Is ANACS an Off-Brand Coin Grading Company? 

I like that ANACS gives a numerical grade for detail coins.

I used to walk my coins into ANACS to have them graded when i lived in Denver. I learned everything i know about the hobby from their wonderful staff. Literally would sit down and answer any question I had even go in the back and grab examples to show me.

I would say there are a couple things that make for a good grading company. 1. They have great coin knowledge and can tell authenticity of coins 2. They grade coins well when it comes to grades equaling the actual grades. Gonna say it here: in my opinion PCGS is the top spot right now ONLY because of the Coin Registry. This caused so many deep pockets to collect PCGS coins for bragging rights. Big money buys high grade coins for huge prices. This has caused other to say PCGS sells for the most so they are the best. I feel that PCGS, NGC, and ANACS are all reputable enough to consider the top 3. CACG will join them once they officially launch fully to the public. Others like IGC and SEGS have questionable grades on coins. I could go on and on but will end there.

You did a video not too lone ago where several old and valuable soapbox ANACS coins crossed over to PCGS at an equal or HIGHER grade!! That's why I love the old ANACS holder coins!

Anacs is very good with early coins, especially ones with the equivalent of a VAM -- whether it be a Breen number or a Davis. They are obviously not as well liked for say a BU Morgan dollar. Of course if a $350 coin gets $35 less but cost $40 less to grade(higher tier PCGS) you didn't lose anything. Sometimes I think people don't take it as seriously only because it costs less which is a bit paradoxical. Essentially they know it cost less to grade the coin, so they want that money as a discount. Another place Anacs is good for is error coins where you pay through the nose with PCGS/NGC.

ANACS is a top notch grading service. Economic fees and superfast turn around and spot on grading.

Anacs grades just as strict as PCGS , NGC. I will buy an ANACS holder just as quick as PCGS or NGC.

I love the soapbox holders got my best deals on them. No reason to Crossover both my dealers treat them like PCGS/NGC.

You’re spot on with your analysis of Anacs being the alone 2nd tier service. I would consider ICG, Segs, and Old PCI third tier

ANACS was the first grading company and I find many great coins for my collections.

Hey Ben! Always appreciate market news, thanks so much!

Now see, I kind of agree with you. Since I am a buyer, not really a seller, I absolutely Love the ANAC's graded coins. Reason being, I buy Coins not holders, if I see a 63-64 coin in a 65 holder it gets the 63 price from me. That holds true for all the "grading" services. The "top tier" graders CREATE a market for prices with their Price Guides, and before someone says "but grey sheet" very few carry a book to the shows-meets they have a phone. Love your Videos Sir and they are very educational Thank You....And BTW Stop Throwing James under the BUS. LOL

OMG excellent video, thank you for sharing. I shared you out b/c I was telling friends of mine that ANACS was the secondary market. great job

I have used all three for about 15 years, and in my opinion, ANACS sometimes graded harder than NGC or PCGS. I like ANACS for grading, but I wish they had a better holder with more security. Don’t care for the small holders. They are hands down the best at just about any variety listed. Just my opinion.

Also what you said about how higher value coins take a huge hit in a Anacs holder is also spot on. I would never buy let’s say a Flowing hair dollar for $2k in one their holders but I’d buy a common date Ms63 Morgan

I agree with everything you said about ANACS. However, I will continue to buy them. Take care.

Thanks for the video!

I always liked buying ANACS coins for crack-out to put in my album sets, especially if buying on line.

Ben, you're exactly right from what I see in the coin market. You said it correctly by noting that ANACS is the only second tier grading company. Thanks for the video

Superbly explained, and quite accurate, as you know.

Oh, my original reason for signing in to comment was for Ben. Hey Ben. I feel you provide a good channel for people of all experience levels. You're actually pretty funny too. Honest and genuine. Just like coin collectors look for in dealers and their products. Fitting, like a good holder. Keep up the good work and a big thank you.

I recently wanted just one coin graded. It only cost me $56 with ANACS for 5 business day service. NGC wanted $133 and PCGS wanted $166. Sorry, but those prices are ridiculous. Thank you ANACS for being reasonable with your pricing.

personally I like buying anacs and icg slabbed coins because I can find and get the same quality coin for anywhere from 20-40% off the price that if it were in a PCGS/NGC slab. The best looking MS65 morgan I have is in an ICG holder, the best looking proof-like morgans I have are in anacs holders, assuming same MS grade between different grading companies.

Thanks Ben!

I have no problems with ANACS, I also like the old ANACS holders. But yes the NGC and PCGS holders sell better.

Thanks friend!

great info Ben keep it up😁👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

What you should ask is it a respected brand by collectors

I'm an error collector so I've got lots of ANACS slabs, but I don't trust them on uncirculated non-error coins. The grades tend to be a point or two too high. They seem also to be slightly more likely to put cleaned coins into straight-graded holders. Still, if I were slabbing coins myself, I'd use ANACS for coins valued under $100. Otherwise I'm just paying too much for grading.

I liked the old (white) ANACS holders, but the current ones seem flimsy. You can press your finger on the front and they will flex. NGC's current holder has a good, simple, clean design.

I'd buy ANACS but Dealers don't pay as much for them...

I really like anacs because you can get a similar or superior quality coin for a discounted price compared to pcgs. Especially the soapbox holders. I believe the grading is on par with the big 2.

I agree with about everything you had to say. I'm sure you've had my experience with the statement "I'd buy that if it weren't in _________ holder". Insert the TPG of your choice here. Also, I think ANACS is hurt by the appearance of their holder. The yellow/gold just doesn't look good. I happened to be set up next to the ANACS table at a recent show and we had a bit of a discussion about this. The grader that was there (I don't know his name) seemed to feel the same way and said that the reason that they were yellow is that that was the favorite color of the owner a few years ago. That owner is now gone but the holder remains. Maybe they'll get a redesign sometime soon. It may be of interest to you that there were many collectors that did submit coins during the show. I didn't see many dealers doing any submitting though. Hope to meet you some day. I think we have similar views about collecting and the market.

I once bought an 1894 Unc Indian Cent in an ANACS holder that turn out to have been cleaned. No mention of the cleaning on the holder. From then on any coins slabbed are either PCGS or NGC. But hey, at least I learned to better recognize lightly cleaned coins for a minimal investment. Live and Learn.

😂 Alfred E. Neuman from MAD TV In the background

I crossed two ICG MS67 silver washington quarters to ANACS via crackout. ANACS called them MS63. Yikes. They're very conservative on Washington Quarters. Even more than NGC.

I've dealt with all 3 in tge last 3 months. Hands down the best customer service. I called them with questions? Yeah , a real person answered and knew what I was talking about. Ngc... spent 978, on a 20 coin submission. Get them back in a cardboard box. Have to buy plastic boxes on Amazon. Discusting. And so soap box. Pcgs was worse.

Question: I have two 5 rouble and one 15 rouble Russian gold coins (raw/ungraded) that I bought as BU about 40 years ago. Now planning on having them graded before I put them up for sale on Ebay. What grading company would you recommend for foreign gold that has a collective melt value north of $2000? I haven't been a student of the hobby for over 20 years. Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi Ben, two years ago I bought a 1877 Indian Head Cent in a old ANACS holder graded XF40 ! Cracked it out and sent it to NGC and it came back XF45 ! My win ! I bought the coin not the holder ! And I was right this time !

Back in 88 Anacs was the go to for me..Wish i had some dollars back. It seems 65 was the highest grade ANACS NEW

Ben, I'm a long time listener to your show. I contacted your office last month to request a quote for a gold coin, NGC, MS70 (1 oz, Australia, Kangaroo). Your office quoted me the melt price minus $25. When you tell people there is value to an NGC holder I suggest you practice what you preach.

Shout out to ICCS for Canadian coins. PCGS and NGC grade Canadian coins to US standards. A ICCS MS64 has a good chance of being a 65 in an American holder.

Tho I don’t personally like the look of ANACS holders the curve at the top that allows you to see the label while in a box is such a helpful and convenient design.

been doing this for over 50 years, all of them over/under grade at one time or another. I prefer pcgs over ngc, anacs can be a good buy, buy the coin if it fits your grade

Dealers on eBay don’t appear to discount their ANACS coins.

A lot of people do pay up for the old ANACS holders, but it is a different company today with completely different owners. Only time will tell if CACG will be a top-tier grading company. Stickering graded coins and grading from raw are two different things. All the companies have graders that have worked at one of the other graders so that isn't the qualifier. Right now it is PCGS, NGC, and everybody else IMO. Cheers!

Do you think it wise to send an ANACS graded coin to PCGS for regrading depending on the coins value?

There’s already a premium on the old Anacs holders on eBay.

I will by a holderd coin if i agree with the grade!

I love anacs. I consider it a legitimate coin grading company.

If you can get the "ANACS curve" price, I have no qualms about the quality I see from ANACS, especially the older SB slabs. I am a MS condition type coin collector and not a dealer, so my purpose is to obtain the best coin for my money and ANACS has helped me do that on more than one occasion. You're obviously correct about the "market paradigm" but the coin is the thing for me personally, and the ANACS soap box holders can deliver some real finds at significantly lower costs. I even have a nice ms64 barber dime in an ICG holder that was pretty much a steal. The other services you mentioned are questionable at best and should be avoided, IMO.

If ANACS and ICG wanted to be taken seriously, they must use holders that show the edges of the coins they encapsulate. I wonder if this one step would move the needle of acceptance a bit higher. Both should change to edge view and use that single leap to launch tighter grading.

Facts.

I do agree that ANACS is currently a second tier TPG. One can speculate as to why, but the sale to Amos and the mass exodus of key employees to ICG years ago certainly led to a situation where slow service times, poor grading by new employees and bad “PR” created the perfect situation to become second tier (One might recognize similar symptoms with current First Tier TPGs). With all that said, it is clear that ANACS employs highly respected individuals that are considered to be on par with the top TPGs as far as numismatics go; however, ANACS has left a great deal to be desired in how they develop/market their product. As far as quality of grading, I think it has been well documented on all platforms that ANACS’ assessments are within the same margin of error as the top tier TPGs, with some even complaining that they are too strict. Overall, I think that it very important to recognize that there is a distinct difference in fiscal responsibility between dealers and collectors. I will continue to sharpen my grading skills and focus on the coin rather than the holder. After all, many of those things in which we all experience in life are cyclical and one never knows what TPGS will be considered First Tier in the near future…

I've got a 2015-P Silver Eagle graded MS70 by ANACS. THE COIN IS GORGEOUS. However, I'm so damn scared it won't crossover to PCGS. We are talking 5-6 thousand dollar difference in price. I'm going to the 2024 Fun Show with the coin, and will probably roll the dice and submit it. It's just to nice to not cross....but ya never know.

That's the question: "...distinguish between coins that look good and don't look good." Pristine coins -- MS-level grades -- rob coins of their character. I just bought several slabbed double eagles from Apmex ranging from XF40 to AU55. The wear is stunningly beautiful. The toning. And, of course, the history implied in the wear. It's not entirely inconceivable that, had numismatism evolved differently, circulated coins could have been more highly prized (those that exhibit certain wear patterns and toning) than MS rated coins. But, regretfully, we don't live in that world. Numismitism evolved in a way that prizes MS65 coins and higher.

It’s too early to assume CACG is a top tier grading company. Today’s excitement could quickly turn into tomorrow’s disillusionment once the newness wears off. Just because their green stickers were popular doesn’t automatically mean their slabs will be. Personally I prefer them as a second opinion (which adds value to a slab) and am indifferent about their own slabs. The market will eventually decide.

I have some nice coins in soap box holders. I've left them there for... a very long time. I've been contemplating crossing them over to make them easier to sell for me or whoever gets the coins after me. I just have a hard time cracking those old anacs holders open. I know the market place doesn't share my feelings so maybe I should just give and and send them to PCGS

The coin flipper industry are the ones that set the grading market and they are the ones that labelled and marketed ANACS as a second tier coin grading company and influenced other to think that way. The flipper industry prefer the Questionable Color Coin Grading Company (PCGS) and the ANACS hating NGC because the two companies have an establish record of consistently under grading coins for non favored customers or branding their coin cleaned or some other other ambiguous flaw to keep the graded coin population to their desires and to keep prices where they want them to be. The coin flippers think because PCGS and NGC have a track record of under grading coins that it means they are more accurately graded. Coin grading is only an opinion and the same coin resubmitted to the same coin grading company often receives a different grade and/or different attribute or claims of some sort of flaw or variety. It's all quite a silly game of trying to get more money for some funky old coin.

Only use for anacs is 16D AG3 authentication

I find it crazy that CACG is automatically put in class as PCGS and NGC I find that crazy because people are putting them in that circle and they are not even taking outside grading and I bet they don’t for a while it almost seems like a guy started a grading company for his rich buddies to grade for them I am slowly not impressed with CACG

Yeah, truth hurts always try to buy the coin at discount then crack out and reholder

Uh, no. Their graders are just as good as PCGS and NGC. They just dont offer perks, like registry, price guide. They will give all variety attribution and all VAM attribution, which the others do not. Also, ANACS graded coins dont fetch as much at auction. Thats why, if someone had a rare or "money coin" in an ANACS holder, they will try to cross w/PCGS for top auction dollar.

Hi Ben - Great information once again - Of course you are not a hater of ANACS - The video is on oint. Here on some reasons to use ANACS - Error coins because ANACS attributes error coins at a reasonable cost If one would want to preserve the coin for their personal collection You are correct in not slabbing expensive coins as at the current time they would not bring the same results in selling as opposed to the "to two". Only drawback is if you leave your collection to in a will or estate - ANACS may not bring a better value. But, the bottom line you are correct - buy the coin not the holder - I know ANACS coins have been cracked out of the holder and have got the grade or higher - saavy collectors like to cherry-pick ANACS Thanks and best wishes

Nailed it, ANACS by itself, 2nd tier.

It is said that you send cheaper coins to Anacs but become become a “ victim” if I do so. I did send two coins that came back in a high grade that are worth thousands if they were graded by PCGS or ngc.

I like ANACS because they do not use prongs to keep the coins centered. Prongs hide details/parts of the coin. What if a rim ding happens to be hidden by a prong. I do not like that possibility. With ANACS you can see the rims/edges in their entirety. I also like the label - say after me please: Yellow. Yellow!

Anacs 1st gen holders are selling 1st tier atm for sure.

Those labels though

I use ANACS since I don't have to pay for a membership plus a ridiculous grading fee. That being said, I wish they would go back to the old soap box holders.

Imo pcgs and ngc have dropped the ball lately. ANACS and CAC are the best at this point imo. Maybe don't bring the money "yet" but hopefully they will soon.

Im curious to know why or what it was or is, that has pushed ANACS aside? I mean they were started by the collectors themselves. They are the original for the people in my view. Was there a bunch of incidents? Some sort of scandal? Would love to find out more if someone has a link to any factual info. I support ANACS when I can if its close in price and on same level as others ill choose them.

I think CAC not accepting ANACS coins has had a part in ANACS becoming "second tier". Them coin flippers sure love the CAC.

You have add no membership fees!!!!

I believe that there is an inflated price for PCGS and NGC due to the registry sets. If you take that away, they are all the same tier. If ANACS would create a registry system for their coins, they would rise above PCGS and NGC. As for what you can "get" for the coins in the "Tier 1" slabs, that is a result of the higher price it costs to use their service. Why pay more for getting the same return. (again, buy the coin, not the holder)

I only buy an ANACS coin for 1 grade lower price then what’s on the holder.

I have a quarter it has bulges on both sides that appeared to be extra metal somehow formed into the coin I was curious if that is worth anything who I can send pictures to that kind of thing

Anacs is fine for inexpensive coins. Been using them for years. They should have stayed with authenticating coins as they did not have a competent grading staff in 1979 when they started grading them. Their reputation as a result suffered and never revovered.

Do you consider ICCS off brand? They are expert for canadian coins, but don't grade much else. What do you consider good, niche companies?

If I should get a non PCGS graded u.s. coin I will crack it out and get it regraded with the best grading company out there. PCGS.

Everyone is their own greatest grader. I know I am.

ANACS are harder to break open with a hammer.

does SEGS still exist....I haven't seen one of them in a long time

Not an off brand bur can be used certification or validation. Is it considered lesser than pcgs ngc, yes, why..idiots want to pay for elitism. Learn to grade yourself. Verification yes, elitism no. Also, here come CAC. Like in Ghostbusters, the company has no CAC.

with the addition of Cacg, Anacs and Icg fall to the wayside in grading coins. coins in these holders don't hold value unless it's a very rare coin. all they are good for today is grading modern coins because they are low cost to grade.

I really don't like the yellow ANACS holders. They look cheap IMO. I will buy the soapboxes all day though.

265th

No they aren't. My first grading was with them. 2 top pops that crossed over to PCGS top pops!

Very good information on your channel, New Sub👍🏻👍🏻

Having been in the hobby and industry for almost six decades, I can unequivocally say that PCGS and NGC are no longer considered top-tier services by experienced numismatists like me, due to the loosened grading standards they adopted beginning in 1996-1997. And yes, the more recent ANACS slabs are generally considered to be third tier in the marketplace. ⚾️⚾️⚾️ ROGER, The LOS ANGELES DODGER

I honestly think their ugly yellow labels are about 70% of the problem. They're every bit as good as NGC or PCGS, but they look like the K-Mart of grading companies.

Not true, the coins they grade are less value or error coins& detail😅

First

CAC is off brand

Número trece

There are only 4 grading services that matter...PCGS...NGC...ANACS...ICG. CAC is not getting great reviews. PCGS & NGC are always battling for the top slot. ANACS will always be the #3 grading service... with ICG always in 4th place. The other companies you mentioned are a joke & have no validity in the market.

😁 🫣 🤗 👍

ANACS = ICG. The old soap box is the exception.

ANACS is garbage nobody should bother collecting them as a matter of fact you should all send it to me for proper disposal. ☺️👍

You did not mention ICG.