Editing Coin collecting (section)

==Certification services==
[[Third-party grading]] (TPG), aka ''coin certification services'', emerged in the 1980s with the goals of standardizing grading, exposing alterations, and eliminating counterfeits. For tiered fees, certification services grade, authenticate, attribute, and [[Coin capsule|encapsulate]] coins in clear plastic holders.<ref>{{cite web |title=The History of Rare Coin Grading |url=http://goldinfo.net/morabgrad1.html |publisher=Austin Gold Information Network |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906031826/http://goldinfo.net/morabgrad1.html |archive-date=6 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com">{{cite web |title=Coin Grading Services: Who They Are and What They Do |url=http://www.coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com/coin-grading-services.html |work=coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com |access-date=26 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coin Grading Systems – The History of Coin Grading Scales |url=http://coins.about.com/od/coingrading/a/grading_systems.htm |publisher=About.com |access-date=13 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116101910/http://coins.about.com/od/coingrading/a/grading_systems.htm |archive-date=16 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Coin certification has greatly reduced the number of [[counterfeit money|counterfeits]] and grossly over graded coins, and improved buyer confidence. Certification services can sometimes be controversial because grading is subjective; coins may be graded differently by different services or even upon resubmission to the same service. The numeric grade alone does not represent all of a coin's characteristics, such as toning, strike, brightness, color, luster, and attractiveness. Due to potentially large differences in value over slight differences in a coin's condition, some submitters will repeatedly resubmit a coin to a grading service in the hope of receiving a higher grade. Because fees are charged for certification, submitters must funnel money away from purchasing additional coins.<ref name="ngccoin.com">{{cite web |title=NGC |url=http://www.ngccoin.com/ |website=ngccoin.com |publisher=NGC }}</ref><ref name="PCGS Coin Facts">{{cite web|title=PCGS Coin Facts|url=http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/|website=pcgscoinfacts.com|access-date= 2015-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Travers|first1=Scott|title=THE 10 GREATEST MYTHS OF 'SLABBED' COINS|url=http://www.usgoldexpert.com/articles/the-10-greatest-myths-of-slabbed-coins/|website=usgoldexpert.com|date=10 October 2009|access-date=2015-09-07|author-link=Scott A. Travers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Companion to Rare Coin Collecting – Grading Services
|url=http://www.mycoincollecting.com/rare-coins/companion-rare-coin-collecting-Part4.html  |work=mycoincollecting.com|access-date=26 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=PNG, ICTA Announce Results of 2006 Grading Services Survey|url=http://www.pngdealers.org/news-releases/item/59-png-icta-announce-results-of-2006-grading-services-survey|website=pngdealers.org|publisher=Professional Numismatists Guild|access-date=2015-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921201009/http://www.pngdealers.org/news-releases/item/59-png-icta-announce-results-of-2006-grading-services-survey|archive-date=21 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>