Editing Coin grading (section)

==Certification services==
{{Main|Third Party Grading}}

Coin certification services emerged in the 1980s as a response to the need for buyers and sellers to agree on grading.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coin Grading Systems - The History of Coin Grading Scales |url=http://coins.about.com/od/coingrading/a/grading_systems.htm |publisher=About.com |access-date=13 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116101910/http://coins.about.com/od/coingrading/a/grading_systems.htm |archive-date=16 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For tiered fees, certification services grade, authenticate, attribute, and encapsulate coins in clear, plastic holders.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of Rare Coin Grading |url=http://goldinfo.net/morabgrad1.html |publisher=Austin Gold Information Network |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906031826/http://goldinfo.net/morabgrad1.html |archive-date=6 September 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Professional Coin Grading Service|Professional Coin Grading service]] (PCGS), [[Numismatic Guaranty Corporation]] (NGC), Independent Coin Graders (ICG), and [[American Numismatic Association Certification Service]] (ANACS) are the most popular services. These are the only services whose coins have a special section on eBay, the largest rare coin marketplace. All four firms guarantee the grades and authenticity of their certified coins. Together they have certified over 80 million coins.<ref name="ngccoin.com"/><ref name="PCGS Coin Facts"/><ref name="ANACS"/><ref name="icgcoin.com"/>

At each of the four main grading companies, a similar process is used. Each coin is graded (on a verbal and 1 to 70 numerical scale) and authenticated by two or more graders, and then assigned a final grade by a finalizer, based in part upon the recommendations of the prior graders. Depending on the company, various descriptors may be added, such as Full Bands for Mercury dimes, [[Franklin half dollar|Full Bell Lines]] (FBL) for Franklin Half Dollars, or Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) for Morgan dollars, and the coin's die variety may be noted. The coin is then [[Coin slab|slabbed]] and returned to the customer.<ref name="ngccoin.com"/><ref name="PCGS Coin Facts"/><ref name="ANACS"/><ref name="icgcoin.com"/> In 2010, PCGS and NGC introduced "Plus" grading for high-end coins graded XF45 to MS68. A plus symbol (+) is added after the grade.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgs.com/goldshield|title=Gold Shield Page|website=PCGS}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/1599/NGC-Launches-Plus/|title=NGC: Launches Plus Designation &#124; NGC|website=www.ngccoin.com}}</ref>

In 2007, the [[Professional Numismatists Guild]] (PNG), a US association of rare coin dealers, released the results of a survey of major coin dealers who gave their professional opinions about 11 certification services. PCGS and NGC were rated "Superior" overall, with ANACS and ICG deemed "Good". PCI and SEGS were listed as "Poor", while called "Unacceptable" were Accugrade (ACG), Numistrust Corporation (NTC), Hallmark Coin Grading Service (HCGS), American Coin Club Grading Service (ACCGS), and Star Grading Services (SGS).<ref>{{cite web|title=PNG, ICTA Announce Results of 2006 Grading Services Survey|url=http://www.pngdealers.org/news-releases/item/59-png-icta-announce-results-of-2006-grading-services-survey|website=pngdealers.org|publisher=Professional Numismatists Guild|access-date=2015-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921201009/http://www.pngdealers.org/news-releases/item/59-png-icta-announce-results-of-2006-grading-services-survey|archive-date=2015-09-21|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ngccoin.com"/><ref name="PCGS Coin Facts"/>

Counterfeit NGC and PCGS holders have been reported, but significant measures have been taken by both services to remedy the problem, such as NGC's use of photographic verification for every coin certified and both services' employment of serial number verification and anti-counterfeiting features in their holders.<ref>{{cite web|title=PCGS Announces|url=http://www.coinweek.com/education/coin-grading/pcgs-announces-new-anti-counterfeiting-coin-holder-video-904/|website=coinweek.com|date=13 January 2014|publisher=Coin Week|access-date=2015-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NGC Confirms Counterfeit Replica Coin Holders|url=http://www.coinnews.net/2008/01/08/ngc-confirms-counterfeit-replica-coin-holders-3933/|website=coinnews.net|publisher=Coin News|access-date=2015-09-16}}</ref><ref name="ngccoin.com"/><ref name="PCGS Coin Facts"/>