Enhanced Certification Verification with Coin Images Now Available

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NGC has introduced a new tool on its website to verify the certification information of all NGC-certified coins. When available, enlargeable images of both sides of the encapsulated coin are shown alongside information from the NGC certification database. The NGC database includes a complete record of coins graded by NGC since it began operations in 1987.

Concurrent with the release of its newest generation holder in October 2008, NGC began a comprehensive coin imaging project, photographing coins after encapsulation by NGC. The primary purpose of these security images is to deter tampering with, counterfeiting, or otherwise manipulating an NGC holder. Today the image archive accessible through this tool includes pictures of nearly 1,000,000 NGC-certified coins.

The certification verification tool is available at no charge to NGC Collectors Society members of all levels and to NGC Authorized Dealers. It can be found on NGC’s website, www.NGCcoin.com, under the ‘NGC Research’ heading of the main navigation menu by selecting the option labeled, ‘Verify Certification’ or by selecting the ‘Verify Certification’ option on their respective member or dealer homepages. The tool itself is also very easy to use. Users are instructed simply to enter the certification number that appears on the label inside a coin’s holder.

Scott Schechter, NGC Vice President, Sales & Marketing, comments, “In combination with the enhanced security features of NGC’s newest holder, this online verification tool affords the highest level of protection against counterfeiting yet available to collectors and dealers. We believe that this is a meaningful step towards creating a more secure international marketplace for certified coins.”

To achieve large scale image capture without having an impact on turnaround times and cost of services, NGC selected a technology platform created by Massachusetts-based Image Fortress. The implemented software also creates a unique fingerprint of every image that can be used to identify an alteration or modification to NGC’s images.

Try the new NGC certification verification tool. [Login Required]