Here are the raw Facts about Anacs Coin Grading
Anacs is the oldest of all the coin grading companies. It was started by the American Numismatics Association (ANA) back in 1972. The ANA recognized that something needed to be done about all the counterfeit and altered coins that were floating around. FYI: PCGS started serving the public in 1986 and NGC was formed in 1987.
Anacs did something the others didn’t want to do
When the coin grading companies were first formed, all of them only graded older coins. Anacs was the first of the coin grading companies to start grading modern issue coins. Pcgs and Ngc mocked this move and both stated they would never, ever, grade modern issue coins. When the public starting buying millions and millions of dollars worth of modern issue coins, to start and or complete less expensive and more attainable sets, Pcgs and Ngc quickly changed their tune.
Why does Anacs coin grading get scrutinized?
If you talk to a coin dealer, a small percentage of them will tell you they don’t like Anacs coin grading. Why is that? Well, it all has to do with HSN, the Home shopping network.
Mike Mezack, Master presenter and Salesman
Mike Mezack is the number one salesman of coins in the world. With career sales of over $1 billion, he has dominated the numismatic coin industry for 20 years. This created a rough relationship with dealers but a wonderful relationship with collectors. Coin dealers saw Mike sell on home shopping and realized that people that may buy at their shops were now buying from the comfort of their home. This realization did not make Mike their best friend. Last year, in a very tough economy, Mike Mezack worked 8 hours a month on HSN and sold over $125 million worth of collectible coins. The majority of coins that Mike sells have been through Anacs coin grading. This made some dealers associate Anacs with Mike and the loss of sales. Despite Anacs having a board member on the actual ANA board, dealers retaliated by saying Anacs was not as good as PCGS and NGC.
Well, which of the coin grading companies are the right pick?
In reality, all three of them. Why? Because they call carry the exact same guarantee. If you receive an Anacs, Pcgs, or NGC MS70 coin, they come with a guarantee that it is a perfect coin and if you determine it is not and was graded perfectly in error, you return it and either get your money back or get a new coin. This is the same exact policy for all three companies.
What do I buy?
I buy all three, I actually only buy gold and silver numismatic coins as I love the idea of having both numismatic and metal price in my collection. I only buy from the the big three coin grading companies and suggest you do the same.