I don't necessarily think that's the case. But there are many that do. You have to know the coin series in question and YOU HAVE TO look at the darn coin itself. And you have to study it closely, and more than once. Maybe more than twice or three times.

Greetings Collectors,

I have pondered this assumption that is held by many in our hobby. From the little guy just starting out, right on up to the real "big boys" many, whether they are in the know, or not, swear by PCGS. In fact I've known collectors that would not own a slab graded by anyone other than the almost "God Like" super humans with the keen eagle eyes located at PCGS. While we're on the subject, there is a large following, of which I've known a couple that swear by the gang at the oldest third party graders on the planet, and is the very respectable company called Anacs. Of course there is a very devoted following, including myself, that root for the guys and gals at NGC. Is any one of these "top two", or three, if you throw in Anacs, third party grading company's better than the other, or not? Well, me, I am one of those that straddles the fence and depending on how much I've had to drink, and depending on just how hard the wind is blowing, I've been known to fall on both sides of that numismatic fence on different occasions. I like PCGS. I own a lot of coins in those slabs. But, I like NGC too. I have many of these as well. I even own a few coins in both the older & newer slabs by that "oldie" but goodie Anacs. I am of the mindset, and always have been, one that really could care less, to a certain degree of course, who the grader is or what name adorns the top of that piece of hard plastic. To me, it's always been about the coin. And it always will be. Not the company who has graded the coin. The old timers say, and I totally agree, "buy the coin" and forget about the slab, as to which one is supposedly better. But having said that and having portrayed myself as to being all over the place on the subject, I've been collecting long enough, that it depends on something else that's very important to me, and I believe this to be true with many other collectors as well. It depends a great deal on just what coin series that we're talking about.

It's a fact that most of you know, my favorite coin series in silver, is the Franklin half, in both mint state & proof. And for the mint state coins, I think NGC is much more strict, as far as the coins having the full bell line designation. That means that I would rather own the coin graded by the company that's gonna be really tough on that particular series of coin. I don't want to have serious doubt coming in to a deal about that company before I even look at the coin itself. The coin is ultimately gonna sell itself, not the folks that press the plastic together. So when I'm checking out a piece and seriously considering making a purchase, I want to feel that a certain company has a head start and "IS NOT" gonna call a coin "Gem MS-65", if there's a chance, even a remote chance, that the coin is no better than a strong 64. Liberal graders have destroyed certain 3rd party grading companies, and temporarily somewhat crippled others. Just remember that it always boils down to the individual coin. So I think NGC is tough on calling a Franklin half with full bell lines, a full bell line coin, and from looking at hundreds, even thousands of these coins, I know that if NGC says it's an FBL, well then it's definitely a FBL. Does this mean I don't have to look at the coin and would blindly buy an NGC FBL just because it says so on the slab. Hell no. But knowing the series and knowing NGC when it comes to that series, I've got kinda like a "head start" on the coin in question and really all I'm looking at is how strong are the bell lines, but almost as importantly, how strong is the actual grade of the coin itself. On this part of the equation, PCGS is known for being the tougher, more strict grader, on the actual grade-grade of the coin. Every FBL NGC coin would cross to PCGS as a full bell line coin. However having said that, there is a possibility that an NGC MS-66 FBL coin may cross to PCGS as "only" a FBL MS-65. Now in the Franklin proof, IMO PCGS holds the advantage, and is much more strict when it comes to giving a proof coin a cameo or deep cameo designation. And having that reputation of correctly calling cameos and deep cameo coins, most sale/auction prices show that a PCGS 1953 proof 65 cameo Franklin half will just about always bring more money when sold, than an NGC 1953 proof 65 cameo. And throw in one that resides in an OGH, well the price usually is up even higher, depending on the individual coin.

Why? I don't know other than that is just the reputation PCGS has. Like it or not, we all know how hard it is to change a deeply entrenched reputation, whether it's good or bad, or true or false. And this reputation holds true for coins that are holdered in those OGH from PCGS. It is my strong belief that for just a very short time NGC had a grader or two that were not so conservative in their grading, but actually quite liberal to put it bluntly, thus for a period of time, some graders there were handing out some MS-65's when the coins were not quite gem. And for that reason alone, I believe the feeling is, PCGS over NGC.

Like I said, a reputation, good or bad is very hard to overcome. And a bad reputation may never see the day when that perspective is overcome. As of today I think NGC has gone the other way, maybe in part to make up for that short stint when they were not "tough enough" or more plainly put, not "right on the money" literally. I think a coin graded by NGC today and yesterday and even as much as a few years ago is very solid for the grade. Maybe even too solid, as in possibly "under-graded". It's almost like they have to, or are trying to, make up for those few months to a year or so when they were off their mark. This is why I think PCGS coins today, bring more money on average, than their NGC counterparts. NGC is still trying to live down the old "bad" press. All the more reason to "always buy the coin" and not the slab.

It would pay for all collectors to pay very close attention to all coins that are slabbed in old green holders from PCGS. (and the old "six digit" prefix numbered slabs by NGC AKA "Fatty's) You will find that many times it will be a coin solid or even better than solid for the grade assigned. Of course like most things, there are exceptions to that rule. On my little set of Mercury dimes in the rattler holders, this is a set I wanted to be a minimum of MS-65-66 and the coins had to have full split bands. From time to time I have bought a "better than average example Mercury dime slabbed in the second generation OGH for a particular slot, but always looking for a replacement to that slot & holder with a rattler as soon as an example could be located. I love this little set of dimes I have, and the main stipulation in addition to the slabs being green, and preferably rattlers, the coins had/have to appear "under-graded", or at a bare minimum, very solid for the grade. And again, in my opinion, each example I own here in that set is indeed that. An "under-graded" example. In fact, I feel there are a couple of dates that the slab says MS-65 FB but the coin may very well be a MS-66 FB example, or even a 67, were it to be "cracked out" and re-submitted. Now I know this little set like the back of my hand, but in the slabs and grades I currently have, which are all 65 & 66 they are not worth a pile of money. But these little dimes hold a special place in my collecting heart and are a set I will continue to work on, til it's complete. I know that locating the 1945-P FB and th