Variability and patterns of grading by four main grading services
logger7
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How would you characterize the grading standards among PCGS vs. NGC, Anacs and ICG? There are the standards in the various denominations, from cents, through the copper nickel denominations to silver coins, from half dimes through dollars. Then we have the various gold denominations up to $20 gold coins. How would you characterize how each of the services grades compared to the others on each of these series? Is PCGS consistantly strict on each series or have you seen NGC, Anacs or ICG peculiar in how it grades the various series? Have you seen upgrades to PCGS from the other services?
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Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I can only speak to my experience with Late Date Large Cents....PCGS currently uses MS 62 as its lowest grade uncirculated....any that show up 61 or 60 in the pop reports are rattlers or OGH. NGC uses MS 61 as its base uncirculated grade. An NGC MS61 will cross at AU58 for PCGS. For grades 62,63 and 64 it is very coin specific. I am currently debating buying a nice NGC MS64 CAC that I am 90% sure would cross at 64. NGC MS 65 and 66 ..especially 66 seems loose. Expect to cross 1 point lower or worse. I don't fool around with ANACS or ICG....I would consider buying error coins in ANACS or ICG since for the most part they are not so grade dependent. You just need authenticity and descriptions of the error to be accurate. I believe both ANACS and ICG can do this at a fraction of the cost at PCGS or NGC. I hope this helps.
As seasoned dealers have pointed out, PCGS on the money graded high end coins is usually strict. On the lesser value coins NGC and PCGS are usually close. Anacs can be tight on coins they see a lot of, especially Morgan and Peace dollars. ICG tends to be conservative on early and large cents and other series they don't get many submissions on. Either they like a coin or hate it. Among top numismatists there is a high coefficient of agreement.