How about different scores for AU's ??

[texascoinhunter-migration]

Well another year has gone by with no results or at least an update as to a possible date that this change will be made.

 

As the originator of this post and member here from the beginning I would like to that NGC for all that they do regarding the registry. I see they have been creating many new sets for all the collectors worldwide and I commend them for this and making this hobby of ours even better.

 

Please let us know about this issue as I believe many of the serious collectors that we have here will be thrilled to know when these changes may occur.

[Max Spiegel]

texascoinhunter (and everyone else),

 

I agree that the current scoring for AU (and lower grades) is flawed because we don't distinguish between, for example, a 50, 53, 55, and 58. As others have noted, it causes an AU53+ to be worth more than an AU58.

 

This should be a pretty easy fix, and I am going to talk to our programmers today about implementing it. I'll keep you posted, but I would expect that within a month you will see expanded scoring for all AU grades (and possibly lower grades, although I don't think having different VG8 and VG10 scores is a priority for anyone).

 

Thanks,

Max

[physics-fan3.14]

I think having VF-20, VF-30, EF-40, and EF-45 scored differently should be implemented also. Any more than that is splitting hairs.

[Desert Gold]

I'm looking forward to seeing this implemented soon. Thanks in advance for your efforts.

[HiHoAudio]

If you ever try and assemble a collection of Newfoundland $2 gold coins you will most likely be dealing with AU coins if you are lucky enough to find them. Same with Netherlands gold ducats from the 1600's and 1700's.

 

A good part of my collection, both US and World, are AU. So I would be happy to see these grades taken seriously in the Registry.

 

They can't all be MS65.

[texascoinhunter-migration]

Any updates coming soon Max?

[Max Spiegel]

It'll be soon, we just have to finish up another project before we can get started on this. I will keep you all posted.

[Desert Gold]

Now that the 2011 registry awards have been announced, will this change be made soon?

[Iowa Silver Baron Bammer]

Hi, I suggested this 3 or 4 years ago. But of course, nothing happens. You're very correct in saying there is quality and cost differences between each level of AU grades.

 

Iowa Silver Baron

[coin928]

I totally agree. I'd love to see this happen.

[TwoKopeiki]

Signed - this would be a great change for both US and World coins.

[Oldtrader3]

I hope this gets some priority soon. My sets are never going to play high up among the deep pocketed collectors on this site but they are what I can humbly do given the realities of living within my means and that is ok. We members have received a lot of promises about conflicting priorities on getting this AU re-scoring task done in past years and it has not been done. Is there some way that we can get a commitment to do this AU reclassification this calendar year? Just wondering? Personally, I may die of old age before this actually happens.

 

When one considers what it going on now within some series, there is serious pricing movement within AU grades in some, even 20th Century issues, like the Walking Liberty half dollars. Let alone certain other issues which are popular here and greatly affected by this category, such as 19th Century gold coins of many issues and dates which are scarce or non existent populations in any grade above AU55. Also, there are (4) grade subdivisions in this category which is a greater number than in some of the other non-MS grading divisions. The number of subdivisions acerbates this issue with AU scoring.

[physics-fan3.14]

OT3, I'm starting to think this isn't a priority at all. My confidence in NGC has been severely shaken by the recent incident, and thus I am highly cynical - but they've been talking about it for 4 years now, and still nothing. So, interpret that how you will....

[Oldtrader3]

Jason, one can only hope that they will finally pull it together someday soon. They did make the commitment without any reservations? I am sure that all of the classic issue gold collectors on this site would be happy to see this implemented as well as some of the newer sets like the Walkers would benefit from the additional degree of separation of the sets.

 

Augustus, maybe you have no interest in this but many on this site do.

[Oldtrader3]

Stacks Bowers and Heritage are all about big collecting money. The only reason that they deal with us at all is to maintain some cash flow from collectors between national $ multimillion auctions.

 

Augustus, The means and method by which they dissolved Bowers, Stacks and ANR a year ago and formed this new megalithic, West Coast, based auction only enterprise to compete with Heritage, convinced me the MBA's took over and plowed the small collector under like so much compost, me included. They absolutely stopped me from buying from them nearly as much as I had for over 45 years through the various Bowers permutations and my dad before me. Oh well, I never thought my collection was in any way important to these guys and they proved me right again!

 

However you know, loyalty only flows one way to these guys and it is cash flow! Customer focus and all that drivel I learned in MBA school is only for the entitled and empowered apparently. I have learned the hard way to stay away from these guys and just switch loyalty to smaller dealers as the pins are rolled over in this hobby.

[Oldtrader3]

I want to keep this declaration of commitment on Max's part on the first page of this topic to remind us all that he has promised to rescore and separate the various AU grades from one another. Maybe by keeping it fresh on this board, it will actually get done some day!

[Max Spiegel]

I've seen the recent posts and this is definitely something we will be doing. Unfortunately it's been on the back burner because of other priorities, but I've asked our programmers to have it done by mid-April. (So that we can make an announcement beforehand in the April NGC eNewsletter.)

 

Thanks again for all the feedback.

[Oldtrader3]

Thank you Max, we have been anticipating this change for a long time!

[Desert Gold]

That's great news!

[Oldtrader3]

I have the feeling that this topic of valuing registry points for AU coins really pertains more collectors of to EAC, classic gold coin coins, selected older type coin collectors and maybe some early WLH's. For most other series, there is not much incentive to break down the four discrete AU grading criteria into separate registry point catagories.

 

Since I have been a gold collector for most of my life and until recently gold coins were my largest collecting focus area. The topic is of interest to me and also quite a few other gold collectors on this site. However, as others have mentioned, many of the classic gold denominations (specific dates and MM's) do not have any or very few mint state coins which even exist in collections and/or have been graded by the TPG's. These coins can vary widely in value and prices can increase exponentially with a one AU grade difference, particularly as they approach condition rarity. The series date span of these coin sets are lengthy, expensive and most collectors just buy a type coin or two instead of collecting a set.

 

I feel quite strongly that this is a focus area of the popular hobby which has been largely ignored by the registries. Too bad because aside from rapidly rising precious metals pricing impact, most of these coins have not kept up with the market in price since 2007 when the last bear market hit gold coin prices. This is particularly true of smaller denomination gold coins because they are less metal pricing sensitive than later date double eagles. Even collector gold eagles in many dates are still selling for close to 2007 prices despite the nearly tripling of gold bullion prices since then. Recently, there is more price volitility.

 

I only hope that NGC realises the importance of this segment of the hobby to the balance of the hobby and considers this in their registry management decisions.

[brg5658]

http://www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?NewsletterNewsArticleID=1614&utm_source=enews&utm_medium=enews&utm_campaign=ngc_enews_4_2012

 

Announcement that this is happening.

[coinman_23885]

It's long overdue in my opinion. I had difficulty grasping how a worn AU50 could be weighted the same as a high grade slider AU58 that could almost pass for MS.

[Desert Gold]

Thanks for your efforts to make this happen. It is appreciated.

[Oldtrader3]

I notive that the scores for AU and XF classic coins have been adjusted in registry sets. I just want to say, thank you for being responsive to the growing needs and requests of your collector base customers and I feel that this is a a very positive first step in equalizing an issue that his been bothering many classics collectors like myself for years. This significant change is most welcome and makes me feel more relevant to the entire registry process and its purpose for the first time in ten years of membership. Thank you again and I guess this validates my loyalty to this registry as the place for small but serious collectors like me..