Definition: A crack-out coin is a coin that has been "cracked out," or removed, from a grading service holder. The grading services put the coins in hard plastic tamper-proof capsules called "slabs" when the coin is graded and authenticated. Sometimes people feel that the grade the coin received is too low, so they remove the coin from the slab, which can only be done by actually cracking open the plastic case, and then they resubmit the coin hoping for a better grade next time.
Examples: People who crack open the grading service holders to resubmit the coins for a higher grade are said to be "playing the crack-out game."
