Can TPGs Be Relied On Re Authenticity?

Personally, I would stick with PCGS, NGC, ICG, or ANACS. PCI has also been considered fine for authentication, but not recommended for grading. I've seen too many inconsistencies with NTC grading to be comfortable with their authentication. JMHO

Thanks all
Mike, please do let us know. How would you grade it? where did you purchase it? Any pics? Why are you submitting it to ANACs now?
The link you provided is most useful summary of TPGs I've seen.

And to follow up-if one purchased a pcgs slabbed coin which one could demonstrate wasn't genuine, my understanding is pcgs would reimburse the owner. I couldn't find any such guarantee on the NTC site, nor is it mentioned on that ancients link Mike provided.
Don

Don,
I don't want to cause a firestorm of controversy by admitting I bought a slabbed AU58 coin from a "lower tier" service when quite frankly I only thought the coin was a Solid AU50. By controversy I mean many people boycott buying"overgraded" coins slabbed by some TPG's in hopes of running them out of business and would accuse me of being greedy at the cost of others being ripped off. The coin was actively bid for on e-Bay and sold at a very fair price for what I hope will come back an AU50. If it comes back a XF45 I'm O.K. from a buy standpoint. My main reasons for buying it were appearance, it fit a hole in my type set, price and admittedly hoping a top(or higher up the food chain)grading service would call it a AU50.I use ANACS when I think there is a chance PCGS or NGC might send a coin back in a "body bag". I also like the fact that ANACS will slab problem coins with clear explanations and assign it a market grade as well as the technical grade. I personally think ANACS is very tough on cleaned coins, even those just lightly cleaned. I have played around with crossovers and found ANACS to be more conservative in grading then most folks would have you believe. I think PCGS AND NGC would slab a lightly cleaned coin and just lower the grade with no explanation. I have gotten less variation on ANACS to ANACS re-submittals than I have with PCGS or NGC. My favorite example is a PCGS slabbed AU58 Type two $1.00 Gold Piece. It looked like an Unc.to me so I popped it out and sent it back to PCGS. Well to my delight it came back an MS62!!! That is an $850.00 coin jumping to a $5K coin. In another batch that I sent in was a stunning MS62 1853 Type one $1.00 gold piece. I thought I had a 63 maybe a 64 nailed. Well it came back an AU58!!! Go figure. The point that bothers me the most as were talking Circ. grades vs. Unc. Grades, one area where the pros should not have much trouble. If you want to see the coin (I don’t have it back yet) go to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...=3960297056. I’ll respond further after you take a look and tell me what you think. Thanks, Mike

Susan, the pictures were not that great but I've held the coin in my gloved hands. It looks very sweet to me. I pulled out the 10X Loupe and it did not appear to be cleaned. There was quite a lot of lustre in the protected areas and it had a very nice over all color. I think putting these coins in reputable holders does a service to the collecting community in the long run as they re-enter the martketplace. So you won't even take a shot at the grade based on those pics? What did you think of the buy price? What did you think of the sellers guarantee? Mike
P.S This coin is a Breen 6351, rare in all grades(15,833 minted) A small hoard of UNC's turned up in 1953. Another reason I went after it.

quote:

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Originally posted by Susanlynn9

I still won't hazard a guess at the grade based on what I see in the pictures. From what you're describing, I think you got a nice AU coin. I'm still very hesitant to trust my grading skills with gold. I tend to undergrade it because I'm unfamiliar with which coins have soft strikes to start with. Always more to learn.

With his return policy and the fact that you've seen the coin, I would say that you got a very good deal - Way to go!

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what she said.
Seriously, although it's tough to tell from the small photos, this newby can't see significant wear. You looked at it with a loupe- I bet you are correct about it being au. At the absolute worst, you have an ANACS slabbed XF coin with good eye appeal that you like and bought at a fair price, and I'm betting that you did much better, and got a good, perhaps even excellent, deal on which you can make a profit if you choose.

Sorry to hear that, Mike. It's nice that they're going to include notes, though. Consider that the extra money went for the learning experience. Many end up paying way over the value of the coin for lessons like this, so consider yourself lucky

I have some coins at ANACS and I think one might come back cleaned--if it does it was only diped in Acetone.
I should have asked for them to fax with the grades but I didn't...I wonder if I called them if they would tell..

Speedy