Featured An examination of the counterfeit slab epidemic. Scope and advice.

And what is the alternative? Do nothing and fiddle while Rome burns? (I know I used that one before).

 

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I'm certain of it, but I'm also certain he knows I've challenged him to say whether it is acceptable to blindly trust and purchase from NGC. The reason he won't answer is because it would expose him. We all know he would never suggest to anyone that they blindly trust a TPG. His conclusion should be exactly what he always has said: buy the coin, not the slab. Instead, he erroneously suggested that only one TPG should not be blindly purchased and trusted, showing bias and a targeted agenda. If he admitted that NGC should also not be blindly accepted and purchased, then his article and conclusion become exactly what they were from the start: meaningless. He had to attack PCGS to garner attention to the subject, and now that he's been challenged, clicking the ignore button allows him to hide from the question: do you suggest that NGC slabs should be blindly trusted and bought?

I ask everyone to challenge the OP with this question. Let's get to the bottom of this.

 

The alternative is exactly what it always has been: teach people that the best method to buying a coin is to learn about them first. If nothing else, purchase from trusted sources and expect to have to pay a little more to allow experts to discern good coins from bad. NGC is still at risk for counterfeiting, despite their efforts. The best thing we can do as knowledgeable collectors is teach about coins, report fake coins and slabs, and be god stewards. Not every problem can be completely solved, and the costs associated with solving said problem must be worth the problem they are solving.

 

I’ll take the apology in writing, thank you.

 

I want to see you write it out: it is not safe to blindly trust and purchase NGC slabs. All of them.

Or, I want you to write out: it is safe to blindly trust and purchase all NGC slabs from the date they began photographing coins.

 

I can't really speak for him, but I wonder if he'd simply say that the pre-photo NGC slabbed coins are equally untrustworthy. I think he elluded or stated earlier that the simple solution is that PCGS start taking slab pics like NGC now does, but I dunno.

 

He did say pre photo are not trustworthy. I want to hear him say very clearly whether post photo NGC slabs should be blindly trusted and purchased.

 

And I would like to know why buying PCGS slabs prior to Gold Slabs is not as safe as Gold Shields from a security standpoint per your response @Seattlite86? Are you suggesting collectors should avoid any coins certified by PCGS prior? And this continues as the counterfeit issue "heats up"...

 

I thought it to be quite obvious that increased security measures mean that the newly, more secured thing is, in fact, more secure than the previous thing. Does that help your comprehension?

 

I comprehend fine, just don't speak your speak and again you avoid the question like you accuse others. What "increased security measures" are you referring to?
Just trying to learn from your self professed intellect and numismatic experience.

 

I assumed your question rhetorical, but since you are insistent on asking again, here's all you need to know: https://www.pcgs.com/goldshield

No.

 

I was more interested if you read or comprehended it. There are numerous Gold Shield slabs out there prior to the announcement of the upgrades to the service- so the existing Gold Shields aren't as safe either then? Maybe a rhetorical question as well...

 

Then it doesn't need answering. I've answered your actual questions. Good day.

 

On the lighter side, maybe the next level of fakes in slabs...

 

Why? 99%* of all coins with numismatic value in Europe are raw and collectors are still happily buying expensive coins...

*Please don’t challenge me on how I came to this number, just go to any random coin show and you’ll know why I say so. Or just check eBay.co.uk, eBay.fr and eBay.de. Thanks.

 

The latest seen at a coin shop...

 

What in the world is that?!?

 

Very bad "Gold Shields"!
It is amazing what folks try to pass off in coin shops...

 

Latest bad slabs from the Bay; in both cases there were no images shown in the on-line certs but the auction history allowed good images of the genuine ones.

 

Maybe we are past those dealing with there own semantics.

I appreciate those that have posted in this thread to the advance of counterfeit awareness. It seems that there are those in the community that think that this type of thread is below them.

Whether or not this situation causes you to be concerned with something that may not be an epidemic, but is more than well present in multitudes of selling platforms.
Even for those experienced collectors that may be complacent at times.
To me is a disrespect for the hobby and nothing less than bad for a community whose platform is to build and educate its community.