By Scott Purvis for CoinLink

NGC announced in a From the Grading Room article  that it has graded a “previously unreported” Matte Proof 1925-S California Half Dollar.

In 1925, California celebrated its diamond jubilee as a State in the Union. It was California’s gold rush of 1849 that assured its statehood in 1850. On the occasion of this 75th anniversary of its admission Congress authorized a special half dollar to commemorate the event .

The obverse features a “Forty-Niner”, as these gold hunters were known, panning for gold. The coin’s reverse displays the image of a fearsome looking grizzly hear. In 1953, the bear was adopted as the state’s official animal. The coin was designed by California artist Jo Mora.

The California half dollar had an authorized mintage of 300,000. A number approaching 150,000 were produced, and more than 60,000 were later melted, leaving a net mintage of 86,594. The coin has an extremely high relief design and sharp detail, and it sometimes comes with a semi-prooflike surface on the obverse.

However proofs are a different matter.

 As NGC Sates: “Matte proof commemorative half dollars were specially prepared for presentation although in most cases very little documentation exists to illuminate their true purpose. The design, rim, and notably the legends on this coin are very crisply struck, much more so than on a business-strike example of the issue. Inherent of proof coinage of this type, it does not possess reflective luster; rather the entire design has a very uniform appearance. Matte proofs allowed designers to showcase the design elements of the coin, and were “fashionable” during the early Twentieth Century. “

Interestingly, Q David Bowers in his book Commemorative Coins of the United States; A Complete Encyclopedia, makes no mention of the existance of any Matte Proof 1925-S California Half Dollars. He does state that “Matte Proofs were struck of certain early (1892-1954 era) commemoratives…. the best documented being the 50 or so 1928 Hawaiian Half dollars” however he cautions that “numerous questionable ‘Matte Proof’ Half Dollars have been made outside of the Mint by pickling or sandblasting normal business strikes” (more…)

By Paul Gilkes for COIN WORLD

In 1949, Dr. William H. Sheldon introduced the numismatic term “condition census” in his book Early American Cents, later renamed Penny Whimsy.

Condition census, according to Sheldon, denoted the finest example and average condition of the next five finest known of a given variety of large cents dated from 1793 through 1814.

Catalogers have gradually extended the use of condition census to other U.S. coin series. According to numismatic writer Q. David Bowers, the term has been used indiscriminately, sometimes to describe any coin that was in a particularly high grade category for its variety, regardless of how many others might share that category.

Growing from the condition census concept are the set registries for certified coins initiated by Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Corp. at the end of the 20th century.

The set registry concept was the brainchild of PCGS co-founder David Hall, currently the president of Collectors Universe, PCGS’s parent company. It began when Hall published in 1998 a printed booklet providing lists of the finest PCGS-certified coin collections and almost complete collections by denomination.

BJ Searls, the PCGS Set Registry manager, launched the registry online in February 2001. NGC followed suit in August 2001 with the NGC Registry.

Read Full CoinWorld Article Here

Noted numismatic authority Maurice Rosen interviewed John Albanese. The following interview appeared in the Rosen Numismatic Advisory Newsletter (Vol. 33 No. 4) in May 2008.

A grading service grading other services’ coins? What’s going on?

You’ve heard about CAC [CERTIFIED ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION]. They’re the ones affixing labels or stickers to already slabbed coins attesting to the “premium quality” of the encased going – a sort of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. We all know that the variance in quality among slabbed coins of the same issue and grade can be substantial. If the grading services properly anticipated – and provided for – the growing problem of “C” and “D-quality” coins, there would be no need for CAC. For sure, no two coins are alike and grading is an art not a science. Unfortunately, after 22-years of grading, and after tens of millions of coins have entered the marketplace, the advertised solutions that the grading services promised to us have yet to be fully delivered.

The problem? The “bottom-of-the-barrel” coins have been dragging down the market for the solid-for-the-grade coins. The sight-unseen bidding system recognizes the ugly truth that the worst coins in holders might be put to a dealer forced to pay his bid. His defense? Lower his bids to provide for that contingency. Sight-seen bidding, on the other hand, permits the bidder the option of first viewing the coin to determine if he is satisfied with it – with no obligation to buy the coin.

As time went on, as the nice coins have been squirreled away by savvy collectors, investors and dealers, the bottom-dwellers took on a growing presence in the market. Their ranks have also been bloated by successful crack-outs, the resubmission of coins to the same or another service with the hopes of receiving a higher grade.

Read the Full Interview at the CAC Website Here