Here are the preliminary results from the first round of the PCGS World Series of Rare Coin Grading. There were 34 people who participated in the first round, including 16 dealers and 18 collectors. In the dealers division, out of a possible perfect score of 100, the scores ranged from a high of 77, to a low of 52. In the collectors division, the scores ranged from a high of 65.5, to a low of 16.5. In scoring the results, I noticed that the big difference between the dealers and the collectors was when a dealer missed he usually missed by only one grade, while the collectors often missed by two or more grades. The collectors also tended to grade a lot more conservatively than the dealers.
The top winners of the dealer division were Steve Slater (77) and Chris Napolitano (75), both of whom have earned a spot in the final round of the World Series and a chance at the $5,000 first prize. The two runners-up were Andy Lustig (74.5) and Jason Carter (73), both of whom are now alive as possible "wild card" entrants in the finals. The two winners of the collectors division were Matthew Kleinsteuber (65.5) and Jon Sullivan (60.) The two runners-up in the collectors division were Mark Kever (59) Richard Hennessy (56.) Note that all of these results are preliminary and must be verified, i.e. we want to make sure that everyone competing in the collector division was a collector and not a dealer, we want to triple check the score calculations, etc.
Here are the 40 coins used in the test along with the PCGS grades:
| # | Coin | PCGS Grade |
| 1 | 2003 10C | PR70DCAM |
| 2 | 1941 50C | MS66 |
| 3 | California 50C | MS65 |
| 4 | York 50C | MS67 |
| 5 | 1904 $20 | MS64 |
| 6 | 1939-D 1C | MS67RD |
| 7 | 1885-O $1 | MS62 |
| 8 | 1795 50C | VF25 |
| 9 | 1961 25C | PR64 |
| 10 | 1883-CC $1 | MS65 |
| 11 | 1924 $20 | MS64 |
| 12 | 1942 10C | Altered surfaces |
| 13 | 1923-D $20 | MS66 |
| 14 | 1927-D $20 | Counterfeit (Added D) |
| 15 | 1998 Silver Eagle | PR69DCAM |
| 16 | 1913 50C | PR66CAM |
| 17 | 1885-S $1 | MS64 |
| 18 | 1882-O $1 | AG03 |
| 19 | 1882-CC $1 | MS66 |
| 20 | 1937-S 5C | MS65 |
| 21 | 1941 10C | PR65 |
| 22 | 1941-D 50C | MS67 |
| 23 | 1885 $1 | MS66 |
| 24 | 1909 Indian 1C | MS65RD |
| 25 | 1914-S $20 | MS63 |
| 26 | 1928 $20 | MS65 |
| 27 | 1884-O $1 | MS63 |
| 28 | 1912 25C | MS65 |
| 29 | 1882-S $1 | MS63 |
| 30 | 1923 $1 | MS64 |
| 31 | 1943-S 1C | MS67 |
| 32 | 1907 5C | MS65 |
| 33 | 1887 $1 | MS64 |
| 34 | 1885 $1 | AU55 |
| 35 | 1897 50C | PR67DCAM |
| 36 | 1942 50C | PR66 |
| 37 | 1941-S 10C | MS67FB |
| 38 | 1936 5C | MS66 |
| 39 | 1879-S $1 | MS67 |
| 40 | 1904 $20 | MS63 |
Here are the grades and results of the two highest scorers in the first round, dealers Steve Slater (77 out of 100) and Chris Napolitano (75 out of 100):
| # | Coin | PCGS Grade | Slater Grade | Score | Napolitano Grade | Score |
| 1 | 2003 10C | PR70DCAM | PR69DCAM | -1.0 | PF69DCAM | -1.0 |
| 2 | 1941 50C | MS66 | MS65 | -1.0 | MS65 | -1.0 |
| 3 | California 50C | MS65 | MS65 | | MS64 | -1.0 |
| 4 | York 50C | MS67 | MS67 | | MS66 | -1.0 |
| 5 | 1904 $20 | MS64 | MS64 | | MS64 | |
| 6 | 1939-D 1C | MS67RD | MS67RD | | MS66RD | -1.0 |
| 7 | 1885-O $1 | MS62 | MS63 | -1.0 | MS63 | -1.0 |
| 8 | 1795 50C | VF25 | VF30 | -1.0 | VF20 | -1.0 |
| 9 | 1961 25C | PR64 | PR64 | | PF67 | -2.5 |
| 10 | 1883-CC $1 | MS65 | MS65 | | MS64 | -1.0 |
| 11 | 1924 $20 | MS64 | MS64 | | MS64 | |
| 12 | 1942 10C | Altered surfaces | PR64CAM | -1.5 | Altered Surfaces | |
| 13 | 1923-D $20 | MS66 | MS66 | | MS66 | |
| 14 | 1927-D $20 | Counterfeit | Counterfeit | | Counterfeit | |
| 15 | 1998 Silver Eagle | PR69DCAM | PR69DCAM | | PF70DCAM | -1.0 |
| 16 | 1913 50C | PR66CAM | PR66CAM | | PF65CAM | -1.0 |
| 17 | 1885-S $1 | MS64 | MS64 | | MS64 | |
| 18 | 1882-O $1 | AG03 | G04 | -1.0 | AG3 | |
| 19 | 1882-CC $1 | MS66 | MS66 | | MS65 | -1.0 |
| 20 | 1937-S 5C | MS65 | MS65 | | Cleaned | -1.5 |
| 21 | 1941 10C | PR65 | PR66 | -1.0 | PR64 | -1.0 |
| 22 | 1941-D 50C | MS67 | MS66 | -1.0 | MS67 | |
| 23 | 1885 $1 | MS66 | MS67 | -1.0 | MS66 | |
| 24 | 1909 Indian 1C | MS65RD | MS65RD | | MS65RD | |
| 25 | 1914-S $20 | MS63 | MS65 | -2.5 | MS66 | -2.5 |
| 26 | 1928 $20 | MS65 | MS65 | | MS65 | |
| 27 | 1884-O $1 | MS63 | MS64 | -1.0 | MS64 | -1.0 |
| 28 | 1912 25C | MS65 | MS65 | | MS65 | |
| 29 | 1882-S $1 | MS63 | MS64 | -1.0 | MS64 | -1.0 |
| 30 | 1923 $1 | MS64 | MS65 | -1.0 | MS64 | |
| 31 | 1943-S 1C | MS67 | MS66 | -1.0 | MS67 | |
| 32 | 1907 5C | MS65 | MS66 | -1.0 | MS66 | -1.0 |
| 33 | 1887 $1 | MS64 | MS65 | -1.0 | MS64 | |
| 34 | 1885 $1 | AU55 | MS60 | -2.5 | AU55 | |
| 35 | 1897 50C | PR67DCAM | PR67DCAM | | PF67CAM | -1.5 |
| 36 | 1942 50C | PR66 | PR67 | -1.0 | PF65 | -1.0 |
| 37 | 1941-S 10C | MS67FB | MS67FB | | MS67FB | |
| 38 | 1936 5C | MS66 | MS66 | | MS66 | |
| 39 | 1879-S $1 | MS67 | MS67PL | -1.5 | MS67 | |
| 40 | 1904 $20 | MS63 | MS63 | | MS62 | -1.0 |
Collectors and dealers can sign up for the next round of competition, January 29 - January 31, during the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo. There is a $50 entry fee, and you must make a reservation to take the 40-coin grading test. Sign up at the PCGS Booth, or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
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