PCGS Vs NGC Grading

I prefer PCGS to NGC nowadays for my one Registry set. PCGS has a better resale value and one day my heirs are going to have to dispose of it so having it in a PCGS holder will bring a better sale price (I hope).

I acknowledge the fact that probably half of my Registry set (Vickie fifty cents) is overgraded by PCGS (mainly coins graded prior to two or three years ago), but I do enjoy the Registry set chase in this particular instance so I am OK with it. At some point I am going to submit my overgraded pieces to PCGS under their grade guarantee and get my collection into properly graded holders. This is where PCGS is superior to all of the other services as they back their grading with a moneyed guarantee. (I don't know if NGC offers such a guarantee).

Beyond that I am getting away from owning certified Canadian coins in general, unless they are dates that are prone to counterfeiting. I've whittled my certified collection down from over 200 coins to less than 60. I am finding that I prefer raw coins over even ICCS, although I still have a handful of ICCS coins in my collection.

Overall I feel that ICCS is still the top dog but they are losing their edge. PCGS on the other hand, has skin in the game and offers a grading and authenticity guarantee that is backed by money. NGC seems to do OK grade-wise but, except for Vickie halves I buy the coin, not the holder and then crack them out for my albums, up to AU58.

Overall I have stopped collecting mint state coins as I consciously return to my collector roots. I find that I am having a lot more fun collecting problem-free uncertified pieces and I don't miss owning lots of high-end material. So, PCGS, NGC, ICCS, it's all the same to me anymore.

Ahhhh yes. A topic near and dear to me. I couldn't possibly pass this up. To preface I'm an NGC dealer. Primarily because I deal with foreign coinage but also due to quality and process of grading, service, cost, geography, speed of submission, online systems, etc...First to address SPP's concerns. I'll send a note to NGC and question the rational behind adding the PL designation following a business strike (MS) numerical grade and report back. With respect to the German planchet (and I haven't researched this coin), and although two wrongs don't make a right, ICCS' track record with properly attributing these coins is poor at best and I believe they no longer do it. With respect to the grading game, one has to understand that it's big business and as online venues become the predominant vehicle of trading coins, it will undoubtedly continue to grow leaps and bounds. I think many would agree that over the past 20 or so years PCGS has held somewhat of "gold" standard designation with respect to consistency and not caving into outside pressures with NGC being the close second. I would also agree with the statement that in the past probably some of the word's finest coins have been encapsulated in PCGS holders. Before PCGS and NGC (who opened doors in 1986/1987 respectively (incidentally so did ICCS)), it was ANACS who on the most part pioneered the process and was the king of US coin grading for quite some time (well ok, the only one really doing it at the time and supported by the ANA). Now here is where I put on my dealer cap. Although I've had some minor attribution issues with certain world coins, NGC has been very open to suggestion and is continuously trying improve quality control and achieve better consistency in grading and attribution. They've also been on a fairly aggressive expansion path and really finding their niche in the world coin market opening offices in Europe and now in China. Frankly, I like the company and it's attitude as well as a conscious effort to continually improve and expand. You may remember that in the early part of the last decade, Coin World did some extensive grading comparisons between a few services and gave equal marks to PCGS and NGC as far as consistency and quality of grading. ANACS is currently your only reputable option for "problem" coins. With respect to Canadian coins, no one disputes that ICCS has traditionally had a stricter stance on grading SOME coins visa-vi US TPGs. And I say "some" because ICCS will numerically grade problem coins that neither PCGS or NGC would touch. And although that disparity might have been consistent in the past (older ICCS holders), it's not all that a frequent occurrence today (I've provided many examples on this forum over the past year). Just my opinion, but I believe largely because it seems that ICCS' grading has fallen more inline with the NA "book standard". A good example of that are grade comparisons of older ICCS holders to current ones (a topic frequently discussed here). At the other end of the spectrum, undoubtedly companies like PCGS & NGC take note of how ICCS grades Canadian coins and learn from it. Both ends will eventually meet somewhere in the middle. Out of 8 coins that I cross graded over the past few months at different grades and denominations, only one was graded lower by ICCS. As the TPG market grows (be it here and/or across the border) the consistency of grading will improve and the grading methodology will come in line. Like it or not, as companies like NGC and PCGS expand more into world markets, their influence on grading will also be felt worldwide as well as here.

I see ms70 regular strikes graded by NGC for around 70 and PCGS 85$

Ok Folks - PCGS vs NGC:
I currently have membership for both PCGS and NGC so here is my opinion:

NGC ALL THE WAY! - Why?
1. Way faster turn around time for World and US coins - I have submitted coins a dozen times and especially World coins PCGS is 21 days (subject to change) and they are constant at 28 days. NGC is 12 days for World coins and they average about 10 days. About a dozen times in the past year folks.

2. Holders seem to be the same quality but NGC to me seems like a better holder and it stores a tad better. Meaning they fit together better to stack and carry.

3. I'm in Northern California and I have to ship to Florida for NGC vs PCGS is in my backyard (Southern California) and the shipping costs are a tad cheaper with NGC.

4. When you call Customer Service PCGS folks are RUDE and don't know anything about your coin. They have a standard line, "The grader is doing research and it should be done soon". You call back 10 days later and its the same line. One time my order took 2 months, they simply don't know or care. You Call NGC and they let you know what is going on with accurate information. ***Except the shipping department for PCGS they are cool and inform you of everything***

5. NGC worldwide, when I visit other countries; people seem to know NGC more than PCGS. Although they both are the standard one worldwide sticks out more.

Other than that both companies offer the same security, grading practices, etc.

Ditto for me. I do most of my foreign stuff at NGC. Love the service and even more so as a dealer. I appreciate ANACS for foreign problem coins and I agree they have become VERY conservative. ICCS for most Canadian coins by virtue of no choice (due to market). PCGS for certain high end US coinage. Of note, you have to love how PCGS grades Canadian copper and I think they will become the standard for Canadian cents over time.