NGC Announces 2024 FUN Grading Contest Winners!
Posted on 1/12/2024
A total of 159 contestants participated in the NGC FUN Grading Contest, hosted by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) at the 69th Florida United Numismatists show in Orlando, Florida, from January 3-7, 2024.
Throughout the contest, contestants showcased their expertise and diverse backgrounds in the field of numismatics. From enthusiasts to industry professionals, participants competed to be recognized as masters in evaluating the condition, rarity and historical significance of coins. The competition provided a spirited celebration of coin appreciation and knowledge, with the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation throughout the event.
The prizes
Contestants competed in three age categories for prizes. For both the Adult (26 and up) and Young Adult (18-25) categories, the first prize was a $300 NGC grading credit, the second prize was a $200 NGC grading credit, and the third prize was a $100 NGC grading credit. The Young Numismatist (13-17) category prizes were cash — $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.
The top 5 finishers in the three categories also received a special NGC “Sample Slab” with a 1987 Proof Washington Quarter from the same year NGC was founded. Additionally, all 159 participants received a special participation “Sample Slab” with a coin from Lithuania.
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The winners
The contest was to see who could most accurately grade 15 coins in 10 minutes. Contestants graded the coins, which were in NGC holders without grades, and then entered their grades on a computer provided by NGC. Contestants earned five points for grading a coin correctly, three points for being within one grade on the Sheldon Scale, and one point for being within two grades.
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In an amazing showing for the future of the hobby, the Young Numismatist category had two of the top three overall finishers. Taking the top spot was 17-year-old newcomer Alex S., with an impressive score of 64 of 75 possible points, which is the highest score ever in an NGC Grading Contest! Alex graded 12 of the 15 coins the same as NGC, and was within two grades on two others. He only missed the final coin, grading it an NGC MS 64 versus the NGC grade of NGC MS 67. After Alex was a 15-year-old, returning 2023 YN victor Trevor K., who earned 59 of 75 points. Trevor graded 10 coins correctly, and earned partial credit on all five of the other coins. Rounding out the YN category was 14-year-old Josh S. who earned 46 of 75 possible points.
Continuing the theme of the younger generation showing their elders how it’s done, 25-year-old Adam E. of the Young Adult category scored the same number of points as Trevor at 56, but earned them differently. He graded seven coins correctly, and eight partially correct. In second in the YAN category was Frank Sawin, 20, who graded eight coins correctly, and was within two grades on six others, earning himself 56 total points. Rounding out the YAN division was Andrew L., who earned 48 points.
Finally, we come to the Adult category. Finishing first in the category, and fourth overall, was Christopher S., who graded eight coins correctly and only missed one of the other seven coins by more than two grades. In second was Don B., who earned 55 of 75 points by grading eight coins correctly and the rest within two grades. Third in the adult category was a tie between Jeffrey S. and Christian R., who each earned a total of 54 points.
Coin #1 - USA - 1859 Indian Head Cent
Not Genuine – The first coin in the contest was in fact a counterfeit! In 1859, the first Indian Head Cents were produced. However, they were struck in copper-nickel, not copper. This coin is far too red to be genuine, and also lacks much of the fine detail. Particularly note that the top of the second “S” in “STATES” is completely missing. This proved to be a difficult counterfeit to identify, as just over 60% of respondents graded this coin as genuine. An average score of 1.9/5 points was earned on this coin. |
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Coin #2 - Germany - 1911-D Bavaria 90th Birthday - 3 Mark
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| NGC MS 64 – This lovely German coin was struck to honor the 90th birthday of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria. Some 640,000 were struck, and this is a typical example. While the coin is clearly uncirculated, there is some rub on the high points, which limits this coin from Gem. This proved to be one of the easiest coins on the test, with an average score of 2.7/5.
Coin #3 - Brazil – 1935 Duke of Caxias 2,000 Reis
NGC MS 67 – This is a simply gorgeous coin with a wonderful design featuring the armored bust of the Duke of Caxias. It is free from any distracting imperfections, and therefore graded as a Superb Gem. Some 71% of participants earned at least one point on this coin, with most earning three for calling it NGC MS 66. On average, two of five points were earned on this coin. |
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Coin #4 - Germany - 1784-A Prussia Thaler
NGC VF 20 – This coin is obviously well-circulated. However, the obverse is deceptively flat. Note the much more impressive amount of detail on the reverse. It appears that the obverse was simply weakly struck, and this coin is in fact Very Fine due to the amount of detail left. However, some 50% of respondents did receive at least one point. On average, the average score was 1.4/5, making this the third-most-difficult coin in the contest. |
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Coin #5 - USA - 1880 Morgan Dollar
NGC MS 61 – This coin is a textbook example of a low Mint State piece. While there is no true wear on the high points, it is very clear that this coin spent a lot of time in a bag with other coins, which has marred its surfaces. Additionally, note the heavy clash in front of Liberty’s neck, which shows that this is in fact a VAM-32A. This coin was of middling difficulty, with an average score of 1.9/5 points. |
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Coin #6 - 1937-B Switzerland 5 Francs
NGC MS 67 – The Swiss really know how to strike a beautifully lustrous coin! This piece is dripping with satin luster. Only a few minor luster grazes hold this piece back from an even more lofty grade. This coin proved to be the easiest of the entire competition, with some 35% of contestants properly guessing the grade. On average, the score for this coin was an impressive 3.1/5 points. |
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Coin #7 - 1862-K France 2 Centimes
NGC MS 63 RB – This is a lovely example of this coin, which still maintains much of its original red color. However, there is some cabinet friction on the high points, and numerous copper spots which hold this piece back from a loftier grade. The most-chosen grade was the correct one for this coin, but on average, only 1.8 of the five possible points were earned. |
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Coin #8 - USA - 1917-S Obverse Mint Mark Half Dollar
Altered – This coin was the second-most-missed one in the competition, although Altered was the most-chosen answer. This coin is around $300 in this grade as a Philadelphia issue with no mintmark, but the San Francisco issue is worth around $5,000! That reason alone is enough to take a good look at the ‘S’ mintmark, which in this case has seemingly been glued onto the coin. This is evidenced by the slight green halo around it. The average score was only 1.1 points out of five, second only to coin #15. |
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Coin #9 - Netherlands Antilles - 1973 25 Gulden
NGC MS 66 – This lovely coin celebrates the 25 years of reign of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. It is an impressive 45mm and is struck in over 42 grams of Sterling Silver. It is quite a nice example, although the toning obscures a bit of scruffiness and some light spotting. On average, contestants earned 2.2/5 points on this coin. |
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Coin #10 - Austria - 1709 Franz Anton 2 Kreuzer
NGC MS 65 – This exquisite coin has an impressive amount of luster considering it was struck on roller dies over 300 years ago! Just a small spot and a few areas of cabinet friction hold this coin back from a higher grade. However, it is still an impressive piece worthy of the Gem grade! The most selected grades were NGC MS 65 and NGC MS 66 (58 total), and Not Genuine or Altered and NGC Details (47 total). Clearly, while some correctly saw this coin as a Gem example, many believed its naturally curved planchet was damage or counterfeit. Overall, the average score on this coin was 1.7/5. |
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Coin #11 - USA - 1901 Proof Morgan Dollar
NGC Details – Here is an unfortunate victim of some sort of damage from a sharp object. What would have been a gorgeous Gem Cameo is reduced to a Proof Details coin. It appears that many people noticed the scratch, as the most common response by far was NGC Details, with 72 responses. This led to the third-highest score of any coin in the contest, with an average of 2.3/5 points being earned. |
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Coin #12 - Great Britain - 1795 Gloucestershire-Brimscomb 1/2 Penny
NGC MS 64 RB – Here’s a lovely example of a British Conder Token. In 18th and 19th century England, there was a shortage of small coinage for everyday transactions. Therefore, private mints stepped in to fill the demand. This piece advertised the Thames and Severn Canal. It still shows much of its original mint luster, but has many marks on its surfaces, leading to the grade. The most common grade given to this coin by contestants was the correct one, with 37 respondents earning the full five points. On average, the score for this coin was 2.2/5. |
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Coin #13 - Egypt - 1980 FAO Pound
NGC PF 69 UC – This was the most modern coin in the entire contest, and it was struck as a Proof exclusively for collectors. Only a few wispy hairlines and some frost breaks hold this coin back from the 70 grade. Still, this coin clearly proved a bit difficult for some contestants, as the average score was only 1.9 out of five points. |
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Coin #14 - India - 1965-(C) 2 Paise - Reverse Die Break
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| NGC MS 62 – This coin was certainly a bit of a curveball, as US collectors are likely not to see too many die breaks this large on US coinage. Some discoloration on the cud, spotting on the obverse, and some hairlines hold this coin back from a higher grade. This was the fourth most-difficult coin in the contest, with only 18 contestants earning top marks. The average score was only 1.4/5 points.
Coin #15-USA - 1915-S Panama-Pacific Octagonal $50
NGC MS 67 - The last coin in this year’s contest was also the most expensive coin ever used in an NGC Grading Contest! In fact, it is worth more than every coin ever used in one of our contests combined! This stunning coin was issued for the 1915 Panama-Pacific exposition, which was held in San Francisco to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. This outstanding example is the highest graded by NGC, and has an NGC Price Guide value of an eye-watering $335,000! It seems many contestants didn’t think that NGC would include such an expensive coin, as over 30% of contestants felt the coin was counterfeit or details. This proved to be the hardest coin to grade in the entire contest, with an average of only one point earned. |
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