Differences in grading companies

easttexascardsandgames

What are the differences in the major coin grading companies?? Which ones do you avoid at all cost and which ones are very close?

I am used to sportscards so I know the various companies there, but came into several coins through an inheritance some of these I feel need to be graded professionaly

K6AZ

Well, if you have been into sportscards, you already know of one company to avoid.

lordmarcovan

Here's how I rate 'em, in order of preference.

Top tier:

PCGS
NGC

Second tier:

ANACS
PCI (old green labels)
ICG

Third tier:

SEGS
PCI (newer gold labels)

Fuhgeddaboutits (the ones I would rather bust out and have raw):

ACG
NTC
TruGrade

Anybody else: I consider it to be a raw coin.

easttexascardsandgames

Well, if you have been into sportscards, you already know of one company to avoid

PRO grades coins as well??

K6AZ

<< <i>Well, if you have been into sportscards, you already know of one company to avoid

PRO grades coins as well?? >>



Nope. Go over to the card board and ask who does the worst grading in the business, then go to their website to find out who they are in the coin grading business.

grip

came into several coins through an inheritance some of these I feel need to be graded professionaly >>

.
Post them here,you may save some fees.

..............
Al

nwcs

I place more trust in PCGS and NGC than the others. I have some trust in ANACS. The others, in my opinion, grade no more consistently than I do.

JadeRareCoin

My advice is to use PCGS for your grading needs.

BigGreek

<< <i>My advice is to use PCGS for your grading needs. >>



PCGS is the gold standard. They make the fewest mistakes
and have the toughest standards. You'll often hear people
say a given PCGS coin is undergraded.

I'd rate NGC and ANACS as about equivalent for the stuff
I collect.

ICG is OK for MS64 and under but I wouldn't trust them
with anything expensive.

PCI and NTC are overgraded at all levels, often by a great
deal. Older PCI (10 digits serial # ?) is sometimes pretty good.

CoastGuard

The front of the Coin Dealer Newsletter "Market Indicator" for sight unseen bidding levels relies on statistical analysis, not emotion, loyalty, cheerleading, or a single person's experience. Latest information ranks it:
1. ICG
2. NGC
3. PCGS
4. ANACS

The ratings between the top three are so close it is almost a dead heat. Many of the posters here are individual experts in their own right but they remain one single person's experience and alone could not have the breadth of the Greysheet (Coin Dealer Newsletter). Many of the posters here are long time specialists and give great advice about the third party grading services based on everything they know. Some posters are fiercely loyal to their own grader and will criticize others endlessly as a way to promote their own favorite (instead of explaining why they like the one they do so much). That would be more helpful to us all!

braddick

<< <i>My advice is to use PCGS for your grading needs. >>

I absolutely 100% agree other than to add I use NGC and ANACS. I'll also use SEGS for certain medals and whatnot. PCI is good for interesting and odd ball coins that won't holder anywhere else. Outside of those Services though, I like to buy PCGS.

keets

hey easttexas

since you are probably new to coins you might not have the best perspective for judging which need to be graded professionaly. you might want to have someone else like a dealer look at them. the best bet would probably be to take it slow and find a show in your area which will allow you to get the opinions of several dealers in a very short period of time. that should help establish some value on what you have as well as assisting in the submission process, if that's the choice you make. whatever you do, do it slowly.

we could help you locate shows if you'd tell us where about you live.

al h.

keets

hey Pat

i didn't know SEGS holdered whatnot's. who's reference numbers do they use, Whichamacallit's??

al h.

braddick

<< <i>hey Pat i didn't know SEGS holdered whatnot's. who's reference numbers do they use, Whichamacallit's?? al h. >>

Ahhhh.... exactly!

Seriously, I've had some whacky GalleryMint "midnight shananigans" large cent minted on Ike dollar planchets and the such they holder for me. I even own a "1964" Peace dollar in MS68 via SEGS.
They're a fun organization and I think their slabs look cool. SEGS and I get along as neither of us take the other seriously.
Here's a sample of two SEGS coins I own:



Here's a pretty Morgan I recently picked up off of eBay:

JadeRareCoin

I absolutely 100% agree other than to add I use NGC and ANACS. I'll also use SEGS for certain medals and whatnot. PCI is good for interesting and odd ball coins that won't holder anywhere else. Outside of those Services though, I like to buy PCGS.

Yup. I was just giving the quick, short and sweet answer. We submit to PCGS, NGC, SEGS and ANACS, depending on the coin/medal to be certified, time we need it returned, customer preference, cost of submission, etc, etc, etc. Some people do not like SEGS, but their main grader is one of the best graders/authenticators in the business. If you have something reaaaaly tough to grade, attribute or authenticate, they will do it for you and actually spend time doing it. We recently sent SEGS a rare coin that the other companies would not touch (due to laziness or whatever you want to call it). We just wanted authentication as the grade was secondary. SEGS spent a couple of hours doing specific gravity tests, researching known examples, etc. We got the authentication that we needed for our customer and everyone was happy, although SEGS only made the cost of submission on the deal.

K6AZ

Someone needs to explain to SEGS what a true rainbow is.

braddick

<< <i>Someone needs to explain to SEGS what a true rainbow is. >>

Eric, be nice!

keets

rain·bow
n.

1. a)An arc of spectral colors, usually identified as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, that appears in the sky opposite the sun as a result of the refractive dispersion of sunlight in drops of rain or mist.
b)A similar arc or band, as one produced by a prism or by iridescence.
c)A graded display of colors.
2. An illusory hope: chasing the rainbow of overnight success.
3. A diverse assortment or collection.

Someone needs to explain to SEGS what a true rainbow is.

actually, i think a true rainbow is really what's described by defintion 1a, such as "somewhere over the_________." since we borrow the word in Numismatics the meaning is a little broader. i think Braddick's SEGS coin fits the definition of 1c rather well. unless you wanna get locked into a singleminded definition of an arc as described in 1b, i figure they both fit for use in the hobby. i need to go to bed, so i'll just add ahead of time that you win, Eric.

al h.

K6AZ

Very simply put keets, a rainbow when it comes to Morgan dollars is toning that has distinct bands of every color in the rainbow. That coin is not a rainbow.

keets

.................according to your strict definition. have a nice night, god.

al h.

K6AZ

And people wonder why I get so negative here.

Take a long walk off a short plank keets.

braddick

Eric,
Here's a "Rainbow" and it's PCI! PCI Gold even!!

K6AZ

Edited because I don't think anyone would understand my faceitious comment. Pat, is that a coin you have now?

stman

Braddick, I have a serious question I've been wanting to ask you. I look at your postings, and check your ebay auctions on occasion.
One thing I notice is many, and I mean many of your coins are "RED." Do you just like red?

braddick

Red and Green are my two favorite colors on Morgans. I have recently sold a BLUE Washington (the bluest I've ever seen!).

Eric, I do own the coin as I bought it raw (the PCI coin, not the SEGS) and had it holdered myself. What is missing is textile that is not seen in the photos. It's also a bit softer, in hand.
The bands of color are authentic.

OnlyBuffalos

Perception is very important in the coin market and the perception today, is that a coin in a PCGS holder is somehow better than a similarly graded coin in a non-PCGS holder. As a result, successfully crossing a coin from a non-PCGS holder to a PCGS holder at the same grade, can result in the coin becoming more "valuable". Like it or not, right or wrong, this can be the case and more often than not, the coin is now more valuable in many collectors' minds even though it is the same coin.

As a collector of Buffalo nickels, bust and barber half dollars and early copper, it is my opinion that PCGS grades to a higher standard for those coin types much of the time - but not all the time.

However before you decide to spend money on coins, you should learn how to grade whatever coins you decide to collect and not rely on a third party service to do the job for you. Remember that the typical grader spents ten seconds or less evaluating most coins and doesn't get it right 100% of the time. Learning how to grade for yourself is the most important thing you can do. Until you can do that, find a recommended dealer or mentor to help you with your purchases.

Another perception that many hold, is that if an expensive coin is "raw", there is something wrong with the coin. While this is often true, many collectors, such as those who collect bust half coins, actually prefer their coins "raw". If you plan to collect "raw" coins, it is imperative that you be able to spot coins that are not authentic, coins that have been cleaned, coins with artificial toning, coins that have been doctored, and other maladies that can plaque coins. Proceed with extreme caution with raw coins until you have the experience to recognize problem-free raw coins. There is absolutely nothing wrong with collecting raw coins. There is nothing wrong with collecting coins with problems. You should determine what you want to collect. Just recognize that coins without problems are more valuable when and if you decide to sell them.

Coin collecting can be a fascinating hobby, but you need to do your due dilligence to optimize your enjoyment of the hobby.

Myqqy

SEGS and I get along as neither of us take the other seriously.



That's pretty funny....

braddick

Here's a Blue Lincoln, via SEGS:


Here's a Green Canadian dollar via NGC:


But, to show you I do love RED coins (!) here's another Canadian: