Best TPG for varieties?

In y'alls experience, are any of the big 4 grading services better/worse/inconsistent in grading varieties?
I have some 1938-s Lincoln cents that sure look like FS-501s and maybe one FS-502.
Any advice?
Oh, and does a 1960 Small date Lincoln count as a variety? I'm not sure whether I need to include the extra fees for that or not.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Let's see them, perhaps we can save you some bucks.

 

Agree with @Kentucky, let's see em.

 

NO CONTEST!!! ANACS or ICG.

 

+1

 

I said it backwards: I have maybe one that's a FS-501, and several that look like FS-502s. Here's two views of one of the 502s.

 

That looks like a match for 502 to me based off of coppercoins:
http://coppercoins.com/lincoln/diestate.php?date=1938&die_id=1938s1mm002&die_state=eds

Does yours have the die cracks on the reverse?

 

And here's two views (I hope) of the one that looks like a FS-501:

 

It looks like it to me. Again, based off of coppercoins:
http://coppercoins.com/lincoln/diestate.php?date=1938&die_id=1938s1mm001&die_state=mds

 

No, darn it. At least not to the naked loupe, and it looks like the ones in the example should be easily seen.

 

Well check out the MDS and LDS for them too. Looks like they don't have the die cracks:
http://coppercoins.com/lincoln/diestate.php?date=1938&die_id=1938s1mm002&die_state=mds

http://coppercoins.com/lincoln/diestate.php?date=1938&die_id=1938s1mm002&die_state=lds

 

HEY! I've got this one!

 

And I have two with reverse cracks like in the second link

 

Very nice!

When attributing, there are usually markers to consider on both the obverse and reverse. Closeups of the area in question (like the mint mark for RPM/OMM consideration) help in determining how to attribute the variety. But, it is even better to give a clear high-resolution photo of the entire coin.

I am surprised nobody wanted to answer this one for you. NGC does not charge for the small/large date "varieties". I do not believe PCGS does either (somebody can perhaps authoritatively validate that) as they are not in their list of varieties that are charged the $9 attribution fee. Perhaps somebody will pipe up about ANACS and ICG, as well.

 

I don't send my coins to TPGs so I can't really help there.

 

Agreed.

ANACS is best with varieties.

I don't know much about ICG but have heard that they are good

 

And if you don't want the expense of grading or they're already graded, you send them to Variety Slabbing Service (me). I do mostly VAMs, but will do anything else for which I have references.

 

Another excellent Variety grading company is SEGS imo

 

There are so many varieties popping up, particularly in the Lincoln Cent series that values cannot easily be established.
Generally that's because no one knows how many exist.
Probably takes 10 years (maybe more) to get a feel for that.
Then you have to take into account how many people want one (supply & demand).