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Feb
13
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One of the things to consider when you’re buying rare coins is whether or not the coins you’re looking at are certified. A certification for a coin is basically an authenticity certification that shows the coin’s official grade. Getting a coin professionally graded can cost between $5 and $35, but it’s a very important part of the coin buying process.
One reason that you may want to look at only buying certified coins is that even a slight difference in grading can make a huge difference in a coin’s price. If you buy a coin that isn’t certified only to find out when you try to resell it that the grade it was assigned is too high, then you’ll have paid more than the coin is worth, and you won’t be able to get a good return on your investment.
Another reason to buy certified coins is that you’re often going to buy coins sight unseen in this new market of online coin trading. You want to know that the coin has been certified by a recognized grading agency before you pay good money for a coin that may be worth less than you originally thought.
When buying coins from a larger, well-respected coin dealer, certification isn’t as much of a necessity, but it does make selling your coin easier. Even if you’re buying from a large trading entity that will give you your money back for a coin that was wrongly graded, you may want to insist on certification just so that you can sell the coin more easily.