I would say PCGS is just as notorious for this as NGC. For world coins, I basically don't trust any attribution PCGS assigns to a coin.
And, both services created a concept called a "mechanical error" to justify many of their errors. They basically say that if they make an obvious error ("typographical")
on the label and someone purchases a coin with said error for what the label says it is (not what it actually is) they they have limited liability.
The most recent blatant error I saw was a 1917 Type 2 SLQ slabbed by PCGS as a Type 1. The PCGS database also said it was a Type 1. But, the breast had chain mail clear-as-day.
Moral of the story: Both major TPGs make attribution and labeling errors. In sheer percentages they are quite rare (given they grade/slab thousands of coins a day). But, as with most things, the errors get all of the press and attention. No one is starting a thread for every coin in their collection that is properly attributed and slabbed.
Posted 03/06/2014 7:29 pm
