I don't really care either way. I think both are excellent companies and roughly as good as the other. I personally like the appearance of the PCGS slab better.
I have gone back and forth on this. Initially I liked PCGS slabs more. I thought clear was better than white since it tends to disappear more. Then later I thought the new edge view NGC slabs were cool. They sort of have a musuem quality look to them. That is until i realized that you can't take a clean (unobstructed) photo of the coin in the NGC edge view slab (darn those tabs). So now I am back to liking PCGS more. One benefit to PCGS is you have access to the True View photography, which takes pictures of the coin out of the slab -- something which can help produce some stunning images, especially on colorfully toned coins. PCGS does seem to have an additional benefit of slightly higher prices, probably due to the fact that the PCGS registry sets only accepts PCGS graded coins, so there are a number of collectors that only buy PCGS slabbed material (more bidders = higher prices). Some seem to think that PCGS is slightly more strict in grading. That is a PCGS MS64 is roughly equivalent to an NGC MS65 -- that may or may not be true (it might tend to be more true in some selected series, for example Matte Proof Lincolns) -- this might be worth investigating more.
I agree. And for me it's not about the plastic or the look but about PCGS grading, the market value of coins it grades, and follow-through on its guarantee. Lance.
For me it depends upon the Series, Issue, Variety and surviving examples for the Grade. The Coin itself, is primary. Furthermore, one should research comparative grade valuations and other available auction data. It is in the latter, that the common myth regarding PCGS Coins bringing stronger prices and greater collector interest and " Value " might be dispelled and the real opportunity may actually be with the NGC coin. When you go into an auction prepared, your less likely to pull the trigger based on simple impulsiveness .
I agree. Have a talk with a #1 PCGS registry set collector. I did a couple years back and stopped buying NGC immediately.
If asking about the plastic - then PCGS. But then again the right coin could reside in any slab(with any name on it).
Of course it is always about the coin first, and not the holder. There are wonderful coins (and dogs) in PCGS and NGC holders. But that wasn't the OP's question. I am sure you can find series where NGC does quite well. Generally, however, there is a strong bias for PCGS coins and correspondingly higher prices. Checking auction prices is an excellent way to see this. Todd, I think I can guess who the #1 PCGS registry set owner is. And I wish my set were as nice as his. Which brings up another interesting datapoint, the composition of the very best sets in NGC registries. Check them out. Lance.
If you are just asking about the physical holder, I prefer the pcgs slabs. If find them less distracting from the coin.
First disclaimer: I collect Morgans, I know some series may be different. Several years ago I had a talk with a top Morgan collector with amazing good eyes for coins. Lets say he owns several of the highest graded Morgan sets out there. He has millions in PCGS coins and one of the biggest reasons was his family. He wanted to leave them the best options for the coins. This meant the highest value for his sets. I have no plans to sell my set but if I had to I want the coins to be PCGS. People seem to complain more about PCGS, I hope that means they are tighter on their grading (yes I also know there are dogs in all holders). Now years later I own a couple NGC coins. I know probably 7 or 8 of the top 10 PCGS registry sets for DMPL. I also know several of the top Morgan sets and Indian Penny sets. Spending time with these people has been amazing for the education. I made a major shift after talking to the first person mentioned above. I am now making another shift within my PCGS coins. On another note I don't like the NGC plastic. I mean the actual plastic. I thought there new claim was scratch resistant plastic, I still think PCGS plastic scratches less.
I have many coins, of all types, in PCGS and NGC holders. Here are a few personal thoughts, in no particular order: The NGC website allows you to track coins from all TPGs and maybe even ungraded. PCGS's website does not. Gold looks better in NGC holders. Silver looks better in PCGS holders. Copper can go in either and look good. I prefer the look of the PCGS holders, but the most recent NGC edge view holders look cool. PCGS seems to command a higher resale value, if just by a little. The NGC 20 slab box is much nicer than the PCGS 20 slab box, because 1) it can hold both NGC and PCGS slabs, and 2) just looks classier.
If so, then it must be something new since when I started entering them. My Morgans are PCGS, and I'm sure I've got some I haven't entered yet, so I'll have to check if there are any changes to the PCGS site. Though it would seem that the fun of tracking vs building a score would be different.
Ok, I feel compelled to defend the NGC edgeview holder. I was thrilled to find this date in a MS65+ BN grade and snatched it up last Jan at FUN. I believe the coins technical grade fits the level of preservation and accurately describes the coin, with that said, I believe the rim hit at 12 oclock actually holds the coin back from a full MS66 BN grade and I believe that seeing the edge is quite important in valuing any coin. Both PCGS and older NGC slabs would have hidden this damage for sure. As for photographing the coin, yes the tabs stick out there, but I prefer seeing the rim and if it bothered me that much I could photoshop them out. I see you guys build really cool presentations with reflections and all, so why not trim them out with another part of the rim? AND....I know I'm not as hard hitting as others here on the forum that just do PCGS coins, and I have the utmost respect for their collections and knowledge, but I find things to like about both companies and I think they keep each other competitive and honest. I can only hope that the PCGS people keep passing on great coins in NGC holders so I can finish certain sets! Sheesh, I have a problem totally buying into just one companies marketing strategy, makes me feel like a sheep. In other words, I don't own rolex, louie bags, or a caddy when we all know there is so much more value out there when we think for ourselves, it is what is in the slab that counts. JMO Matt
Yes, you can add any coin to PCGS's personal inventory. New around a year ago. I use both sites and PCGS's is easier, faster, and allows more and larger/better photos. Other features are similar. Edgeview not only screws up photos (which should never be photoshopped to remove them!) but it hides a good bit of the rim. Some series worse than others due to the size of the coin. Here's a scarce Petite head, large letters cent I won at a recent Heritage auction. NGC graded AU58. Look closely at the auction photos and you can see just a hint of rim damage. But its real extent is concealed by the holder. See the raw version for comparison. There's more to this story, for another day. Lance.
