Is it really possible that only PCGS and NGC get it right?

If you did this, your eyes would be opened ...

Take the same coin ... submit it to either PCGS or NGC ... you get a result back.

Crack the coin out and resubmit raw (again) ... and you get another result back

Do this 10 times.

You will end up with a SPREAD of grades.

For mint state grades, your results might range as much as 2 or 3 points ... perhaps from MS63 to MS65, for example.

Or for circulated graded maybe 5 to 8 points AU50 to AU55, for example.

If the coin was colorfully toned, you might get a few "Genuine - Questionable Color" results tossed in ... as well as some problem free grades.

If it's a copper coin, you will probably also get a spread of color classifications ... sometimes BN, sometimes RB, sometimes RD or DC. I have some PCGS DC coins that are CLEARLY RB.

Ultimately, when you submit a coin to a grading company its just an instantaneous opinion of 1 to 3 graders ... and opinions change (it might even depend on their mood, or perhaps the coins they saw just before yours, or what they had for lunch).

So when you see a grade on a slab, realize that it's just an opinion and subject to change.

it's probably even worse when you compare one grading company to another. One company's Proof 67 is another company's Proof 65.

Side by side images are all the exact same coin by the way!

I think that most grading company's try to get CLOSE to the true grade, but rarely hit it exactly. Grading is more of an art rather than a science.

 

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When all is said and done, it's still all just someone's opinion.

 

Funny. WingedLiberty and I had the same thought at the same moment but he beat me to the click by 60 seconds. Heh.

 

I've enjoyed reading each comment on this subject because I have to learn, on the grading curve, who to trust. Give me 50 people and you will get 50 different answers. Give us grading companies, PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG and you will get a different grade.
How often have each of you gotten a coin or bill back and said, "No that grade should be higher, I'm not happy with that". You know "B.S.!" Perfect world, perfect grading services. The difference in going to Macy's and going to Wal-mart. Only as an example of course.

 

DavidSetreeRareCoins ... Great minds!

I wonder if a better way to represent a coins grade would be a "bar chart" for each coin with a statistical probability of various grade numbers.

Say for my 1975-S

PR64 = 10%
PR65 = 30%
PR66 = 40%
PR67 = 20%

BN = 90%
RB = 10%
RD = 0%

So the most likely CORRECT grade for my 1975-S would be PR66BN. And would likely be the most COMMONLY returned grade on that coin if I cracked it out and submitted it raw say 20 times.



However you would need to be a millionaire and bored to tears to do all that submitting and statistical probability calculating. So most people are happy with just a single instantaneous opinion. Most collectors just don't CARE that much (however 1 point can make a huge difference in price for certain dates/mints -- so there is that financial aspect).

 

Or, you could collect ancient coins where the good stuff is cracked out of slabs and the coins are handled. Seems to me that the process of encasing, cracking out and re-encasing could reduce a coin's grade - oops.

 

In the same vein, I have had both NGC and PCGS coins I have cracked and sent to ANACS and have come back higher, a F to VF, one came back with FB designation and one MS60 to MS63. I was just checking because of all the controversy that has come up on the forums and on eBay, and coin publications for years, except for the VF, I wanted to sell it. I did get more money for it. The other two are still in my collection. I did send more than that to be truthful. Some came back less(2) but the majority came back the same. I sent a total of 15 coins. It has been about a year ago and things might have changed but I don't think so. All three companies are very good in my opinion. I guess it is still the choice of the owner of the coins.

 

I've personally crossed over PCI to NGC and have got a higher grade. It's all about money.

 

No way... statistics is about large #a. Trying to. a single datum is bogus.

 

x

 

After all the different opinions, if you really think that ANACs is better than the others, would you send your ANACs graded MS or PF 70 to the other graders to get them in a different holder that sells better? You are probably not going to take the risk because the other grading companies might grade tougher and they might grade lower. If I owned NGC, they would grade to such strict standards that they would run the other companies out of business. The standards for each coin would be published so you could compare your grade to theirs.

 

Can anyone say Volkswagon!

 

Buy the coin, not the opinion.

 

I agree whole hardely

 

Amen

 

After being in America for more than 10min. you should realize it's called HYPE or "Madison ave fibs" = how stuff's sold here.

 

They may have been led to believe pcgs is "better" than the others?

 

I agree that's why I learnt to grade myself so I'd know what I'm buying..

 

Tight grading doesn't sell, especially if you're the only one doing it.