Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) will give collectors and dealers a special opportunity to have their PCGS-graded coins digitally imaged with the PCGS TrueView photo service on-site during the first two days of the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center, November 12 – 15, 2009.

“The PCGS TrueView service offers quality images that quality coins deserve. TrueView images are among the finest in the numismatic hobby,” said Don Willis, President of PCGS, a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT).

“The onsite coin imaging is offered in conjunction with any PCGS show service except for crossovers. Attendees at the Baltimore show also have the option of submitting PCGS-graded coins for imaging only.”

Phil Arnold, PCGS Numismatic Photographer, will be onsite at the Baltimore show on Thursday, November 12, and the morning of Friday, November 13. The TrueView service in Baltimore will be available on a limited first-come, first-served basis. The price is $50 per coin.

For additional information, check with PCGS Customer Service representatives at booths 1308, 1309 and 1310 at the Baltimore Expo.

Images will be available for viewing on www.PCGS.com by Friday, November 20. They can be accessed by entering the coin’s certification number under Cert Verification on the Home page of the PCGS web site.

PCGS will also offer a one-day walkthrough grading turnaround for $100 on any coin with a maximum value of $100,000. Two additional show grading specials for on-site authentication and grading in Baltimore will be available to all PCGS Authorized Dealers and members of the PCGS Collectors Club:

• $65 for U.S. and world coins valued up to $3,000 each with a minimum submission of five coins; and
• $45 for any U.S. gold coins valued up to $3,000 each with a minimum submission of ten coins

For additional information about the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention, visit online at www.WhitmanExpo.com.

Information provided to Northern California law enforcement authorities by Professional Coin Grading Service led to the arrest of a suspect who is now under investigation in connection with the sales of fraudulently altered Morgan dollars in tampered PCGS holders for nearly $300,000.

“Genuine, common date Morgan dollars were split into two pieces (front and back along the rim), then adhered to each other in combinations to create the illusion of rare date and mintmarks. The coins then were placed in tampered PCGS holders to give the coin credibility in the marketplace and to hide the alterations,” said Stephen Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT), parent company of Professional Coin Grading Service.

Among the fraudulent alterations were “1883-S,” “1884-S” and “1903-S” that were deceitfully labeled as PCGS MS65, MS63 and MS64, respectively.

After learning about the fakes in late September, Mayer contacted the U.S. Secret Service. Mayer also worked with the Alameda Police Department, providing investigators with detailed information about the altered coins, the altered PCGS holders and six California dealers who purchased or were offered counterfeit or suspicious coins that reportedly were originally offered or sold by the same seller.

Roberto Blas Rodriguez, age 32, of Hayward, California was arrested October 7, 2009 by Alameda Police. He is charged with fraud, suspicion of burglary and violating trademark law, and is free on $45,000 bail.

PCGS was first alerted on September 21 about suspicious coins by Spectrum Numismatics of Irvine, California, a PCGS-authorized dealer.
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Continuing its international expansion, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) participated in COINEXPO in Warsaw, Poland on October 15-17 and in the Brogniard show October 17 in Paris, France.

Both shows raised the continuing growing interest in world coin grading among European and Eastern European collectors. In Poland, third-party independent coin grading is already widely recognized as adding value to collectors’ coins. Collectors can submit their coins to PCGS through two PCGS authorized Polish dealers, Mennica Polska and Inwestycje Alternatywne Profit (www.e-numizmatyka.pl ).
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Following PCGS President Don Willis’ visit to Paris, it was the first time a coin grading company was ever invited to participate in the Paris Brogniard show organized by the French Numismatic Dealers Association, SYNDICAT NATIONAL DES EXPERTS NUMISMATES ET NUMISMATES PROFESSIONNELS. “It was a great opportunity for PCGS to have such a high-visibility presence at this premier European show,” said Muriel Eymery from PCGS, who expressed her thanks for the support of the show organizers and PCGS French dealers.

In addition to the PCGS booth showcasing French brochures and specially made 1 Franc coin samples, PCGS French dealers displayed PCGS-graded coins at their booths. Many French collectors came to gather additional information on the importance of having world coins graded, and enthusiastically welcomed PCGS’ presence at this major European show and looked forward to submitting their collections for grading and authentication.

Fabrice Walther from Numisaisne Sarl Walther (www.numisaisne.com), a PCGS dealer and Organizer of the Paris Brogniard show, pointed out that “Today, PCGS enables France to open up to the world thanks to third-party independent grading. If a few collectors are still not receptive to third-party independent grading, we are convinced that for the future of Numismatics, grading will very soon be a must.” (more…)