FAQS ABOUT NGC GRADING SERVICES

A. Founded in 1987, NGC has graded more than 10 million coins. We have rapidly grown to be the leading third party grading service in the world due to our reputation for consistent and accurate grading, and our affordable and flexible grading tier options. NGC's Customer Service team is recognized as being the industry's best. For these reasons, NGC grades more coins than any other grading service, and more of the world's finest coins.

A. You have some options regarding how you may submit your coins to NGC.

• You may submit coins through an NGC authorized dealer. Please call 1-800-NGC-COIN for a dealer in your area or visit our member dealer directory.
• If you are an active member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), you may submit coins directly to NGC.
• You may submit coins to NGC by joining the Collectors Society which will allow you direct submission privileges to all independent members of the Certified Collectibles Group - NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corp.) and CGC (Certified Guaranty Company). Please call 1-800-587-1897 to find out more about the benefits of membership in the Collectors Society.

A. Most NGC member dealers will help you screen your coins and select the appropriate submission tiers, package your coins for safe shipment to NGC, and assist in determining insurance values for your coins so that they're protected against loss in shipping. With considerable expertise, NGC member dealers can save you time and money by helping you determine which coins will be eligible for grading. NGC member dealers are also able to answer many questions you might have about your coins or about NGC. The dealer submission system also allows NGC to utilize a more efficient tracking system for your coins when they arrive, so that your coins are returned to you sooner.

A. Contact NGC Customer Service and request a Dealer Application. It is required that you have been in the business of numismatics for at least one year and can provide at least four numismatic references.

A. When your coins are sent to NGC, you can be confident that they are entering a secure environment. Our highly sophisticated security system is state-of-the-art, and designed to ensure that your coins are under constant surveillance. All coins in NGC’s possession are fully insured. As soon as your coins arrive, they are assigned a unique ID number and are tracked throughout the NGC grading and encapsulation process. Also, each highly trained NGC employee will handle your coins as delicately as if they were their own.

A. Collectors Society members with paid full feature accounts can check the status of their submissions online by choosing “My Order Status” from the Coins menu after logging in.

Also, regardless of whether you have a paid account or not, you are welcome to contact customer service by calling 1.800.NGC.COIN. A customer service representative will happy to provide the status of your submissions.

NGC Authorized Dealers can also track submissions online. If you are not already taking advantage of this free service, just contact the NGC Customer Service Department to set up a password for access to your secure account.

A. Yes, you can have your coins shipped directly back to you from NGC via insured registered mail. Please note that the postal service allows for a maximum insurance coverage of $25,000 per package. Ask your NGC authorized dealer to write your name and address as the return address on the NGC submission invoice.

A. It is possible for a coin to be returned to the submitter ungraded and not encapsulated for a variety of reasons which include if the coin is not genuine, harshly cleaned, artificially toned, has altered surfaces, is damaged, has corrosion, exhibits rim filing, or a number of other reasons. Since these coins are still received, examined, tracked, and shipped just as a graded coin is while in our possession, all normal fees apply. Please see our No Grade Booklet for a list of possible no grade reasons and their explanations.

A. NGC does not commercially buy, sell or trade coins. You can ask your NGC member dealer about the value of your coins, or you can subscribe to The Numismedia Price Guide, an industry pricing guide. Major coin publications such as Coin World and Numismatic News also feature price guides.

A. In many cases, yes. This is more likely to be the case when trading occurs on a "sight unseen" basis. The Certified Coin Dealer Newsletter is a wholesale pricing guide which approximates the sight unseen "bid" levels for the certified market in U.S. coins. Demand for a particular grading service's certified coin may also influence prices according to what a buyer is willing to pay for that coin at a particular point in time. The vast majority of coin buyers today purchase coins on a "sight seen" basis and choose only those coins that meet their criteria, that is, they posses the qualities that are most important to them.

A. Since our inception, NGC has urged the business and hobby to buy the coin, and not just the description on the holder. We believe that a coin should appeal to the purchaser in a way that satisfies him or her, regardless of the grade or description on the holder.

A. No. The degree of liquidity for NGC certified coins, as with any certified coin, will vary according to market conditions and according to the particular coin(s) involved.

A. Yes. We strongly suggest that you visit the "legal notice" section of our web site at www.NGCcoin.com. Legal notices are also contained on the back the NGC Submission Invoice, and on the back of every PHOTO PROOF.

A. NGC offers the most innovative collector services among grading services, with its PHOTO PROOF presentation product and its VarietyPlus grading tier. NGC's strong commitment to the coin collecting hobby was a key factor in the decision by the American Numismatic Association (ANA) to select NGC as its official grading service. NGC is also committed to the success of the coin hobby through its support of educational forums, as well as its ongoing financial support of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA).

A. No. Once removed from its NGC holder there is no guarantee whatsoever as to what that coin will grade when resubmitted. This is due to the fact that we cannot account for where that coin has been, what if anything has been done to it, and for the overall subjective nature of coin grading itself. In addition, the grade of a coin may be affected if improperly stored and handled while in the holder.

A. Yes. In independent testing, the NGC security holder has been proven as the most effective grading service holder on the market today in minimizing the effects of oxidation. Even so, the NGC holder is not 100% airtight and therefore oxidation, a normal process where air reacts with the surface of a coin, can continue after encapsulation. To further limit environmental hazards, we recommend storing your coins in a temperature-controlled, low humidity area such as a bank safety deposit box. Be sure to check with your bank for rules & regulations concerning the storage of these items.

A. The NGC Guarantee does not apply to copper, bronze or copper nickel coins graded by NGC prior to April 1, 2000. To the extent that the NGC Guarantee applies to copper, bronze, or copper nickel coins, the NGC Guarantee expires with respect to such coin(s) on the ten year anniversary of the date of encapsulation by NGC. Additionally, any NGC certified coin deemed by us to be representative of a clerical error is not covered by the NGC guarantee. Clerical errors may be returned to NGC for correction of labeling at no charge to the submitter.

A. Discrepancies in grading of 1-2 points in MS60 and PF60 and better coins are not uncommon. In circulated grades a variance of 1-2 grades (i.e. VF35, XF40, XF45) also would not be uncommon. Discrepancies depend largely on how well trained the examining experts are in the area that pertains to a particular coin.

A. These coins may be submitted through NGC’s Appearance Review/Downgrade service. There is no charge for this service.

A. These coins should be submitted in their NGC holders through our "ReGrade" service, where you choose the cost and delivery turnaround tier for the coins you want ReGraded (ex. "ReGrade EarlyBird" 12 working days, $30).

A. An NGC pedigreed coin is a coin bearing a label with a name such as "Eliasberg" on it. NGC recognizes pedigrees based on the importance and significance of the individual coins or collections. A hoard (or large grouping of coins) may be recognized for pedigree based on the same factors. As with all other coins, the value of pedigreed coins is determined by rarity, condition and demand. This value may be less, the same, or more than similar non-pedigreed certified coins.