Coin Videos

This video highlights the thorough process a coin must go through to be graded by the Professional Coin Grading Service, more commonly known as PCGS. The grading service was started in 1986 and has since graded millions of coins with a declared value in the multiple billions.

While the video moves along quite rapidly, all of the steps to their grading are represented.

As per the video, major steps involved are:

• Coin Receiving - coins are itemized, logged into the system and routed depending on the service requested for the coin
• Owner Identity Removal - coins are given individual numbers and any identifying information is removed to prevent the graders from knowing whose coins they are grading
• Stickering - each coin flip is labeled individually to identify it, but no ownership information is used
• Grading - this involves determining the coins authenticity, insuring no alterations were made to the coin and finally grading. Once the first grader completes this process, the order is passed to a second grader who goes through the same steps. Each grader is unaware of what the other's opinion of the coin is until they have both entered their information into a computer. If they both graded the coin the same, the coin moves on to the next step. If they differed on their grade, it is given to a third person to break the tie
• Slabbing - once graded, the coin is slabbed along with a PCGS identifying label and sonic-sealed to prevent tampering
• Verification - the sealed coins are sent back to the graders for a final quality check which checks for accuracy and consistency
• Mechanical Verification - each order is compared to the original submission form to insure all is correct
• Shipping - Coins are boxed up and and email is sent with grades and shipping information

As you can see, the process is quite thorough. Many collectors may want to peruse through their coins and determine if a grading service could be of value to them.

Resources

• Professional Coin Grading Service