Certified Gold Coins

Certified Gold Coins at BGASC

Gold coinage has a long and rich history. Gold used to be included in circulation coinage, but now is used as a hedge against the market. Investors and collectors purchase gold coinage as investment pieces and or to diversify their portfolios. Furthermore, you can also purchase certified gold coins. These are gold coins that have been professionally graded and encapsulated to preserve their graded condition. Learn more about certified gold coins right here, at BGASC.

Background of Certification

There are several services that professionally grade coins. However, two of the most well-known are the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

• NGC: Founded in 1987 as a third-party grading service that is independent from any mint.
• PCGS: Founded in 1985 by a small group of the nation’s leading coin experts.

Both the NGC and the PCGS use the Sheldon Scale to grade coins. The Sheldon Scale was created in 1948 by Dr. William Sheldon. In theory, a coin with a grade of 70, is 70 times as valuable as a coin with a grade of 1. Prior to this, there was really no sound structure in place to grade coins.

Terminology

Both the NGC and the PCGS use the Sheldon Scale to grade coins from 1-70. However, these coin-grading providers also preface the grade with unique terminology. Grades are prefaced with one of the following.

• MS: Mint State. Applied to coins graded from 60 to 70. Coins are in the same format as circulation issues.
• PF/PR: Proof. Used to identify a proof strike.
• SP: Specimen. Used to identify a hybrid strike between Mint State and Proof.

Furthermore, certified gold coins can have other designations, such as the following:

• DCAM/UCAM: Deep Cameo/ Ultra-Cameo. Reserved for proof coins that display a frosted finish with the design and a mirror-like background.
• FS/ER: First Strike/ Early Release. Identifies a coin that is received by the PCGS or the NGC within the first 30 days of the coin being released.
• FDOI: First Day of Issue. Identifies a coin that is received by the PCGS of the NGC within the first 24 hours of the coin being released.

Popular Certified Gold Coins

• Certified Pre-33 Gold Coins: Pre-33 US Gold refers to circulation gold coins that were made before 1933. This includes double eagles, eagles, and half-eagle coins among others.
• Certified American Gold Eagles: The American Gold Eagle is the official gold bullion coin of the United States. These coins have been issued annually since 1986 and are also available as proof strikes and burnished strikes. It’s common to see these coins graded as 69 or 70 due to how new they are.

Acquiring Certified Gold Coins at BGASC

Do you have questions about these certified gold coins? Contact the BGASC customer service team today. We can be reached via email, through our online chat feature, or by giving us a call at 888-992-4272.