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Understanding the Differences in Coin Certification Companies
by D. L. Crane
Certification companies differ throughout the
United States and some grade more liberally than
others. This means that they may put a higher
value on a coin than it is actually worth. As a
collector, this is disastrous for you, because
you need to be kept up-to-date on what your
collection is worth. Once you understand some of
the differences in how companies grade and
provide their coin certification, you’ll be
better able to choose your collectible items
with care.
Professional Coin Grading Service, or
PCGS,
generally has the highest retail value in the
coins they certify. They use two graders to
assess the coins (independent of each other,)
and if these two disagree, then a third is
brought in. For coins that are dated prior to
1970, there is a $30 fee to have these coins
graded. They are known to be conservative in
their valuing methods and will not over-inflate
the value.
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America, or
NGC, is also rated as a superior coin
certification company. They also provide a coin
cleaning services, independent of grading. For
coins valued at over $300, there is a $28 fee.
eBay users can get a 10% rebate directly to
their eBay account when they submit to NGC. They
are not quite as conservative in their coin
certification methods as PCGS, and if you feel a
coin has been over or under graded, they will re-examine
it for free.
Other certification companies include
ANACS, and the Independent Coin
Grading Company (ICG). These are rated as average, and
they have been criticized in the past for being
too liberal with their grading practices. There
are new grading companies that are created
almost on a daily basis. When dealing with any
of these companies, it’s best to remember the
old adage, ‘buyers beware.’
There are also certain companies that specialize
in grading foreign coins. Two of these are the
International Coin Certification Service (ICCS), a
Canadian company based in Toronto; and Robert
Matthews Coin Authentication, a company that
specializes in British milled coins.
Coin collecting is a hobby that many would argue
is actually much more than just a past-time. It
is an interest that people take very seriously,
and can accumulate security and wealth over
time. Knowing the various coin certification
processes and companies will ensure that you get
quality coins added to your collection, instead
of sub-standard ones. Always do your due
diligence when purchasing coins, especially from
auction sites such as eBay.
Click here to see:
Rating Coin Grading Services
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www.BestCoin.Com for a Free Coin Guide and
More Coin Collecting Information.
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