Bill Fivaz Signing Labels Exclusively with NGC

Numismatic Guaranty Company™ (NGC®) is proud to announce that famed numismatist Bill Fivaz, author of the “Cherrypickers’ Guide to Die Varieties of United States Coins,” has agreed to sign NGC labels under an exclusive arrangement. Fivaz has won numerous awards for his work, and in 2021 was named one of the Most Influential People in Numismatics (1960-2020).

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Commonly known as the “Cherrypickers' Guide,” the book was first published in 1990, and it describes for readers ways to examine otherwise normal coins by looking for unusual characteristics, doubled and tripled dies, overdates, repunched mintmarks and other factors that can reveal how rare — and valuable — a coin might be. The book has been re-issued several times since its original publication.

“I am excited to work with NGC, which is well known for its expertise in attributing rare coins, including die varieties,” Fivaz said. “NGC’s Signature Series program is an excellent way to emphasize a personal connection to numismatic rarities.”

“With his important contributions to helping coin collectors, Bill Fivaz has helped the numismatic hobby grow,” said Mark Salzberg, NGC Chairman. “We are thrilled to have him join our roster of talented individuals who hand-sign NGC certification labels.”

NGC's VarietyPlus resource lists varieties for thousands of US coins that can be attributed on the NGC certification label. This includes dozens of Fivaz-Stanton variety numbers (abbreviated as FS) from the “Cherrypickers' Guide.” To explore US coins in VarietyPlus, click here.

Other books by Fivaz include “Helpful Hints for Enjoying Coin Collecting,” “United States Gold Detection Guide” and “Bill Fivaz's Counterfeit Detection Guide.” In November 2020, Stack’s Bowers Galleries auctioned off Fivaz's World's Worst Type Set, which he had collected over three decades; the set featured coins graded Poor 1 and Fair 2.

Fivaz has had a lifelong commitment to educating others about numismatics. The American Numismatic Association named one of its Young Numismatist Literary Awards after Fivaz, which honors children ages 8-12 who compete by submitting articles about the hobby.

Coins certified with the NGC Bill Fivaz Labels will be available from Flower Hill Coins & Collectables. To learn more about the NGC Signature Series program and its many significant signers, click here.