Grading Houses Vs. Your Intentions

If resale value means something for that coin... PCGS followed by NGC. If it's a low to medium value coin for my own collection, ANACS. A few reason for that.

Love the angled top of the slab with coin info. Very easy to look down at a 20 coin slab holder and pull out the one I want.

$39 flat fee (up to 20 coins) for conservation. Vs paying per coin at the others. And also with NCS/NGC I hate having to submit any I want conserved separately from any I just want graded. With a submission fee for both. No submission fee at all with ANACS. I collect a lot of modern commemorative proofs. They get cloudy and spotted even in mint packaging. ANACS conservation brings them back to looking brand new. Those are low enough value they are barely worth the cost of grading. Def not worth the cost of $25-30 per coin conservation at the other two. Of my next submission, I have prob 10 that could benefit from conservation. That's $3.90 per coin with the flat fee. If it's a higher value coin with a more serious issue, then I'll likely send it to NCS/NGC.

Great specials. I'm Submitting 15 to 20 coins next week before their current special runs out.

More flexible. I can send US and world coins on the same submission sheet. NGC... two sheets with two submission fees.

To piggy back a little, I have a question regarding ANACS grading. I have several GSA Morgans that I am considering for ANACS grading with their current special, the GSA grading is $5/coin; someday those GSA Morgans will be sold, is there really a significant difference in price that would warrant bypassing the GSA Morgans being graded by ANACS vs NGC or PCGS?

Thank you all for your replies. They've been extremely helpful and helped me sleep better at night :)

So I've boiled it down like this: If you have something incredible, PCGS. If you have something nice (like semi-key dates in really great shape but not astounding where the cachet of a PCGS slab isn't really necessary, then NGC. (Especiallly because for some people, it could be a coin toss between the two even tho the edge might go to PCGS because of personal preference or the sizzle on the steak, but you still won't go wrong with NGC if you have an eye toward selling your stuff someday, especially for the cost vs. PCGS. Lastly, if you want a reliable grade and a slab and don't have a lot of cash to burn, then ANACS.

For example, I inherited a 1921-D Morgan (awesome details, but not huge collector demand) that might have been lightly cleaned at some point with, say, a pencil eraser as opposed to dipping or rubbing with a baking soda paste. I could just put it in a Mylar flip and relegate it to the "good but not good enough" section of the collection, but I still thin it's pretty special personally, so I'll end up sending it off to ANACS. If it comes back graded high, someday I might send it off to NGC for them to crack and grade and take my chances there and still not lose my shirt. It'll still sell pretty good in an NGC slab vs. an ANACS slab especially if the Morgan turns out to be not cleaned.

Of coruse, there are some grading houses to run -- not walk -- away from. An ANACS/NGC/PCGS slab will get your coin some respect among anyone not exactly intent on splitting hairs.

As always, opposing viewpoints welcome. Especially if I'm totally misguided on this.

Good comments and a perpetually important topic.
My own experience suggests PCGS can be inconsistent on grades but I would definitely prefer them for high-value coins, especially when there is a big price increase for small grade differences. I have a few expensive coins in NGC holders that seem a tad overgraded.
ANACS is great for authentication and for determination of whether a coin has problems (cleaning, damage, etc.).
FYI, the 1921 Morgan in the OP's first post looks cleaned. I would not invest even an ANACS fee to get it graded.

Just to comment something different. Don't get the coin in the photo graded, its been cleaned and basically only worth melt.

@keith12 and @grapecollects: You would know this how, exactly? I'm not questioning your estimation since I don't even know for a fact whether it's been cleaned or not; I'm just wondering how you'd be able to make that judgment from an admittedly bad cellphone pic. I'm not being smart-arse; I really want to know.

In real life, that Morgan isn't all bright-shiny new, and knowing where it came from, my great-aunt/grandmother who it came from really didn't have the initiative to go cleaning random coins they had stored in some cigar box in a dresser drawer. Heck, it's not even a key date/mint mark. It's basically a folder hole-filler or melt candidate.

Unless you're looking at a coin in real life, IMO it seems like it would be a bit tough to determine whether it's been cleaned or not.

@Lancek said >> And since values can skyrocket with even one number grade difference, I think it amplifies the difference in perceived value between PCGS and ANACS. \<

That said, I'd say split the difference and submit to NGC, no?

My only asterisk would be with a coin that's obviously rare/key date highvalue condition even if it was in G shape for the mintage and population -- then PCGS is the way to go, no question.

I like ANACS for coins that deserve grade and slab, even if for sentimental reasons. Their price is right for the budget-minded. Better coins that deserve to get grade and slab because they're lookers and the obvious condition/mintage/population call for NGC. PCGS is IMO for those king-hill specimens worth the cost and effort.

For example, I wouldn't entrust this FEC of mine to anyone other than PCGS.

As it happens, in deference to everyone who ha e estmated that the Morgan in question has been cleaned, I had no intention of getting it graded, since even I question whether it was cleaned by my great-aunt/grandmother. It's mostly a sentimental/melt candidate.

I still wanna know how you guys determined this is a cleaned coin, tho.