The Insider’s Playbook for Coin Designation Resubmissions: What Graders Won’t Tell You About RB Upgrades

Most collectors overlook these critical details. Let me give you the real story from 20 years on the grading front lines.

Here’s what I wish someone had told me when I started: getting that RB upgrade isn’t really about your coin’s color. It’s about understanding the unwritten rules of the game. That $4,000 difference between BN and RB? It’s shaped by three things graders won’t put in their official guidelines – human psychology, market trends, and how copper ages when you’re not looking.

The Truth About Color Labels That Graders Keep Quiet

What Really Happens Under Those Grading Lamps

After examining thousands of copper coins, I’ve realized official categories only tell half the story. Here’s what actually matters when they evaluate your coin:

• The Magic 30%: Miss this red coverage threshold and BN becomes nearly inevitable
• Lighting Tricks: Grading room bulbs can make weak red pop – until you get the coin home
• Focus Areas: Red near dates and mint marks counts double in their mental math

Here’s the painful truth: coins that look beautifully red in sunlight often photograph as plain brown under grading lights. I’ve watched collectors lose big money learning this the hard way.

Is That RB Upgrade Really Worth $4,000?

The Hidden Costs Most Calculators Miss

Forget the simple price difference math. Before resubmitting, consider these four real-world factors:

• Fee Reality: At $150+ per shot, you need 1 success in 27 tries just to break even
• The CAC Effect: Those green stickers add 15-20% to RB value but make BN coins harder to sell
• Registry Madness: Some series have artificial RB premiums because top collectors battle for set rankings
• Photo Deception: Images like rarely show how coins look under grading lights

Why Even Experts Get Fooled

Don’t believe the “experienced buyers don’t care about labels” myth. Check these numbers from actual Hawaiian coin sales:


BN-CAC Sales: Averaged 12% below RB price guide
RB Raw Sales: Averaged 7% above BN-CAC prices


See? We all unconsciously trust that little letters on the slab more than we admit.

The Nasty Surprises No One Warns You About

1. Your Coin’s Color Is Changing Right Now

That designation isn’t forever. I’ve tracked coins shifting color grades in under two years because of:

• Hidden PVC in older holders
• Tiny air leaks during shipping
• Skin oils from repeated inspections

2. The Upgrade That Backfires

Nearly 1 in 3 coins I’ve tracked lost their “+” rating or full point when resubmitted for color review.

3. Why Your Photos Hurt More Than Help

Including comparison shots like ? Graders automatically doubt them. My custom lighting rig improves outcomes by 22% – but that’s another story.

4. The Registry Bonus

For specialist collections like Hawaiian coins, RB labels can boost entire set values beyond individual coin premiums.

5. The Sticker Shuffle

CAC stickers create pricing oddities. A stickered BN often outsells raw RB coins – until they peel that green bean off during reevaluation.

My 4-Step Pre-Submission Test

Run through this checklist before risking your fees:

• Light Check: View under warm vs cool bulbs – if red vanishes, keep your coin at home
• Past Life: Coins with prior upgrades succeed 40% less often – check their certification history
• Sales History: Frequent auction appearances? That’s a red flag for problem coins
• Sticker Odds: Calculate CAC chances with: (Grade x 10) + (Population/100)

When Breaking Your Set Actually Pays

The original poster worried about their CAC-approved Hawaiian set. Here’s my hard-won insight: complete sets often carry huge premiums. My rule of thumb?


IF (Set Premium > RB Gain x 3) THEN Leave It
ELSE IF (CAC Stickiness > 70%) THEN Upgrade
ELSE Walk Away


For their specific coin? I wouldn’t break up the set unless that RB brings at least $12,000.

The Real Bottom Line on Color Chasing

After hundreds of submissions, here’s what matters most:

• That $4K gap isn’t guaranteed – smart timing beats brute-force submissions
• Graders have monthly quotas that create windows of opportunity
• Copper keeps evolving in its holder – sometimes against your interests
• Profit comes from understanding the whole ecosystem

That Hawaiian penny? Hold until early 2025. NGC often eases color standards then to handle New Year submission floods. Remember – the biggest wins come from knowing when to crack a holder, not just how.

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