Strictest grading service for Lincoln cents: 1955 DDO and 1972 DDO?

[comicparadox]

I'm not very familiar with the various coin grading/certifying companies, but I understand that one is considered "better" for Lincoln cents. Would any coinees be willing to make recommendations as to which company I'd be best to submit my (relatively) hi-grade 1955 and 1972 DDO pennies?

Thanks in advance. JB

[James_OldeTowne]

I'm not very familiar with the various coin grading/certifying companies, but I understand that one is considered "better" for Lincoln cents. Would any coinees be willing to make recommendations as to which company I'd be best to submit my (relatively) hi-grade 1955 and 1972 DDO pennies?

Thanks in advance. JB

Historically, that position has changed over time. As of TODAY -- and I am not saying this just because of the host -- I think NGC has an edge over the competition, not to mention the EdgeView holder. In the past, I would have agreed with those who would have said PCGS was stricter.

 

Again, I am speaking of the here and now, and that's based on brand-new submissions to both companies that I have personally seen (due to cataloging duties). NGC is being stricter at the present moment BUT that can change in an instant, without forewarning.

[comicparadox]

Thanks for that info. Any others care to chime in?

[mkman123]

Buy the coin not the holder. Both companies have overgraded or undergraded, use your own eye. Don't drink the koolaid as some across the street will just say pcgs is the best and blah blah etc. Keep an open mind and look at various ones and compare and buy the one you like

[comicparadox]

Buy the coin not the holder. Both companies have overgraded or undergraded, use your own eye. Don't drink the koolaid as some across the street will just say pcgs is the best and blah blah etc. Keep an open mind and look at various ones and compare and buy the one you like

 

Thanks, that wasn't really my issue, though. I asked because I surely recognize that others will have more expertise than I with regards to consensus-type 3rd party coin grading. I like the DDO 1972 and 1955 Lincoln cents, and purchased them, as you note, as coins "raw" not in holders.

 

Now, though, I want to pay a grading service to render a professional and hobby-wide recognized opinion, and am looking for advice among those who know more than I do about those companies.

 

I know comic books fairly well, and can indeed buy the "book not the label". With coins, though, I would like to hear the opinions of those who have dealt with the various professional 3rd party graders, so when I DO holder the raw coins I have, it's the "right" company.

[coin guy dan-migration]

i sell many coin on ebay and my n.g.c. coins get premium over all others.pcgs second,closely anacs third and icg a distant fourth.do this, pull up a 1916-d mercury dime graded g-4 by n.g.c. then the same by pcgs. the difference in measurable. i know many will disagree but i keep track and the numbers do not lie. danny fricker

[comicparadox]

Thanks, Danny! That's the kind of information I wanted to know.

 

Parenthetically, I hope my coins will earn better than G-4, though! (I'm thinking somewhere in the wide range of a 60 - 64 ).

[James_OldeTowne]

To be fair, I do think PCGS has been and continues to be more conservative than NGC on some series, particularly Washington quarters. In other series, they are to all appearances, basically clones. My experience is that both companies grade Liberty nickels, 3CNs and proof Buffalo nickels exactly the same way.

 

Just trying to keep a fair and balanced perspective.

[coinman_23885]

i sell many coin on ebay and my n.g.c. coins get premium over all others.pcgs second,closely anacs third and icg a distant fourth.do this, pull up a 1916-d mercury dime graded g-4 by n.g.c. then the same by pcgs. the difference in measurable. i know many will disagree but i keep track and the numbers do not lie. danny fricker

 

I used the search terms "1916 d" and looked at all of the PCGS and NGC Mercury Dimes that came up under the "completed listings" criteria. I surprisingly saw very few, making it difficult to draw any conclusions. With this said, it is not wise to base an interpretation of the market on two coins.

 

If I remember, I'll look up the recent sales records for Heritage and compare a large sampling of NGC and PCGS 1916-d dimes (within the last 4 months) and post the results. While it is possible that eBay buyers prefer NGC, one would expect that a pro-NGC bias would to show up in both eBay and Heritage auctions if one exists.

[MA-migration]

It's all perception. People like to believe theres a "top-of-the-line" in whatever they are buying. Truth of the matter is, its in the eye of the beholder. Both companies have very reputable graders and both have made errors in grading. Just don't get caught up in the hype of one company being "better" than the other. I personally like the holders of our host much better so thats the holders I buy and who grades my coins.

[CoinPulsive PCM]

What about companies other than NGC or PCGS? Personally, I would rather have an error coin or rare non silver coin graded by ANACS or ICG. Think about it.. NGC and PCGS are the most popular, but NGC has undergraded coins before and also misgraded coins. Like when I sent a 1955 Franklin half into NGC that came back UNC DETAILS, Improper cleaning. I got that coin from my grandfather who had it in an album since 1960. I took to several dealers who looked very close at every detail and said thats weird, and I should send it in again. I sent it back for a re-evaluation and it came back MS66 FBL...Did they make a mistake? uhhh, very much so.

 

ICG has actually provided me with better service than NGC on several occasions.

 

Like it was said before, buy the COIN not the HOLDER. If you know the coin(s) will grade atleast AU50 or something, why spend $50 with NGC, when you could spend $20 and get the same grade from ICG?

 

And I am prepared to receive flak about the NGC "quick grade" comment.!

But that is my experience. Look up details and ratings for NGC, PCGS, ANACS, ICG, etc and that should help you decide.

 

-Dave

[James_OldeTowne]

Like it was said before, buy the COIN not the HOLDER. If you know the coin(s) will grade atleast AU50 or something, why spend $50 with NGC, when you could spend $20 and get the same grade from ICG?

For one thing, the ICG holder is horrible. It is prone to scratches, isn't crystal-clear, and they haven't introduced any type of EdgeView compatible technology, so their goopy gloppy insert still messed with the edge of the coin. Also, I personally find their slab insert to be less legible than any other grading company. Even disregarding the ridiculous problem I had with a coin that turned in their holder (this was a long time ago), I will not use ICG, period. They are utterly irrelevant to me as a grading company (although I do not ignore coins in their slabs - there are many nice ones).

 

If $50 for NGC is bettered by $20 at ICG, why not use SEGS for even less? Their holder is still state-of-the-art excepted only by a lack of EdgeView, and for the coins you have in mind (AU level), you'll probably get them graded and described properly.

 

I would use SEGS before ICG, hands-down. And I would use ANACS before ICG as well.

[CoinPulsive PCM]

James,

I wasn't talking about the holders. I was talking about service and professionalism with people other than dealers. I will agree that the ICG holders are low grade compared to other holders. I don't worry to much about the NGC edge view thing. I prefer it for my silver coins, type coins and key date coins only. And the only purpose I see in the edge view inserts are to see if the rims are damaged. I am kind of puzzled as why you had an issue with the ICG insert messing up your coin. I believe it is type of foam. So unless the coin was in hot and humid areas, the coins should be fine.

I went to the Coinorama in Lakeland today and submitted some coins to ANACS. I will put up a post in a minute. But ANACS is my 2nd choice after NGC.

[wheat'swheats]

I sent some of my lincolns to NGC last month and they really hurt my feelings, but that's the way it goes someties

[James_OldeTowne]

James,

I wasn't talking about the holders. I was talking about service and professionalism with people other than dealers.

I probably worded my previous post poorly. Basically, I did not appreciate ICG's lack of integrity and honesty with regard to a coin that I had change in the holder. (I don't believe the surface damage that occurred was derived from their holder insert, however.) Even after I provided images of the coin taken right after I purchased it, showing a normal looking grey bust half, James Taylor (then at ICG) refused to accept that the coin grew mold and practically turned black while in the holder, basically implying that they had holdered a coin with malicious residue on it. And it wasn't even a lot of money at the time, perhaps $250!

 

That incident, which dragged on for a few days, combined with what I perceive as unstable grading, leads me to put ICG way at the bottom of my list of acceptable grading companies.

 

Naturally, others will have had much different and much better experiences. I just never had these kinds of problems with NGC, and the level of customer service and pride in satisfying the needs of collectors is really the main reason I rank NGC #1, well above all the rest.

 

AND, that's coming from a guy who doesn't even focus much on certifying coins!

[CoinPulsive PCM]

James I can understand that. I've been in that type of situation where I am angry about a product and how while using it it damaged something. But every company is going to stand by their product and sometimes you get a customer service rep. who is nasty to customers. Thats when I ask to talk to a supervisor.

 

I could believe that your coin grew mold or got damaged in the holder. I have heard that happen when the holder is not sealed correctly and mositure gets in and never gets out. I did an experment on how quickly water can make porous material grow mold (in high school for a biology final.) i took a brand new kitchen sponge, got 1/2 of it wet, and vaccuum sealed it in bag. 2 weeks later mold ate the sponge and it desinigrated. In your case, yes, mold can distort the apperance of a metal object or silver, etc. It wouldn't eat the coin but it would alter its apperance.

 

Everyone has good experiances and bad ones with companies and sometimes another person opinion is what you decide on when choosing which company to go with.

-Dave