Gold Coin Certification

Certified Gold Exchange only buys, sells or trades in gold coins and precious metal products that are independently certified by one of the following recognized authorities:

• Government issued gold and silver bullion coins
• Johnson Matthey or Credit Suisse pure gold bars
• PCGS or NGC certified gold and silver rare coins
• Johnson Matthey or Engelhard silver bars (pure)
• Any Comex acceptable gold, silver or platinum bars

How can I be assured my gold coins are authentic?

It is very important you understand gold coin and bar certification before you start to invest in precious metals. Pricing gold coins and bars without general knowledge of the certification process is like trying to compare prices on apples and oranges. Therefore, we have outlined a simple formula to insure your chosen precious metals are widely traded and remain completely liquid. Household investors without vast experience trading precious metals should focus on gold products certified by one of the leading authorities we have listed above.

With hundreds of gold bullion coins to choose from, how does an investor know which products to select? To simplify the process an investor should focus on one of the following gold bullion coins: American Eagle Gold Coins, Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coins, Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coins, Chinese Panda Gold Coins, or South African Krugerrand Gold Coins.

The certified bullion coins we have listed are widely traded and offer the same as cash liquidity in most countries. It's also important to avoid other types of gold bullion coins such as commemorative coins that may carry a premium above the bullion content alone, and which offer little if any upside potential, over more common coins.

A common investor mistake is to buy gold bullion coins that have been certified by PCGS. Reason: Most investors are aware that pre-1933 rare coins certified by PCGS offer the most tremendous upside potential in the gold market, so savvy marketers have started taking modern gold bullion coins and having them certified by PCGS, coins coming out of the mint will grade MS69 or MS70 -- there's nothing rare about that. If you purchase PCGS coins, make sure they are pre-1933 and not modern bullion coins.

Certification of Gold Bullion Bars

The most important aspect of gold bar certification is the hallmark, the authority that has assayed and guaranteed the purity of the bar. Although any Comex approved gold bar can be bought and sold with ease, investors seeking the world's most prestigious hallmark will choose Johnson Matthey or Credit Suisse pure gold bars. With a serial number and hallmark prominently displayed, each Johnson Matthey or Credit Suisse gold bars offers investors' immediate liquidity in over 190 countries.

Certified rare coin grading services

The world's finest rare coin grading company is Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

There are many different companies that will attempt to certify the condition of a gold coin. Only Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) are considered superior, and they are widely accepted by reputable dealers both nationally and internationally. Between PCGS and NGC certification standards, the Professional Coin Grading Service stands out as the clear leader; therefore all household investors of certified rare gold coins should purchase PCGS products only.

PCGS and NGC guarantee the grade and authenticity of any coin that passes their rigorous standards. After close examination and authentication by expert numismatists, each coin is sealed in a plastic holder with a serial number, description, and guaranteed grade. Once gold coins have been certified by PCGS or NGC, they can be traded by dealers on electronic exchanges as sight seen examples. With PCGS and NGC certification dealers, collectors and investors no longer need to be rare coin experts to safely buy or sell with the confidence of a recognized grading standard.

When shopping for rare coins, please remember that all grading services are not created equally. Coins graded by NGC (Numismatic Guarantee Corporation) may be slightly less appealing than PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service). SEGS, ANACS, PCI or ICG are generally worth considerably less money, and may even be illiquid.

Certified coins in sealed grading holders

Investors should be aware of some questionable tactics used in regard to the selling of graded coins.

• If you see an online trading platform that makes the claim any purchased coins will be graded by PCGS or NGC, there's a good chance most of your coins will be NGC.
  
  
• If an online trading platform fails to clearly mention the grading service you'll be receiving, it may be best to avoid the transaction.

Rare coins that have never been certified are called raw. There is much more speculation on this side of the market. Raw coins offer about the same upside potential as bullion, unlike the more profitable certified and graded versions of pre-1933 coins. The raw (uncertified) side of the gold coin market should be avoided by less experienced investors.

This guide has been designed for investors wanting to simplify the gold coin buying process by selecting coins that carry the highest degree of certification and ease of liquidity. Any deviation from the selected gold items recommended above may decrease your chance of a positive outcome.

For a complete explanation of coin grading, please request our 2008 Gold Coin Insiders Guide or call one of our specialist at 1-800-300-0715