And, IMO, this is probably your problem. If PCGS thought they were 66's, then they would not have crossed. The cameos on the halves look fine to me.
Welcome back, now we have something to work with. The chances of getting a second tier (ANACS,ICG) or third tier (SEGS) coin CROSSED AT ANY GRADE CAMEO OR NOT at PCGS is sooooooo slim that I don't need to comment further. Why should they admit the TPGS services w/cheaper prices, faster turnaround, and better customer service are their equals as far as grading? It's VERY BAD for their "bottom line." Next time, crack the coin out and submit it raw. I think you'll be very surprised at the result. Bottom line. You sound like an advanced collector of these coins. Therefore, it is a good bet that you know more about the "Cameo" characteristics than the rookie graders that are possibly grading low value "economy" tier coins at PCGS. You have made the judgement of the depth of cameo on the coins you bought. That should suffice!
ANACS and ICG are highly variable. They are inconsistent at best. Sure, some of their coins coincidentally wind up accurately graded, but even a monkey throwing darts at a board will hit the bulls eye some of the time. I've seen some cross at the same grade, I've seen plenty cross lower, and I've seen a few cross higher.
I'll make a bet with you. Next time you go to a show, tell the dealer who you are and that you wrote a book. Tell him you wish to do an experiment. Let him hand you some ICG and ANACS slabs upside down. Cover the label with your thumb and guess the grade. I think you might change your opinion.
Let me rephrase: I have submitted about a dozen ANACS holders to NGC for crossover. Some came back the same, some came back less, and one came back higher. I've been around long enough, and I've viewed enough of these slabs, to know what I'm talking about. Old ANACS, with the soapbar holders, was fairly consistent and reasonably accurate - modern ANACS is a joke. The market has also made their determination - if you compare the average ANACS to the average NGC/PCGS, you'll notice a definite and significant discount in the ANACS slabs. Now, if a collector knows how to accurately and confidently grade coins, and has the opportunity to cherrypick, they can get really good deals by sifting through the ANACS pile. But on average, ANACS is looser and inconsistent. ICG is so far off that they are an afterthought.
I agree. "The market has also made their determination - if you compare the average ANACS to the average NGC/PCGS, you'll notice a definite and significant discount in the ANACS slabs." IMO, that is because "the market" has a hard time selling their coins due to uninformed collectors listening to the NGC & PCGS hype. "Now, if a collector knows how to accurately and confidently grade coins, and has the opportunity to cherrypick, they can get really good deals by sifting through the ANACS pile." ...And the ICG and SEGS pile. And the NGC and PCGS pile too. So your point is? "But on average, ANACS is looser and inconsistent. ICG is so far off that they are an afterthought."
So... who here successfully crossed a modern ICG or Anacs (1950-1970) proof Cameo? I think the answer might be nobody. I've successfully crossed Anacs, ICG and segs to pcgs. Just zero proof cameos.