Regarding ancient coins, what are the auction houses you trust the most and ones the least? I am curious what are the community preferences.
You might want to be more specific about your definition of "trust." - Do you want authenticity guarantees? If so, how long (lifetime? perpetual?) - Is it important that the auction house grade its coins reasonably accurately? - Do you want a money-back guarantee for reasons other than authenticity? - Does "trust" include calling out smoothing and tooling, if known to the auction house? (It certainly does to most collectors, but not necessarily all.) - Is flexibility of payment important to you? - Is good customer service (e.g., prompt responses when e-mailed, prompt shipment of coins that you win, etc.) more important than other criteria? You'll probably find a general consensus in the answers you receive here, but some of the respondents' criteria may not be as important to you as it is to them. Also, what is your price range of coins? E.g., NAC is highly trustworthy as well as highly expensive, so this may not matter to you.
It is true my original post was terse. Focus is on the willingness of the auction to sell fakes tacitly and performing heavy tooling. Money-back guarantee is indeed desirable. Grading and description can be hyped. Coin dealing is a business after all. Genuineness first. I think it is easier to spot what is inflated via a quick research than fake detection. Financial aspect ignored (e.g. payment flexibility, inflated value, etc. Indeed, I admit my criteria may not matter for other collectors. I would rephrase it by emphasizing on: How many times they were called out for fakes and tooled ones. How much are they willing to withdraw them.
Here are a few that I have been very happy with. Naville Numismatics Numismatik Naumann Stack's Bowers Emporium Hamburg St Paul Antiques CNG Frank Robinson Agora Triskeles Jesus Vico Sincona Heritage Harlan Berk Dix Noonan Webb Roma Numismatics
Emporium Hamburg one can strike out, selling fakes many and over and over see FORVM. also they sell coin with BD, and i send coin back and up they putt it on sale again without a mention
