (PCGS) with a bag full of coins for grading.

@barsenault: ha! Maybe you are right. Who knows if person slabbing it put inside some good replica. Having addresses of where items are might be good info for some people as well.
Every time I sent something for grading I was monitoring progress daily.
It happens once that I refreshed the page and so completely wrong data entered. It also happened to me that I got unslabbed piece back saying that is too big even if it should fit an Oversize holder.
As they say. Paranoia is only a reality on a finer scale.

 

I don't think they would destroy their business to get a few coins.

You could check your coin with precious metals verifier even in holder.
https://youtu.be/v_6XbbuDc9U?t=1m39s

 

I think what barsenault meant is that some employee could replace it, not that he meant the whole company.

 

I'm too naive in these matters, and have no worries, but not sure what is worse Barsenault lol. Anyway I also got wrong data on sheet during process as you Numistacker, as they had identified a silver medal as plated. I notified them, and they changed it immediately. I wonder if they just took my word for it or actually checked. But being naive I have no worries and anyway I'm sure they were wrong.

 

Yes, an individual employee who is crooked, and they do exist. Takes a real LOOKING (but fake) gold panda as an example, and replaces it for the actual, puts it in his pocket, and presto, you think you have a real gold coin (who checks? Do you? Do you have a verifierier? I don't), but you have the fake in a beautiful slab, and the dude at NGC has the real thing...in his pocket, with a smile on his face. Maybe my mind is too criminal in nature, and I should be more trusting of humanity. LOL.

Me and Andy may need to invest in one of these. . I believe these can test quality and genuineness thru slabs.

 

Seems there are better demand for these than the mcc's. Maybe this is what I should be selling....

 

^^^ LOL. No joke right? That's how concerned people are. I guess if we become a barter world, this will come in handy. LOL.

 

My reseller has it in Singapura. Bob you need one in USA lol.

Sorry if not putting photo and chime in. Busy for the number of my full time job

 

That could also happen at the shop where you get the coins or anywhere in the supply line.. they also use humans.

I don't think we need to worry, but since I do own the verifier, I check all the coins/bars that I get from any source.

No fakes so far.

 

Exactly. I'd rather have on for both trips...from the dealer and from NGC. I'd feel better. @Andy, I need to sell some stuff from the treasure box to buy one. :lol:

 

Hahaha. You are right. Maybe it's better not to talk in public about this. Who knows how many sellers will smell the opportunity.

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You are right. Wanted to add something similar. We never know what happens in some company or with some people. Quite often unsatisfied employees are the biggest risk for the company.

I know we are completely off topic, but it's fun and debate is developing in a polite way.

 

First of all, I appreciate your YouTube videos....I'm a subscriber to your channel. Keep up the good work of inspiring others to numismatics! The importance to the sustainability of numismatics via the inspiration that people like you convey can not be overstated.


I think your comment corroborates my earlier point regarding that if you bring a very practical solution to collectors in the form of a professional, long standing, reasonable cost, quicker turn around service....the customers will come. I think it's only a matter of time that a reputable TPG company will open shop in Europe and likely in Australia.




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Even better would be if Europe has its "own" TPG company. It take years before company gets enough "reputation", but competition has usually more benefits than not.

 

China has many TPG with lower price and better services as compare to China PCGS and NGC. However, the market size is remain the same or growth slowly than supply. It is not easy.

 

That I didn't know. What are the 3 top TPG's in China? What are their websites? I'm just curious.



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Will give you photo of it.