At Auction, Which Adds a Bigger Premium, a CAC Bean or a PCGS Plus? — Welcome to the CAC Educational Forum

At Auction, Which Adds a Bigger Premium, a CAC Bean or a PCGS Plus?

I suspect that a CAC sticker does unless Registry Set nuts are competing (remember that MS68+ 1938-S dime that realized $364,250 despite its mere $4,750 PCGS Price Guide value for MS68. I doubt that the CAC bean meant much in that case). Ironically, CAC ignores the Plus during their evaluations.

My retail buyers are not as impressed with NGC's Plus, possibly because NGC's Registry Set program is not as popular.
«13

Comments

  • It would vary based on the individual scenario and collector from what I have read. @Winesteven likes to get a plus grade coin where he can so he may pay more for a 65+ CAC coin than a 65 CAC of the same coin. I have a hard rule that I won’t pay more for the same coin that is CAC if it has a +. For me, the CAC is ‘plus enough’.
  • I will only look at coins that have CAC so for me the 65CAC is better than a 65No-CAC.
  • Easy, The CAC coin brings the bigger premium.
  • Legend said:

    Easy, The CAC coin brings the bigger premium.

    It’s not nearly that easy and there’s no correct standard answer. As just one example, if there’s a large value spread for a coin grading MS66 vs.MS65, a 65+ could easily bring more than a CAC 65.
  • From what I’ve seen the CAC typically brings more then a plus. As it should in my opinion.
  • MarkFeld said:

    Legend said:

    Easy, The CAC coin brings the bigger premium.

    It’s not nearly that easy and there’s no correct standard answer. As just one example, if there’s a large value spread for a coin grading MS66 vs.MS65, a 65+ could easily bring more than a CAC 65.
    Well said. But on average (as I should have qualified in my OP), if you had to choose, I believe that even you would likely pick CAC. APR's do not lie.
  • Have to agree with having a CAC sticker drives higher premiums in my experience. Many collectors put together all CAC sets. I am not aware of anyone doing all plus sets. I realize not everyone does sets, so type coins could be an exception, but I still believe CAC demands higher premiums from what I see.
  • This might be a silly comment / question but does having a 63 / 63 + CAC bring more $$$ than a 64 non CAC coin?

     I’ve wondered at times if having a lower grade but CACed on some coins being better than non CAC next grade up .
  • edited September 2022
    It’s tough to make generalizations, as one can easily provide real world examples making either point.

    With that said, here’s a generalization that I believe is pretty true — coins graded 64 and lower will have a higher market value in the whole grade number with a CAC compared to the plus grade without the CAC. However, “in my world”, which in general is mostly 65 and 66 grade coins, a plus grade without a CAC is usually valued higher that a whole grade with a CAC.

    Regarding plus grades with CAC’s: while it’s absolutely true that CAC ignores plus grades (that is, a CAC on a plus graded coin only means that CAC feels it’s solid only for that whole grade number), there’s absolutely no doubt “the market” values plus grades with CAC’s higher than that whole grade with a CAC, and often times quite significantly! That doesn’t mean YOU have to value it that way, and no one forces people to buy those coins, but that’s a reality. I just had my 1918 SLQ get upgraded from 66FH to 66+FH, and for just $5 it’ll automatically get its CAC sticker reapplied. About two weeks earlier my 1866 Two Cent Piece graded 66RD was also upgraded, to 66+RD, all with CAC’s. I’ll award a “Kudo” to the first person who posts an approximation as to the market value increases of these real world most recent increases to my collection. Take a look at the differential in the PCGS Price Guide values (yes, it’s only a guide).

    Steve
  • I would guess that generally speaking the CAC coin brings a larger premium. I am thinking about gold and early gold especially. Nothing scientific, just experience and gut.
  • I would guess that generally speaking the CAC coin brings a larger premium. I am thinking about gold and early gold especially. Nothing scientific, just experience and gut.

    You are quite correct, as CAC is VERY tough on gold coins, presumably due to “surface issues” (I think). As such, I believe in general a much lower percentage of graded gold coins have CAC stickers than silver or copper coins. That’s why gold coins with CAC’s in a whole grade are often valued higher than coins with a plus but no CAC sticker.

    Steve
  • It's like flight insurance. Maybe not needed, but a sensible precaution.
  • If the + grade results in a top pop in a competive PCGS registry set. The + coin will bring more $'s than no + with cac.
  • gschwenk said:

    If the + grade results in a top pop in a competive PCGS registry set. The + coin will bring more $'s than no + with cac.

    I agree, but my sense is the question posed was referring to more generic situations, and not to when a plus grade results in a top pop.

    Steve
  • gschwenk said:

    If the + grade results in a top pop in a competive PCGS registry set. The + coin will bring more $'s than no + with cac.

    The plus-grade coin wouldn't even need to be a top pop if the premium/price guide price were sufficiently higher than that of the non-plus grade.
  • As I noted in my initial reply to this post, the answer is really grade dependent. As I indicated, as a generalization, with lower grades, a coin in a whole grade with a CAC can often be valued higher than the plus grade without a CAC, but in higher grades, quite often the plus grade without a CAC sticker will be valued higher than a coin in just the whole grade with a CAC.

    Steve
  • As I noted in my initial reply to this post, the answer is really grade dependent. As I indicated, as a generalization, with lower grades, a coin in a whole grade with a CAC can often be valued higher than the plus grade without a CAC, but in higher grades, quite often the plus grade without a CAC sticker will be valued higher than a coin in just the whole grade with a CAC.

    Steve

    Agreed and while this isn't aimed at the thread's originator in particular, I think quite a few people have gotten carried away, trying to make generalizations about such comparisons. Can't we give more consideration to the actual coins?!!
  • Agreed (I guess I’m the guilty one making generalizations, lol).

    Steve
  • Agreed (I guess I’m the guilty one making generalizations, lol).

    Steve

    Not really, Steve - at least you indicated that "the answer is really grade dependent," instead of making a sweeping generalization.
  • As I noted in my initial reply to this post, the answer is really grade dependent. As I indicated, as a generalization, with lower grades, a coin in a whole grade with a CAC can often be valued higher than the plus grade without a CAC, but in higher grades, quite often the plus grade without a CAC sticker will be valued higher than a coin in just the whole grade with a CAC. Steve
    I am not sure this makes sense as higher graded coins are expensive and the buyer needs to be assured of the technical quality and lack of problems like putty pvc surface issues etc. A plus grade is just an opinion of its ranking for the grade and can be more subjective. CAC sticker is already saying the coin is solid or high for the grade. If I am buying a $20,000 coin CAC is a must, a plus is an add on for me. 
Sign In or Register to comment.