Many numismatists want to protect their collection by putting them in protectors. So even go the extra mile by sending them to get graded and slabbed. There are many grading companies, and here is the history of two arch rival grading companies.�PCGS stands for Professional Coin Grading Service, and was founded in 1985 in California. The company was created by seven coin dealers who wanted to grade coins accurately.� PCGS started in 1986 in California, but there is now locations in Europe and Asia. It is currently� owned by Collectors Universe. PCGS grades and certifies most coins , and the process your coin will go through is grading , authenticating and putting your own in slabs. They also might put First Strike on your slab, meaning it was first struck in a mint. PCGS cannot grade cleaned or doctored coins, but they can be authenticated. Their slabs have safety measures on them, and have all the details about the coin printed on a blue piece of paper located on the top of the slab. Slabbed coins are highly liked and prized by collectors, but just because a coin is slabbed does not mean the coin is better than the same coin "raw". The PCGS also has conducted a census of all the coins the company has graded, and have important information such as Full Bands for the Mercury Dimes they have graded. The census also allows the possibility of seeing how rare certain coins are.��NGC stands for Numismatic Guaranty Company , and was founded by John Albanese in 1987. Albanese also helped found the PCGS and CAC, which stands for Certified Acceptance Corporation, which evaluates U.S coins that are valuable and certified by the PCGS or NGC. NGC moved to Florida, and NGC soon relocated to a 60,000 square foot building. In 2008, NGC started grading ancient coins. NGC was "named" official grading partner of the ANA, but that was purely marketing. A similiar crisis happened in 2004 with PNG. NGC certifies most numismatic items, such as medals, tokens, and coins, and their grading service consists of grading, authentication,� and slabbing. NGC has protection over counterfeiting,� but doesn't verify values. Coin World, a magazine, conducted by year long study of PCGS, ACCGS, NGC, and other grading companies, and figured out that the companies could not agree on a grade. NGC uses the 70 point Sheldon scale, with designations like proof like and cameo. High deemed coins get a plus, and highly attractive coins get a star. Impaired coins do not get a numerical grade. NGC uses Edge View holders for their slabs, and the also have oversize and mega holders. The label denomination and other info, such as the grade.This all the information I have for today, and the PCGS and NGC are one of the many companies you could send your token, medal, coin or ancient coin to get professionally graded, authenticated and slabbed. It is these companies that help us coin collectors protect our most valuable treasures. Thank you for joining me on a ride on the history train to learn about the PCGS and NGC.

Error coins are sought by numismatists frequently; Whether its by looking in your pocket change,� searching the� sidewalk, or just by looking anywhere, people are on constant search for rare coins, or really anything worth more than its face value . Here are five types of error coins people tend to try to find.�A clipped planchet error is an incomplete coin, which is missing some of its metal. These result accidentally when the steel rods used to punch blanks out of a metal strip overlap a portion of already punched out metal.� There is virtually many types of these errors. Coins with more than one single clip are usaully more than those with only one clip.�When an off center strike contains at least two images, it is a multiple strike error. Like the clipped planchet error,� values go higher with more images on one of these error coins. These occur when a finished coin goes back into the coin press and is struck with the dies again. Absence of the date will more often than not decrease the value of these error coins.�A planchet blank or just blank, is another cool error coin.� This is a piece of metal intended to be pressed with dies for a coin, but i stead is just left blank. Ones that contain a rim are worth less than the ones without because the weren't milled to upset the rim.�A defective die error coin is an error that has suffered a die crack or a rim break , and causes a visible piece of raised metal. Coins that have barely noticeable die cracks are worth very very little� or even nothing. For areas on which the die broke away, this produces an unstruck part of a defective die error coin� known as cud.�The last coin i will mention today is the off center error,� which features an off center strike , resulting an areas that are left blank , because thes coins have been struck out of collar and are incorrectly centered,� resulting with part of the design missing. These coin mistakes occur when the p.anchet does not enter the coining press correctly.� Coins that are slightly� ocf center and feature� no missing design are called broadstrikes, which i will talk about in part two of this blog. Going back on the subject, those coins with nearly all of the impression missing are generally worth more, but those with a readable date and mi t are more valueble.�Thank you for reading and I hope you will enjoy part two of this blog.�

Have you ever known the history of those�Indian or Native American People on US Coins, some of which honor people? Join me while I tell you their history.The Indian penny depicts Liberty, who is wearing a traditional Indian headress. The first form featured a laurel wreath and the words ONE CENT on the reverse. This design was changed the next year to an oak wreath, a small shield and the words ONE CENT. Before the issuance of five cent pieces these coins were called 'nickels ' or 'nicks'. When the nickels finally got issued, the new nickname was 'white cents'. In the Civil War, almost all gold, silver coins and eventually copper nickel cents vanished. In large cities, coins about the size of the cent started trickling out of the merchants as a replacement for the cent. The Act of April 22, 1864 made those merchant coins illegal and then the Mint issued a bronze cent. In 1864, a sharper portrait of Longacre's design was edited to include�Longacre's initial, L,� which is located on Liberty's neck. This design lasted from 1864 to 1909 when it was replaced by the Lincoln cent.The Buffalo, Bison or Indian nickel debuted in 1913, and lasted until 1938. In it's first year, there were two designs,� one with the bison on a mound, and one with the base with a straighter, thinner line. James E. Fraser, the designer of this coin, employed three different Native Americans for the Indian in this coin's obsverse design. He based the bison off of 'Black Diamond' from the Central Park Zoo. Always watch for rare Buffalo nickels because a�Buffalo nickel from 1918 from Denver sold for $287,500 because the eight in the date was over a seven. In 2001, the Mint issued a commemorative� silver dollar for the Indian nickel. This commemorative contains the original portrait in finer detail, plus it still contains�James E. Fraser's initial, F, under the date. These were only minted in Denver and in Philadelphia.�Starting in 2022, the US Mint is honoring five women a year for four years, totaling twenty women honored. Their unique designs are placed on the quarter dollar, which bears the design from a George Washington commemorative dollar in 1999.This series is set to end in 2025. Even though we are only one year into the series ,we already have an American woman who was a Native American from the Cherokee tribe. Wilma Mankiller was the first female principal chief in the history of her people, the Cherokee nation . Her title only lasted ten short years, but during her administration she revitalized the Cherokee nation with her ideas of extensive community development, education and health care programs.�Native Americans are one of the strongest backbones in American history. Some of the designs on coins, some of which I have told you about depict Native Americans. Whether it is on a penny, nickel, quarter, or even a silver commemorative dollar, it is always a great time when you collect coins with Native Americans on them, but the time is even better when you know the history behind them.

Helloooooooo numismatic country! I have an update for you. My Easter went like this : Ate at my Grandparents house,� played wiffle ball and had an egg hunt. I got mostly candy but also got some coins. I got a 1957 D and 1949 D Wheat Cent, but I only needed the 1949 D for my book. I also got a 1978 penny which had a pretty good strike on it. I hope you liked my update, even though it had nothing major and hope you had a great Easter!�

For all you YNs , if you have recently submitted a blog for YN dollars, you may receive a 2022 to 2025 holder for historic women in American history,� which� the Hobbyist has mentioned in Coin roll hunting part 3.(It is how I got mine)� It is a small coin folder for 5 new quarter designs,� with one for each year. The quarters will portray Maya Angelou,� Wilma Mankiller and many more,which is in the American Women Quarters collection. Also since this will probably be my last blog for this year,� so I want to wish every numismatists in the ANA a Merry Christmas and a Happy� New Year!��