Has anyone had any experience with this Third Party Grading (TPG) Service in France? They appear to be relatively new. They may just certified coins only. Here is the link in French: http://certification-wac.com/
No, but their motto "Grade your French coins in France" seems to describe their focus pretty well. Thanks for the link.
Very nice. Thanks for the heads up for us here at CT. I wonder who grades their coins? Professional numismatists (or something like that)? I also wonder what their grading system is like: The British system, USA, or do they have a completely in-house grading standard?
The worst of luck to them. I hope that European collectors remain forever free of the parasitic leeches that have so wildly distorted the American hobby. An obsession with exactly HOW uncirculated your uncirculated coin is has turned a hobby into a numbers game. Probably, the sensible French collectors will simply shrug and use the cost of this 'service' to buy more coins or another bottle of fine wine.
Agreed, although I might have used partly different words in that second sentence. What I also find strange is that, unless I am awfully mistaken, we have a "certification service" here which also sells coins. Just an example, not meant as an endorsement or recommendation: http://www.ebay.fr/itm/100-FRANCS-GENIE-1905-A-PARIS-/391381097899 Christian
Google streetview shows a small shop in a Paris backstreet which seems to be the home to Antic World Collections and St. Marc Collections, both at No. 38. 'Walking' up and down the street, it seems, apart from a small hotel and a cafe or two to be entirely made up of coin and bullion dealers. You could check into the Hotel Vivienne (Two Stars) and spend a few days in the same street. BTW, the hotel has generally excellent or very good Tripadvisor reviews, so it might be a good base for a coin buying trip to Paris.
Afantiques: Great commentary and detective work. Sadly Paris, France isn't on the trip calendar this year. Japan is though.
