NGC, NCI grades are more conservative than PCGS?

[truthteller]

Here's an unexpected surprise.

 

I sent 6 coins into PCGS for grading, all classic commems. All coins upgraded.

 

Five former NGC coins upgraded by 1 point.

One former NCI coin upgraded by 2 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

[gmarguli]

Impossible! Lies! This could never happen! PCGS is much more conservative than NGC.

 

Assuming that this is the truth (and the world is actually flat), have you alerted David Hall about this? Someone needs to tell him ASAP so he can have the graders tighten up 2-3 points. Also, please send BJ an email and have her screw with the registry set weightings so that all attention is taken off the coins and instead placed back on the points (where it should be).

 

As for NCI, many of the few coins I come into contact with appear to be properly graded using current standards. It only took gradeflation 15+ years to finally catch up.

[JamminJ]

Are you sure it's particular to the individual slabbing companies and not the general grade-inflation trend over time?

 

-JamminJ

[ArtR]

On the other side I sent 7 PCGS into NGC for crossover 3 did not cross.

[jom]

It only took gradeflation 15+ years to finally catch up.

 

 

jom

[Tradedollarnut]

No surprise as I'm certain you handchose eye appealing specimens. If you follow the coins in your series like I do, you will find that grades are diverging by one or two grades from what they used to be.

[braddick]

Unless you sent the coins in randomly, without looking at them yourself, your results are not the least bit surprising. Why would you waste grading fees if you didn't believe the coins were superior for the grade? It could and would work just as easily if you screened six PCGS Commemoratives and after choosing the right coins, sent them to NGC for upgrades.

 

All this proves to me is you have a great eye for detecting great and worthy coins. It also proves that PCGS and/or NGC and/or NCI get it sometimes wrong.

[truthteller]

Here's the funny part. I sent in three batches of commems about 4 months ago to NGC. The were handpicked from PCGS and NGC holders. Cracked all the coins. About 15% upgraded, 6 out of 25 coins. 1 downgraded. The remainder stayed the same grade. So, NGC appeared to be very consistent. On a whim, I sent in 4 batches of PCGS, NGC crack outs to PCGS. In the first batch, 50% upgraded, no downgrades, the second batch were again a mix, 60% upgraded, no downgrades, the third batch 60% upgraded, no downgrades, then this batch of NGC coins, all upgraded.

 

 

For me, I see a trend.

 

TRUTH

[braddick]

And now, armed with the additional information you have now provided, I agree.

[gmarguli]

For me, I see a trend.

 

TRUTH

 

And I see the same trend and that trend is you failing to offer me these coins when you know I have about 75 holes to fill in my set.

[truthteller]

I might be in a selling mood in the near future. How much cash you got?

 

BTW, in the latest batch, I submitted THE most incredibly toned non 1952 washington carver I have ever seen. Absolutely incredible, greens,golds, blues, more green.. It was in a junk box at a dealers shop. For under $30.

 

 

TRUTH

[gmarguli]

Will you be bringing them to Long Beach? I'll have cash there.

[JamminJ]

Will you be bringing them to Long Beach? I'll have cash there.

 

Only until Karl Stephens takes it all away.

 

-JamminJ

[braddick]

Will you be bringing them to Long Beach? I'll have cash there.

Greg,

Are you giving Shepard a run for his money?

[James_OldeTowne]

Your results may show less about being "conservative", and more about being "consistent". I think NGC grades are pretty consistent, and your result would seem to support that, considering they all had the exact same spread.

 

I would rather have a grading service that is consistent over conservative. It really suits no purpose to hand out overly-conservative grades on an inconsistent basis, in my opinion.

 

I think that NCI grades are extremely inconsistent. Your chances of getting a 2 point upgrade might be just about as good as getting a 2 point downgrade! I've handled only a very few NCI coins, but my impression was that their grades were extremely erratic.

 

James

[Tradedollarnut]

I would rather have a grading service that is consistent over conservative. It really suits no purpose to hand out overly-conservative grades on an inconsistent basis, in my opinion.

 

It needs to be both. Consistently miscalling an MS64 as MS69 is no good.

[gmarguli]

Will you be bringing them to Long Beach? I'll have cash there.

Greg,

Are you giving Shepard a run for his money?

 

Money wise, no, but if you like I can act just as grumpy.

[EZ_E]

Unless you sent the coins in randomly, without looking at them yourself, your results are not the least bit surprising. Why would you waste grading fees if you didn't believe the coins were superior for the grade? It could and would work just as easily if you screened six PCGS Commemoratives and after choosing the right coins, sent them to NGC for upgrades.

 

All this proves to me is you have a great eye for detecting great and worthy coins. It also proves that PCGS and/or NGC and/or NCI get it sometimes wrong.

 

No surprise as I'm certain you handchose eye appealing specimens. If you follow the coins in your series like I do, you will find that grades are diverging by one or two grades from what they used to be.

 

Great insight from both of you!

[jom]

It needs to be both. Consistently miscalling an MS64 as MS69 is no good.

 

That may be "no good" but it is a LOT better than inconsistancy. If you KNOW a grading company does that then you simply adjust your bid for the coin, no? Your example is way over the top anyway because most TPG's that do that blatant of a bad job almost always have OTHER problems (such as slabbing cleaned coins etc etc) far beyond the concern of whether they are consistant with their grading.

 

jom