Coin Grading - Coin Certification Services

A number of North American companies offer third party coin certification services, which include:

Authentication, which determines whether a particular coin is genuine or counterfeit;
Classification as to whether the coin is a Proof, a Specimen, a Business Strike, etc;
Attribution, which correctly identifies the coin's varieties and sometimes its provenance; and
Grading, which is a professional assessment of the coin's condition.

In North America, these days, most important coins are submitted by their owners for certification. This provides them with an independent authentication, classification, attribution and grading assessment recorded on a serial numbered certificate which is sealed with the coin in a tamper-evident plastic holder. This unit is referred to as a "slab" and an uncertified coin is called "raw". The certification services are widely used by collectors and investors who recognize their own grading skills may not be at an expert's level. Dealers also make much use of these services because their clients often demand that their coins be certified. Be aware, however, that between the various Coin Certification Services, there are identifiable areas of disagreement on grading standards, and the knowledgeable market takes these into consideration. The leading coin grading services that grade Canadian coins are with major once in bold.