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Certification Service Comparison By Charles Calkins, WINS#47 |
| The following table compares the major coin certification services. Information presented is believed to be accurate, and summarized from the web sites, submission packets, and personal communication with each of the organizations. Certification services may or may not provide features in addition to what are listed - as this listing is not meant to be comprehensive, it is recommended that the services be contacted directly for details. The reader is also encouraged to contact the services directly for current pricing and tiers of service. This table is believed to be accurate at the time of the writing. |
|
Service |
Contact Information |
Types of Coins Certified |
Types of Coins Not Certified |
How Impaired Coins are Handled |
Attributions Assigned |
Slab Label |
Are Population Reports Available? |
Will assign MS/PF-70? |
Responsive to inquiries made via email? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Numismatic Authentication Collector Services (ANACS) |
ANACS P.O. Box 182141 Columbus, OH 43218-2141 Phone: (800) 888-1861 Web: http://www.anacs.com Email: webmaster@webplex.net |
Any coin listed in Krause-Mishler's Catalog of World Coins, U.S. Hard Times Tokens in the Low/Rulau reference, U.S. Civil War Patriotic and Storecard Tokens in the Fuld references, So-Called Dollars in the Hibler-Kappen reference, and error coinage. | Any coin larger than 40.6mm (such as the Panama-Pacific $50 commemorative) or thicker than 3.8mm. Cob coins, counterstamped issues, certain emergency issues, certain Mexican Revolutionary issues, United States colonial coinage save the Fugio Cent, California fractional coinage, blank planchets, or pieces with PVC contamination. | The coin will be encapsulated but given a "details" grade similar to the standard grade of the coin, and a "net" grade, generally lower than the "details" grade - how low depends on the severity of the impairment. | VAM, Overton, Fivaz-Stanton, Sheldon, Newcomb, Cohen, Bolender, Breen, Flynn, Snow and others. |
US coin slabs list the grade, date, and denomination. World coin slabs list the grade, date, denomination and country of origin. Extra information is given as appropriate (e.g. the type of error if it has one) |
Yes | ? | No, though common questions will be added to an online FAQ |
| Ancient Coin Certification Service (ACCS) |
Ancient Coin Certification Service P.O. Box 5004 Chatsworth, CA 91313-5004 Web: http://www.davidrsear.com/certification.html Email: orders@davidrsear.com |
Most ancient coins | Indian and Chinese ancients | N/A | N/A | Coins are not slabbed - they are returned with a certificate of authentication. The certificate, depending on the certification tier, will contain a photo of the coin, its grade, and a description of its historical context. | N/A | N/A | Yes |
| ASA Accugrade (ACG) |
ASA Accugrade, Inc. P.O. Box 915103 Longwood, Florida 32791 Phone: (407) 788-7545 Fax: (407) 788-9272 Web: http://www.asa-accugrade.com/coins.htm Email: coins@asa-accugrade.com |
US, World, US Colonial | Ancients, coins that are not symmetrical | Damaged coins are not certified, but cleaned coins are certified, and "cleaned" marked on the slab | Most, but the coin submitter must provide a photocopy of the variety page containing the desired attribution with the coin | US slabs list date, denomination, and grade | No, but planned for the future | Yes | Yes |
| Independent Coin Grading (ICG) |
Independent Coin Grading Company 7901 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 50 Englewood, CO 80111 Phone: (877) 221-4424 Phone: (303) 221-4424 Fax: (303) 221-5524 Web: http://www.icgcoin.com Email: customersatisfaction@icgcoin.com |
US and its territories (everything in the Redbook), World (1700 to present), and nearly all ancient coins (Greek, Roman and Byzantine up to Justinian II), and errors. | Coins larger than a Panama Pacific $50 gold piece, or thicker than three pennies stacked on top of each other. | Coin returned bodybagged, but only $5 will be charged instead of the full tier fee. | VAM numbers for the Top 100 and Hot 50, CONECA, Breen, Pollock, Snow, Fletcher, Greer, Overton, Kagin, Rulau, Krause-Mishler, Sear, Fivaz-Stanton, Judd, Sheldon, McCloskey, JRCS, Briggs, Wiley, Bowers, Breen-Gillio, Fuld, Friedberg, Vagi |
US coin slabs list the date, denomination and grade. Ancient coin slabs list the date (or date range), denomination, type of metal, issuer (empire, region or such as appropriate) and weight. Ancients with errors will have the error noted on the slab. |
No, but planned for the future | Yes | Yes |
| Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) |
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America P.O. Box 1776 Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: (973) 984-6222 Fax: (973) 984-7058 Web: http://www.ngccoin.com Email: service@ngccoin.com |
US, World (71 different countries, but the mintage years certified vary from country to country), Errors. Will also generally do all world patterns that fit within the date ranges of certifiable World coins, whether or not they are in Krause-Mishler. | Any coin over 44.5mm, and the thickness of a British cartwheel twopence or greater. | The coin will be attributed, returned bodybagged, and the full tier fee charged. | Breen, Sheldon, Valentine, John Reich, Browning, Overton, Bowers/Borkardt, VAM (top 100 only), Cherrypicker's Guide, Cherrypickers' Top 150 (but not varieties marked "low interest"), Redbook |
US slabs list the date, denomination, and grade. World slabs list the date, country of origin, denomination, grade and Krause-Mishler (or other, as appropriate) number. |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photograde Coin Institute (PCI) |
PCI Coin Grading Services PO Box 8609 Chattanooga TN 37414 Phone: (800) 277-2646 Phone: (423) 485 0997 Web: http://new.chattanooga.net/pci Email: pci@chattanooga.net |
US, World, Errors | Coins too large or too small for their holders, as well as coins not appearing in standard references. | The coin will be encapsulated, but the label will be red (instead of green) and contain a description of the problem. | VAM numbers |
US coin slabs list the date, grade, denomination, and mintage if known. World coin slabs list the date, grade, denomination, country of origin, and Krause-Mishler catalog number. Extra information is given as appropriate (e.g. the type of error if it has one, or the damage of the coin is impaired) |
? | ? | No |
| Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) |
PCGS P.O. Box 9458 Newport Beach, CA 92658 Phone: (800) 447-8848 Phone: (949) 833-0600 Web: http://www.pcgs.com Email: info@pcgs.com |
US, World (over 100 countries), US Colonial, Errors | Coins larger than 1.5 inches wide and 0.25 inches thick. Coins which are impaired, or cleaned to the extent hairlines can be seen with the naked eye. | The coin will be attributed, returned bodybagged, and the full tier fee charged. | They do not assign VAM numbers, and similarly, coins such as an 1882-O/O Morgan dollar would be identified only as 1882-O. | US coin slabs list the year, denomination, grade and PCGS catalog number. World coin slabs list the year, denomination, grade, country of origin, and PCGS catalog number. |
Yes | ? | Yes |
| Sovereign Entities Grading Service (SEGS) |
SEGS 1216 Lula Lake Road Lookout Mountain, GA 30750 Phone: (888) 768-7261 Web: http://www.segsgrading.com Email: SEGS1@BellSouth.Net |
US | ? | The coin will be encapsulated, but the label will contain a star symbol and a written description of the problem. | ? | US coin slabs list the year, denomination, grade, and mintage when known. Extra information is given as appropriate (e.g. the exact variety). Labels are color coded by metal - gold for gold, copper for copper, lavender for U.S. silver dollars and silver for all others. Labels are also added to the top edge of the slab so coins can be identified when stacked. | ? | ? | No |
| Information
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