Hi - I need to send some coins to a TPG. Questions: 1)Is there a preferred way to ship them?...FedEx, UPS, USPS? 2) How to describe them - "Numismatic Collectibles?" "Stamped Metal Disks?" Etc. 3) Which will allow me to insure them for theft, etc.? Thanks!
USPS Registered Mail is the most secure method. You don't need to describe the contents, simply provide a monetary insurance value up to $25K if I recall correctly.
I always use USPS when I send them. You can add as much insurance as you like. And I have never had to provide a description with them.
USPS registered mail is indeed the safest way. However, it can move very slowly. And the postal clerk may try to get you to pay for priority mail. If you do, it won’t move any faster. Registered mail moves at its own rate because of security measures. Be sure to go online and read and follow the packaging instructions very carefully. For example, no address labels are allowed, all seams must be covered with paper tape (but not masking tape!), and there’s more. Last time I sent a registered package from the Sacramento area to the Dallas area, it sat in the San Francisco facility for a month. It wasn’t until I contacted the registered mail problem service (coincidentally located in the Dallas area) and filed an insurance claim that it got moving again. Strangely, I got a letter a couple of weeks after the package had been delivered stating the insurance claim had been denied because I hadn’t provided sufficient evidence of value. Cal
USPS Registered Mail is the best. No one needs to know what you are shipping but in the event you need to file a claim you must be able to prove the value. You get a add tracking number but it won’t show you any tracking until it’s delivered. Someone on the receiving end must sign for it. And someone must sign for it every time it changes hands. You mail it at the post office and the truck driver that picks it up signs for it. When he gets to the processing someone else signs for it. It takes a bit longer to ship but it’s a lot safer than anything else I know.
Registered Mail is the best but can be slower (though in my experience not too much slower). But it's also very expensive - I've never had any issues with simple priority mail, insured to the full value of the item. So I say, if you are sending thousands of dollars in coins, registered. A couple hundred dollars worth - priority.
I've had similar experiences with registered mail. If you don't mind waiting several weeks then this is the safest way. I guess it depends on the value of the coins being submitted. I usually use insured priority mail. I've never had an issue going this route.
If someone ships valuable coins (hundreds of dollars and up) a few times per year, private insurance is worth it. There’s an up-front annual cost, but the insurance rates themselves are usually cheaper than USPS. You also have a choice of carriers, but price of insurance will depend on that choice. A big advantage of private insurance is that you are required to write zero value on paperwork for the carriers. So, the package itself will have a value of zero posted on it, which makes it much less attractive to thieves. Cal
I've only ever used priority Mail with added insurance to the value of the coins. Over a certain amount signature confirmation is required. I pack a box within a box with too much tape. I do NOT use the priority Mail bubble/cardboard flat mailers, too easy to get into. I seal all the edges with packing tape as I would sending it registered. Literally, there is no outside surface of the outer box that doesn't have tape on it! The most expensive package I've sent though was only valued at about $2,000. Also, most coins are light. If it's a small submission, do not use the flat rate boxes, opt for another priority mail box, it'll be cheaper.
