Which coin grading company should I submit my coin to?

I have been doing some research into coin grading companies, but lost as to which one to submit it to. I am stuck between two companies: PCGS & ANACS. I hear and believe that PCGS is the best coin grading company out there, but it is also the most strict in regards to grading coins. On the other hand, ANACS grades cleaned coins (whereas PCGS doesn't), which I am looking at getting my 1901s quarter clean. Should I not get my quarter cleaned and submit it to PCGS or have it cleaned and submit it to ANACS? Is there a way to clean my quarter and still have PCGS give it a passing grade?

 

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Well PCGS is by far the leading grading service. I would not necessarily consider them the strictest. NGC is currently ranked number 2 with Anacs following. DO NOT CLEAN COINS. If you submit the coins to NGC, their sister company NCS will review the coins for conservation. They charge a small fee based on the value of the coins, but it is well worth it. Afterwards, NGC will certify the coins. PCGS and NGC will not grade harshly cleaned coins. Before considering which grading service to use, have a dealer or seasoned collector evaluate the coins. This can save you both time and money.

 

Well let me expand on my thought. As my firm sends hundreds of coins to be certified. First consideration is given to resale value. PCGS holds a slight advantage in the open market on some coins. When we know which coins will sell for more in a particular holder, we use that holder. Whether it is right or not, is irrelevant. There are just too many collector's that still buy the holder. We primarily use NGC and PCGS as these two companies are most liquid. Anacs is a very good company for varieties and atributing coins that the other two will not. Once collectors learn how to grade, many great deals can be found in other holders. Personally I feel that NGC has stricter standards on the average coin. When considering grading companies do your research. Just as with buying coins, the coin grading company should meet your needs. Don't buy the holder.

 

ANACS is poor on everything especially customer service and turn time. They also treat their economy tier customers like floor-sweep.

 

One thing that always bothered me about the third party graders, is the lack of "further information" about the coin on the slab header where the grade is listed. I mean all, say PCGS 64 same type coins, are not equal, even though they are graded equal. Some or many are dipped, some not dipped, etc, etc, etc. In my opinion, they really should note on the slab, "dipped", or "spot on obverse", etc...IE notations to enable a buyer to make a better choice for their collection interests.

 

What company you use depends on the coin. There simply is no best TPG, and they are each conservative in different areas.

Here are the basics for the big 3:

PCGS

• Trusted for US coins
  
• Worst customer service
• Generally considered to have the best slabs
  
• Grading can be inconsistent
• Tends to give out AT and Environmental Damage designations too readily on market acceptable coins
• Crossovers allowed from NGC, ANACS, and ICG

NGC

• Trusted for US coins
• Most trusted for World coins
• Best customer service
• Best for premium toned coins (star designation)
• Crossovers allowed only from PCGS
• Most trusted conservation (through NCS)

ANACS

• Attributes many minor varieties not recognized by PCGS and NGC
• Best for countermarked coins
• Crosses over from any other TPG
• Gives numeric grades to details coins. If you have a choice AU details coin (especially if the problem is minor) where there is a significant price gap between AU50/53 and AU 55/58, it does better in ANACS plastic.
• Lowest prices for grading US coins if you keep up on their specials. Often they will do a volume special for a particular series at under $10 per coin.

Overall I don't see that much of a difference between PCGS and NGC in terms of US coins. Since I collect both US and World coins and NGC is much better for world coins (plus great customer service), I primarily use NGC. I do use ANACS as well though for the specific cases I mentioned above.

 

Um...

NO

Do not ever clean a coin: it will destroy any numismatic value the coin has.

An EXPERT may conserve a coin... but neither you nor I have the skills to do that without destroying it.

All of the big three big [or the 4 market acceptable to eBay companies] grading and slabbing companies will identify a cleaned coin as such and place that information on the slab. but the value of a cleaned coin is signifcantly lower than an uncleaned coin in the same grade.

ANACS, NGC and PCGS each offer a Conservation Service for an additional fee. if the coin has PVC damage or other problems they will remove it as best they can to preserve what's left for the future.

 

This thread is from 11 years ago.....

 

And a couple new members brought it back to life. I don't like necro threads any more than anybody else, but in looking over it I noticed the advice on not cleaning a coin was never explicitly stated.

Given that one newbie DID find the thread doing the searches we tell them to do - and it's now on page 1 - I think the specific advise important to contribute.

 

Thanks for the reply. I prefer coins which have never been dipped. I'm currently working on a set of Indian cents graded 64 and higher, both uncirculated and proof, 64 and higher...the ones I can afford anyway - LOL. The recently dipped coins are obvious. I mean a bright shiny, never dipped, copper coin that old is basically impossible, and I'd rather not collect those. The problem I'm having is determining toning from an original coin, and one which was dipped a while ago that has become toned. It's not as easy as it sounds with high grade coins even knowing the various ages of the holders. I'm trying to learn and perhaps at some point it will get easier. I just hope I don't have to spend countless dollars learning from experience, although I'm sure I'll make a few mistakes, hopefully just a few.

Having a coin in hand, is a lot easier to tell, but it's often difficult when buying a coin online from a pic, which so far is where I've been buying most of my coins. I've been collecting a long time, but recently have decided to take the step into buying the higher grade slabbed coins for various reasons.

I've been reading the forum, and lots of great info on here. Thank you - it is appreciated.

 

This person had 5 threads. 3 of them was concerning this 1901 Quarter. He was last seen in 2009. Maybe there weren't enough members back then to give him the answer he needed.

 

That is one reason(since I have to shop online) to make sure good pictures are always used. If not skip the seller(unless you know the seller and the pictures they take) or the auction. One of my ebay requirements - I even stopped asking for better pictures(or just in focus) because it seemed like every time I asked they said that was the best I can do.

 

Good points. Of course there's that dichotomy on eBay of seeing a small pic, figuring few will want to bid on it, and perhaps getting a great deal on it. While the listing with the easy to see nice large pic, it would be difficult to get a great deal on that coin. Overall though I think you're right, as for every great deal, you could get a few bad deals which negates the great deal.

I love to collect coins, but there's a part of me that likes to buy them at a good deal price as well. Fortunately, I'm not buying any 5 or 6 figure coins that may not always be available. My interest is basically 3 and 4 figure coins, which I figure if I can't get that coin on an auction or best offer for the price I want to pay, another one will eventually be there, perhaps getting a good deal on it. Patience certainly is a virtue when it comes to coin collecting, especially when you have a limited budget, but you've got an unlimited appetite for more coins - LOL

 

I believe a 1901 S Barber quarter is a key date. DO NOT CLEAN IT!!

 

This thread is so old, that Doug still collected coins when it was created, LOL!

 

Necroposting at its finest...

 

I had to laugh at myself. I didn't even notice the date of the OP's post. I read and "liked" a couple posts before someone pointed out the age of the thread. I was even going to respond to one of the old ones....

Too funny!

 

As an experienced coin collector, which means almost nothing because one can be "experienced" with incompetence, it is with my experiences with slabbed/graded coins that NGC is, without question, the strictest graders out there. You can even request (at additional cost of course) to have your coin re-graded if you feel you got a lower grade than you expected, but from what I understand at NGC the coin goes through 3 graders and they all have to agree on the grade. I recently had a 1987 gold coin graded/slabbed by NGC, it came back as a MS-67. I personally feel that it should have been a 68, but nobody in the business will ever accuse NGC of overgrading a coin. However, if I had chosen several of the lessor known graders, it problably would have come back as a 70, which I would not even have agreed with. the thing is that most coin buyers know these are unreliable companies. stick with a company with an excellent record, in the end, when it comes time to sell, you will be ahead of getting your coins value. nobody is going to trust a company (or your coin for that matter) that grades your coin as a 69 or 70 if there are defects... scratches, blems, dents, etc. visable to the human eye. just my 2 cents...

 

Lol I almost did too to one of the older posts.

You will find plenty of people that will accuse NGC of that especially with moderns and high end older coins. EAC in their grading book even found NGC to be looser with copper grades overall than PCGS. Yes you will find people who will accuse PCGS of overgrading as well, but saying no one in the buisness will accuse NGC of overgrading a coin is simply not true.