Tips on Using PCGS CoinFacts #11 – ValueView

Quick... you're in a coin shop, at a coin show, or sitting in an auction, and you need to find out what a coin is worth. What do you do? Unless you're lugging a price guide, a PCGS Population Report, and an Auction Prices Realized (APR) book (which doesn't exist anyway), you'd be at a loss for what to pay for a coin, or what to ask for yours.

The perfect solution for your dilemma is PCGS Value View, an integral part of your PCGS CoinFacts subscription. Whether you're on a personal computer, an iPad, or your smartphone, PCGS ValueView is ready to serve.

On PCGS CoinFacts, ValueView shows up on every page. Say you're looking for information on a 1793 Half Cent. Simply navigate to that page or enter the PCGS coin number if you know it (in this case, 1000). The Value-View section for the 1793 Half Cent starts out with the grade F15 centered on the top of the section (other coins may start out at a different grade, based on the most useful grade for that coin). In F15, the PCGS Price Guide shows a value of $11,500, a PCGS Population of 38, five listings for the most recent APR for PCGS-graded coins, and three APRs for NGC-graded coins.

If you need information for other grades, simply slide to the left or the right until you find the appropriate grade. Each of the headers in the ValueView section is an active link that will take you to more extensive information. For example, clicking on the "Price Guide" link takes you to information on not just 1793 Half Cents, but every other date in the Liberty Cap series, as well.

To obtain the same information on your smartphone, you can access PCGS CoinFacts using the CoinFacts app or by going to m.pcgscoinfacts.com. Once again, simply navigate to the page for 1793 Half Cents or enter PCGS #1000. Click the "View by Grade" link, then select the grade you seek, and the ValueView information pops up automatically. The information is identical to that on a personal computer except that only three APRs are listed for PCGS- and NGC-graded coins because of space considerations, and the section headers are no longer links. To move to another coin, click on the search icon at the top of the page, and enter a new PCGS coin number or enter a new search term.

To learn how powerful and useful PCGS ValueView can be, check out a variety of different coins. The next time you need this information, you'll know how to get to it quickly.