PCGS is being paid fees to grade the coins and say where they came from. Proof had to be provided back when they were first slabbed. There are always people that will take advantage of a bad situation and that is one problem our system (free market) has. The reason the country is in so much trouble now is the greedy bankers and a good number of the rich that took advantage of people trying to better themselves but were not earning enough money. Anyone that pays $500 for such a coin is going to get burned in the long run. Fools are soon parted from their money. This is another get rich quick scheme that is all. It is like paying $10 for a gold plated state quarter that has only a few cents worth of gold on it. Items like that are souvenirs not investment items for they have a poor record when it comes to resale.