Whether one coin is better than another is highly subjective and likely to spur immense strife. That said, a Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) sticker on a Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or a Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) graded coin will likely add significant value to the coin.
How Much Value does CAC Authentication Add to Coins?
In some cases, CAC authentication can add as much as 90% to a coin’s value. A coin’s value is dependent on its relative rarity, condition, and market demand. CAC stickers add this value by providing collectors with assurance that the grade a coin has received meets their rigorous standards. The CAC sticker is not just a green or a gold emblem. It is a seal of assurance from one of the most selective coin-grading organizations.
What Makes CAC Grading Unique?
The CAC was founded by John Albanese in 2007 with a mission to clarify and differentiate premium numismatic coins from others. Certified coins of the same grade may span a large gap of quality variance. CAC’s highly thorough and extremely rigorous standards of grading ensure that only the highest quality coins receive their coveted green and gold stickers.
In fact, less than half of the coins submitted to CAC earn this sticker, which serves as unmistakable proof that a coin has reached the standards of its grade. The coins CAC evaluates are awarded green stickers on slabs with superb quality and gold stickers on slabs that exceed the standards for a given grade.
Albanese also helped establish PCGS in 1986 and NGC in 1987. PCGS and NGC were both revolutionary in the consistent grading standards they established. These standards added security for collectors seeking accurately graded coins.
Should I Buy CAC Coins?
If your goal is to have the most certain and clear proof that the coins in your collection meet the criteria for their grade, then buying CAC-graded coins is an excellent strategy. You will have the peace of mind in knowing that when you buy a coin,
Who Actually Grades Coins?
In one sense, the grade of a coin is just an opinion. Grading coins is important as it establishes a numeric value for the surface condition, strike quality, and luster a coin displays. This is paramount for insuring and selling coins, as it is the opinion of a third party with a trained eye.
It is often an opinion that is the result of two or more judges grading based on numerous factors, and because there is a significant element that is subjective, coin grading always involves more than one professional coin grader.
PCGS grading involves at least two grading professionals. If there is a discrepancy between the two, a third grader casts a tie-breaking vote, and a fourth grader reviews the conclusion to ensure accurate grading.
NGC grading also involves at least two grading professionals. When the first two graders reach different conclusions, additional experts are brought to weigh in on the coin’s grade and especially consider factors like strike quality and surface conditions, as well as other factors.
CAC follows a similar method for evaluating coins. There are two primary coin grading professionals who independently assess a coin’s grade and whether or not it meets the organization’s standards. When the two graders reach different conclusions, a third grader is brought in to help determine the tie-breaking vote.
Today, CAC offers primary coin grading in addition to its other services. Due to their small staff of coin grading professionals, CAC coin grading does not offer the fast turnaround times that NGC and PCGS provide, but as the company grows, their grading times may begin to shrink.
