If It’s In a Slab, It’s Got to Be Legit
Not so fast there cowboy! Recently on both Morgan and Peace dollars, “certification” numbers have been found on more than one coin. The crooks are getting smarter.
Unsuspecting buyers look the certification number up on a legitimate grading company website, sees that the number corresponds with the coin, and thinks that everything is A-Okay. The truth may be that the coin is a fake, the holder is fake, and the certification number is also fake. Crooks are creating multiple “coins” and then using a legitimate NGC or PCGS registration number on the holder. There is a correct coin out there with that certification number somewhere. But there may be several counterfeits also.
PCGS and NGC have temporarily deactivated some numbers that they know have been used in this way.
If you happen to be attending the Central States Numismatic Society convention in Schaumburg, look for an educational display of the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF). They will have examples of some of the fakes they have come across.
How do you avoid being scammed? Work with a reputable dealer or coin expert and stay away from places like Craigslist.
Clubs and Associations
- American Numismatic Association
- American Numismatic Society
- British Numismatic Society
- Central Ohio Numismatic Association
- Central States Numismatic Society
- Florida United Numismatists
- Numismatic Society of India
- the Cincinnati Numismatic Association
- The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association
- The Royal Numismatic Society
Coin Links
- Boy Scouts Merit Badge
- Buffalo Nickels
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Calculate your coin's gold, silver, or metallic worth
- Coins & Currency in Colonial America
- David Lawrence Rare Coins Reference Library
- Dayton Metro Library – Coin Books
- Fixing PVC damage
- Indian Head Cents
- Legandary Coins and Currency from the Smithsonian
- Medalblog
- Mints of the World
- Monnaie de Paris
- NapoleonicMedals.org
- raregoldcoins.com
- Royal Canadian Mint
- Smithsonian Institution Collection
- Starting a coin collection
- The Kittredge Collection
- The Perth Mint
- The Pobjoy Mint
- The Princeton University Numismatic Collection
- The Royal Mint
- United States Mint
- University of Virginia Coin Collection
- Where is my coin from?
Coin News
Miami Valley Coin Dealers
Speciality Clubs
- American Tax Token Society
- Barber Coin Collectors' Society
- Dayton Diggers Metal Detecting Club
- Early American Coppers
- Encased Collectors International
- Fly-In Club
- Liberty Seated Collector's Club
- Medal Collectors of America
- National Token Collectors Association
- Numismatic Bibliomania Society
- The Bust Half Nut Club
- The Civil War Token Society
- The Colonial Coin Collectors Club
- The Elongated Collectors
- The John Reich Collectors Society
- The Society of Paper Money Collectors
- The Token and Medals Society
- Unrecognised States Numismatic Society
- Worldwide Bi-Metallic Collectors Club