Certified Acceptance Corporation
Private | |
Founded | 2007 |
Founder | John Albanese |
Headquarters | Far Hills, New Jersey, United States |
Number of locations | 1 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | John Albanese |
Website |
CACCoin |
Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) is a Far Hills, New Jersey coin certification company started in 2007 by coin dealer John Albanese. The firm evaluates certain U.S. coins already certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).[1][2]
Coins which CAC deems solid or high-end for their grades receive green stickers,[3] which usually add premiums ranging from single digit percentages to 92% or more.[4][5][6][7][8] Coins which are solid or high end for the next grade up are bestowed gold stickers,[9] which on average increase values up to 90% or more of PCGS/NGC coins already graded the next highest grade.[10][11][12][13][14] CAC buys and sells CAC-certified coins via their affiliated 180-member trading network, Coinplex.[15] As of September 2015, CAC had purchased over $425 million worth of its stickered coins.[16][17][18][19][20]
CAC has evaluated over 650,000 certified coins with a value of over $2.9 billion. The company has 415 dealer members and 534 collector members. The firm's website maintains a free serial number verification service, which helps deter CAC sticker counterfeiting, and Population Report, which assists in determining coin rarity.[21][22][23][24]
Overview
For tiered fees, CAC examines certain numismatically valuable U.S. coins to determine their quality within their assigned grades. Coins which are solid or high-end for their grades will have a green, tamper-evident holographic sticker affixed to their holders. In the unusual event that a coin is found to be high-end for the next highest grade (or even finer), a gold sticker is affixed instead.[25] Coins deemed to be low-end, average, or over-graded receive no sticker at all. CAC accepts most numismatically valuable coins but not modern or bullion coins.[26][27][28][29]
CAC's founder, John Albanese, is a co-founder of PCGS, started in 1986, and founder of NGC, which began in 1987. Grading standards have changed over the years. Because collectors and dealers have gotten more selective, an informal "sub-grade" system has evolved. "A" coins are the best of the grade, "B" coins are "solid", and "C" coins are at the low end of a particular grade based on the Sheldon scale, e.g., MS-65. CAC stickers are intended to standardize this system. "A" and "B" coins receive a green CAC sticker, whereas "C" coins do not.[3][30][31]
CAC has 415 dealer members and 534 collector members. The firm has evaluated over 650,000 coin with a market value of over $2.9 billion.[32] CAC-stickered coins almost always fetch premiums, including on eBay and other Internet auctions, and auctions held by the two largest coin auctioneers, Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers. Premiums for green sticker coins usually range from single digit percentiles to 92% or more, with gold sticker specimens yielding average premiums of 80% to 90% or more of PCGS/NGC coins already graded the next highest grade.[33][34][35][36] According to dealer Scott Travers:
- "Certified coins with CAC stickers have commanded bonus premiums because of the generally accepted perception that they are superior to 'unstickered' coins in the same grade – and coins with gold stickers have been selling for significantly more, often several times as much as coins of the same type, date, and grade that lack a CAC sticker."
- "The green CAC are bringing 5 to 15 percent more on average, and coins with gold stickers are selling for roughly 80% to 90% percent as much as those already certified in the next higher grade."[37][38]
Services
CAC charges a $12.50 certification fee for each coin valued up to $10,000, and $25 each for more valuable coins. Only authorized dealers and collector members may submit coins. The rest of the public must submit their coins through the former, a directory of which appears on CAC's website, which also lists coins it accepts for certification. CAC has stopped accepting new submitters, but may allow them in the future.[39][40][41][42]
To deter the counterfeiting of its stickers, CAC offers a free Verification Search service on its website: a user simply inputs a PCGS or NGC slab's serial number to confirm the coin's CAC certification. CAC's website maintains a free Population Report of all U.S. coin issues for which it has issued stickers. CAC coins with special designations, such as "Full Bands" for Mercury dimes and "Deep Mirror Prooflike" for Morgan dollars, are also listed. This Report serves to help assess rarity.[43][44][45][46]
Coinplex
In 2011, CAC and a group of coin dealers founded Coinplex, an online coin trading platform for dealers, in order to broaden the trading market for CAC-approved coins. Coinplex dealers are also able to make markets in non-CAC certified coins. Coinplex has 180 member dealers posting more than 121,000 bids totaling nearly $1 billion. CAC has purchased over $425 million worth of CAC coins.[47][48][49][50][51]
References and External Links
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". CACcoin.com. Certified Acceptance Corporation. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
[Question:] 5. I noticed that CAC uses the term “premium quality” to describe coins that receive a CAC sticker. How does CAC define premium quality? [Answer:] For many years, coin dealers and advanced collectors have used the letters A, B, and C among themselves to further describe coins. C indicates low-end for the grade, B indicates solid for the grade, and A indicates high-end. CAC will only award stickers to coins in the A or B category. C coins, although accurately graded, will be returned without a CAC sticker
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "The value of a CAC sticker". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2010). The Coin Collector's Survival Manual (7th ed.). New York, NY: House of Collectibles. pp. 1–432. ISBN 978-0375723391.
- ↑ "Mysterious CAC gold stickers". News: U.S. Coins. Coin World. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
What kind of coin gets a CAC gold sticker? CAC founder John Albanese describes it as a coin that could 'easily green sticker at the next highest grade level.'
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "The value of a CAC sticker". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2010). The Coin Collector's Survival Manual (7th ed.). New York, NY: House of Collectibles. pp. 1–432. ISBN 978-0375723391.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "The value of a CAC sticker". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2010). The Coin Collector's Survival Manual (7th ed.). New York, NY: House of Collectibles. p. 432. ISBN 978-0375723391.
- ↑ Winter, Doug. "What Can CAC Population Figures Tell". 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "Heritage adds CAC Population Data to Rare Coin Auction Archives". coinlink.com. Coin Link. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "Mysterious CAC gold stickers". coinworld.ccom. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "Coins Accepted for Submission to CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "Mysterious CAC gold stickers". coinworld.ccom. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "An Interview with JOHN ALBANESE by Maurice Rosen". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ "CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Roach, Steve. "The value of a CAC sticker". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2010). The Coin Collector's Survival Manual (7th ed.). New York, NY: House of Collectibles. p. 432. ISBN 978-0375723391.
- ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2010). The Coin Collector's Survival Manual (7th ed.). New York, NY: House of Collectibles. p. 432. ISBN 978-0375723391.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ Winter, Doug. "What Can CAC Population Figures Tell". 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "Heritage adds CAC Population Data to Rare Coin Auction Archives". coinlink.com. Coin Link. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "CAC Begins Eighth Year of Brand Recognition and Market Influence". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
- ↑ "Certified Acceptance Corp. plans fee increase". coinworld.com. Coin World. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- ↑ "CAC". caccoin.com. CAC. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
- ↑ "Site Stats". coinplex.com/. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
- ↑ Ferguson, Mark. "Comprehensive Market Study". coinweek.com. Coin Week. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
- Sperber, Laura (March 26, 2012). "The Spring Baltimore Show Market Report by Legend Numismatics". Coin Week. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
- Duncan, Kathleen (July 24, 2008). "To CAC or Not to CAC ?". Coin Collecting News.