Mick writes: I inherited a small group of graded coins a few years ago. Some are graded by PCGS, some by NCI, some by ACG, and some by ANA/PNG. Of these grading services PCGS is the only one that I have ever heard of. If I’m interested in selling, would it be in my best interests to have the NCI and/or ACG and/or ANA/PNG coins regraded by PCGS? Or are any of the other three services as well-regarded as PCGS? Many thanks for your advice.
The value of the coins is probably the deciding factor. It is relatively expensive ($15-$45 per coin) to get coins certified and you would have to add that amount to the cost basis of the coins. The current “big 3” grading services are NGC, PCGS and ANACS. NCI, I think is defunct and ACG (Accugrade) primarily grades modern issues.
You need to get a professional opinion about the coins that you have before you take any action. Because a coin is encapsulated by a third party grading service doesn’t indicate that it is valuable. There are many graded coins that are worth less than the grading fees.
Though paying a grading service doesn’t necessarily make coins more valuable, in many cases it can make them more saleable. There is a game that’s played with coins that have considerable worth. The object of the game is to purchase, what the buyer thinks, may be an “undergraded” coin, then, have it re-graded and reap the profit from the difference. This is tantamount to gambling and interjects a heady risk factor in such a purchase (you don’t always win). It gets really exciting when the difference between grades means thousands of dollars. An attractive “raw”, that is, non-encapsulated, ungraded coin, can sometimes be better bait.
Breaking coins out of holders for resubmission is a game best left to experts, and I’m sure you’d be surprised to know that even the “experts” have a very lousy resubmission success rate. I’ve often heard dealers say things like “I was 1 (or 2 or 3) for 12, with 2 downgrades.” And many of these guys do this at coin shows using the $100 Express Line! Believe me, you’re up against factors and nuances that regularly stymie the professionals.
Why do many resubmissions come back at lower grades? Just one reason may be that the coin in question has already been submitted multiple times and has attained the highest possible grade. Upon resubmission (particularly if the service is being “tight” that day) the coin may very well come back at a lower, more conservative grade.
Also see: Should I have my coins professionally graded or not? and Why is there a difference between grading services if all of them use the same grading guidelines?
