What Are Slabbed Coins? (Hint: They’re Highly Sought After, Often Expensive, And Frequently Rare Coins)

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Joshua

Coin Collecting 101, Hobbies & Crafts

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Have you ever heard of slabbed coins?

A lot of people hear about them, but may not know exactly what they are…

  • Is it a coin stuck in a good old hunk of concrete?
  • Is it a coin slathered in a block of butter?
  • Is it a coin seared in a nice Porterhouse steak?

Sounds silly perhaps… But unless you’re a numismatist who knows coin collecting terms, you are forgiven if those images initially ran through your head!

What are slabbed coins? Find out here why slabbed coins are considered "a safe buy".

The Meaning Of Slabbed Coins

Slabbed coins, in coin-collecting terminology, refers to coins sealed in clear plastic containers bearing the opinions of professionals working at a coin-grading service relating to authenticity and condition.

Slabbed coins are highly sought after and often controversial.

Slabbed coins are often expensive, high-grade, rare coins. They are the type of coin many of the serious big-spending collectors and investors go after.

The reason slabbed coins are so sought after by some is the fact that they represent a ‘safe’ buy.

When buying slabbed coin, the buyer knows that the coin is authentic and accurately graded (usually).

You can buy such coins with a high degree of confidence — even in sight-unseen transactions like mail-order and online auctions.

Here are some great tips to help you sell your coins… and the best time to sell coins!

Top 4 Slabbed Coin Grading Companies

Third-party coin graders (which are the independent firms that do the coin grading and the slabbing) have been around now for a few decades — and some have built pretty good reputations.

The top coin grading service companies that grade and slab coins are:

Each service has separate submission policies, and some do not allow private individuals who are not coin professionals to submit coins directly to them. So be sure to check out each company’s policy to see which one is best for you.

Coin grading services generally range from $10 to $30 per coin — and some may not encapsulate your coin if it is cleaned, damaged, or otherwise deemed unfit for slabbing. They do, however, grade coins in all wear-based states of preservation, including low ball coins.

Here’s how to get your coin professionally graded by PCGS.

The Grading Of Slabbed Coins Varies

slabbed-coin

Third-party coin grading, however, is not perfect — nor is it foolproof.

Some people say that certain companies have conservative grading standards (grading lower than some think a coin deserves) and believe others have looser standards (assigning a grade that seems a little too flattering to a coin).

Some coins will be graded by a company, broken out of its slab, and later resubmitted to the same company only to receive a higher or lower grade than first assigned.

It is also highly common for some coins to be broken out of one company’s slab and then be resubmitted elsewhere — in the hopes of it receiving a higher grade.

Sometimes the coin does receive a higher grade. Or it might get a lower grade. Or it may receive the same grade.

Some unscrupulous individuals have even tried to tamper with these coin holders to alter the coins inside, and then trade them out before selling them.

These are the 10 greatest myths about slabbed coins.

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26 thoughts on “What Are Slabbed Coins? (Hint: They’re Highly Sought After, Often Expensive, And Frequently Rare Coins)”

  1. I have a few coin errors that I’ve come across over the years and held onto. I collect stamps, not coins, but I pay attention to possible errors. I don’t know how to go about evaluating these. I don’t want to spend $30 to send a coin out to be graded and slabbed if it is only worth a buck or two. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi, John –

      Thanks for your question; yes, generally many errors are worth more than a few bucks, but knowing which are which can be a challenge. Generally, the more dramatic the error, the more valuable the coin. For example, a mule coin (on which two separate designs from two different coins appear on the same coin) can command upwards of $1,000, whereas a coin that is struck 10 percent off center may be worth $3 to $5.

      Any coins you’re curious about, please post images of here, and we’ll try to help on a coin-by-coin basis.

      Thanks!

      Reply

  2. Joshua, I have a 2012 lincoln head penny in mint (Uncirculated) condition on both sides, but the obverse side has a circular mark 3 quarters of the way around the penny, like it was going to be struck again but stopped. Was this done by the machine or by someone or something else. Is this an error?
    thanks …Carl C.

    Reply

    • Hi, Carl –

      It’s hard to say without seeing your coin the exact source or cause of the circular mar, though I’ve seen many Lincoln cents with these marks and they’re often caused by poor handling at the U.S. Mint.

      Reply

  3. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6da8517999c645638dc7cc873b84d15ac49a34fd9c3f5f8529c0bb31fd32591d.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/15aa458705d0d832d57bb7151083ff06bb19ef0900d29e5999e0a7c3fc2225ed.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c54c41c9c30ea3fdfc86a81a188b23e8d32f523654e34dcc171ed2b4c44dcd9a.png I have a question, I have 2 2002 D pennies. One of them has silver showing under the copper. The other one is very different. Can someone please tell me if they are on different planchets? Thank you in advance.
    Tracy

    Reply

  6. Hello, Alex —

    It looks like you have a circulated 1923 Peace dollar (its mintmark, if it has one, is on the reverse under the “N” in “ONE”). This classic coin is worth approximately $15 to $17 in this condition.

    Nice find!
    Josh

    Reply

  7. Hi Joshua! Can you please tell me if this coin has value? There are a lot of errors here – bumps, depressions, uneven edges at the perimeter, fuzzy images, etc. at both sides! Look at the letter D in UNITED! If this is a valuable coin, how to start the gradation, evaluation and sale procedure. Thanks a lot in advance. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/483d88a5aaeffbcecc7caa9a1f07cf782527f89cc7bd616fea76aeef11cd41a8.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d239799498ef6ea27577b2e82ed8f0e06c3bcdf399bcb001fa349fa7fef7918.jpg

    Reply

    • Hi, Juanita —

      Unfortunately this quarter has significant wear and heavy post-mint damage. It is worth its face value.

      Best,
      Josh

      Reply

    • Hello, Juanita —

      The image is a little fuzzy as I blow it up to view it better, but the sword seems to have the normal definition, if worn. You’re asking about a line above the sword? I don’t see a line above the sword on my end… How high above the sword are you talking?

      Thanks,
      Josh

      Reply

  10. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fdb98c4b2c7828904827f8ccf44fd660ab45796dfb0d55662e0803fb50fb7627.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd887f196bb871785f2af5d092d3afc2762444c45ca3acd229a2e738fca4f9ec.jpg

    Any advice on this little beauty I got from my mother’s estate? It is accompanied by a note dated in the 1950’s about it’s origin and the great, great ancestor who has passed it down.

    Seems like it’s well taken care of with very little wear. I doubt it’s been dipped or cleaned but I’m hardly an expert.

    Reply

    • Hello!

      What a beautiful Liberty Head double eagle! We do not provide grading or authentication here (this is best done with an in-hand evaluation of the coin). However, an uncleaned 1863-S $20 gold coin with moderate to light circulation wear is worth $2,300 to $3,000. Given what APPEARS to be high reflectivity on the surfaces (which shouldn’t really be there if the coin is worn, and the design appears to have some light wear on the hairlines and feathers), this coin may have been cleaned or polished. Again, though, it would take an in-hand evaluation to ascertain this.

      My advice would be to take this to a local professional coin dealer for a further in-hand evaluation. Here’s more info on locating a reputable coin dealer: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/coin_dealer/

      If you want to get the coin graded, I’d suggest submitting it to a third-party coin grader, which we have more info on here: https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/slabbed_coins/

      Best wishes,
      Josh

      Reply

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