With the summer coin season upon us, it appears that bullion coins will lead the way for the next couple of months.
Bullion sales are supporting the overall coin market as dealers report that more than 50 percent of their sales comprise modern bullion coins and related items. Keep in mind that some dealers do not participate in the bullion market and think business is still good. Of course, most of them deal in high-quality collector coins or high-end rarities, and the collectors ...
Full Article: NumisMedia Market Report: Carson City Gold Still Attracting Collectors - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Are you confused about Varieties and Mint Errors? Are you unsure about what varieties NGC recognizes? We will attempt to shed some light on the subject.
A variety is a coin that differs from its basic design type in some distinctive way and is thus differentiated by collectors. The 1960 D/D Sm/Lg Date 1C VP-001 is one such example of a variety. This coin was hubbed first with a large date design, then hubbed again with a ...
Full Article: Variety vs. Mint Error - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
This proof 1878 Shield Nickel looks pretty at first glance, but a more careful evaluation reveals that it's a fake. The old saying, "When a thief kisses you, count your teeth," can be applied to the world of business in many useful ways. And when it comes to counterfeit detection, it is also surprisingly apt, offering some very literal and practical advice.
Most classic coins display an ornamental border surrounding their rims, often consisting of beads or, more commonly, denticles ...
Full Article: Counterfeit Detection: The Kissing Thief - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Among early United States cents one of the rarest and most mysterious is Dr. William H. Sheldon’s variety number 79 having a reeded edge, an example of which has just been certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. Only eight pieces are confirmed to exist, and this one has been off the market for some 30 years. Its last public appearance was in a 1977 auction by the now-defunct Numismatic and Antiquarian Service Corporation of America (NASCA). NGC has graded ...
Full Article: NGC Certifies Rare S-79 1795 Reeded Edge Liberty Cap Cent - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Widely heralded upon its release, the Roosevelt Dime has drawn mixed reactions from collectors, yet still serves as a representative of the modern coin market. David W. Lange takes a look at why.
For collectors of my generation, the Roosevelt dime was once thought of as a "new" coin. While I wasn’t around at the time of its debut in 1946, I couldn’t help but make ...
Full Article: USA Coin Album: A Look at Roosevelt Dimes - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Latin America has been another destination for many United States coins. In 1835 the nation of Venezuela received permission to purchase and import 1.1 million copper cents from the Philadelphia Mint, though no documentation has been found proving this exchange was made. Researcher John Wright has observed, however, that half of the ...
Full Article: USA Coin Album: America’s Coinage Abroad, Part Two - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Lest you think spotting fakes is easy, take a look at this 1884-S Morgan Dollar.
Each month in this column, we discuss some of the fundamentals of counterfeit detection, using counterfeit coins as illustrations. To date, the examples shown have not been deceptive. By that, we mean that they would never fool a professional ...
Full Article: Counterfeit Detection: "Superfake" 1884-S Morgan Dollar - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the most-preferred certification and grading company in numismatics, announced today it has reached an unprecedented industry milestone -- 20 million coins graded. NGC is the first coin grading company to arrive at this historic number and it underscores NGC's position as the industry leader and guardian of numismatic interests around the world.
Mark Salzberg, chairman of NGC, is excited about the 20 million mark but says the ...
Full Article: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) Grades 20 Millionth Coin - MarketWatch
Metallic composition and weight can now be reported on the certification label.
NGC is introducing a new service line to perform metal composition testing at the submitter’s request. Metallurgic analysis is available for pattern, essay, trial and mint error coins, as well as tokens and medals. The cost of this service is $75 in addition to the NGC grading fee. Coins already certified and encapsulated by NGC can be resubmitted to NGC for metal testing for the flat fee of $75...
Full Article: NGC Launches New Metallurgic Analysis Service - Numismatic Guaranty Corporation
