CAC Stickering Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How will coins with CAC stickers be priced?
A: Ultimately, the free market decides the value of coins.  It will be influenced by how many coins in a specific grade are considered low quality.  For example, an MS65 1922 $20 Saint with a CAC sticker might have a large bid price premium over market-acceptable non-stickered examples because perhaps only 20% of those submitted will meet or exceed CAC's high quality standards.  A 1923-D Saint could be a very different story because there are a fairly large number of nice quality 1923-D Saints in MS65 holders that should qualify for a CAC sticker.  As a result, they will almost certainly trade at a smaller premium over the market-acceptable non-stickered coins.

It is CAC's goal to recognize and give deserved credit to quality coins.  It is our hope and strong belief that this process will minimize the unfair negative effect on quality coins by decoupling them from their lower-end counterparts.

Q: What is the grading team looking for when reviewing coins for stickers?
A: When reviewing coins for a CAC sticker, the grading team is looking for coins that are considered solid or high-end for the grade.

Q: I noticed that CAC uses the term "premium quality" to describe coins that receive a CAC sticker.  How does CAC define premium quality?

A: For many years, coin dealers and advanced collectors have used the letters A, B and C among themselves to further describe coins.  C indicates low-end for the grade, B indicates solid for the grade and A indicates high-end.  CAC will only award stickers to coins in the A or B category.  C coins, although accurately graded, will be returned without a CAC sticker.

Q: What is the difference between the green and gold sticker?
A: A green CAC sticker means that the coin is solid for the grade it was assigned. A gold CAC sticker means that the coin exceeds the grade assigned. Therefore, the coin would receive a CAC green sticker at the next numeric grade.

Q: During the verification process, if a coin merits a gold sticker whether asked for or not, will it receive a gold sticker?
A: Yes, if the coin merits a gold CAC sticker, it will receive a gold sticker. No special request is needed.

Q: Can people tamper with the CAC sticker?
A: No, the CAC sticker is unique and if tampered with, it will not remain intact.
 

Q: What percentage of coins CAC reviews sticker?
A: As of April 1, 2023, CAC has stickered approximately 43% of the coins received.

Q: If a coin doesn't receive a CAC sticker, does it mean CAC believes the coin is over-graded?
A: Absolutely not.  There are many coins that are certified accurately for their grade.  Unfortunately, it is an inescapable reality that many are at the lower end of the quality range for the assigned grade.  CAC's rejection of a coin does not necessarily mean that CAC believes the coin has been over-graded.  It simply means that there are other coins with CAC stickers that are of higher quality for the grade.  CAC will eventually reject tens of thousands of accurately graded coins. Many of these rejected coins will be acceptable to numerous dealers  and collectors and will continue to be available in the marketplace.  For quality-conscious collectors and dealers, a coin with a CAC sticker will have significant meaning.

Q: Are re-stickers automatically approved? 
A: Re-stickers are not automatically approved since there is a slight possibility of damage or exposure during the 

re-holdering process. However, a high percentage of coins are approved as re-stickers.

Q: What qualifies as a true re-sticker? 
A: A true re-sticker is a coin that has the same grade, same certification number from the same grading service and same coin designation as the coin previously submitted.

Q: What documentation is needed to have my previously stickered coin re-stickered? 
A: Coins presented for re-stickering should have the tag from the old coin holder or a color scan of the coin in its previous holder sent with the submission form.

Q: Is it still a true re-sticker if a + is added? 
A: Yes, the coin can still be considered a true re-sticker if a plus (+) is added to the coin since CAC only evaluates based on numeric value.

Q: What do I get charged if my coin does not get a sticker? 

A: All dealers and collectors will receive a 25% discount off the grading fee for any coin submitted that does not receive a CAC sticker. 

Q: Can I send in my coin(s) for an appeal and will I be charged?
A:  Coins may be submitted for an appeal and should be noted as such on the submission form.  The proper tier price for the coin will be charged as well as the handling fee.   

Q: How many graders look at each coin?
A: At least two graders look at each coin.  

Q: Does John Albanese look at every coin? 
A: Yes, John reviews each coin that comes in.

Q: Why doesn’t CAC accept modern coins and is there any plan for them to be accepted in the future? 
A: CAC does not accept modern coins for stickering and has no plans to do so in the future. In addition to not stickering modern coins, CAC stopped evaluating colonials in 2015 and currently has no plans to accept them in the near future.

Q: Are the serial numbers of PCGS or NGC coins submitted to CAC for verification recorded?  If so, are coins automatically rejected by CAC that have previously been submitted but were not stickered?
A:  The serial numbers of all PCGS and NGC coins that are submitted to CAC are recorded at the time they are entered into the CAC system.  

All PCGS or NGC coins that are submitted to CAC are reviewed for CAC verification whether they have previously been submitted to CAC or not.  Occasionally a coin that has previously been rejected for CAC verification is reconsidered by CAC and stickered.

Q: Is there any way to see if a coin received a CAC sticker before? 
A: There is a coin look-up feature on the CAC website (www.cacgrading.com) where you may enter a certification number to see if the coin received a CAC sticker.

Q: Why can't I use the CAC Verification Search to look up a PCGS or NGC graded coin that has no CAC sticker to find out if it has already been reviewed by CAC? 
A: Many coins that CAC has reviewed, but did not sticker, have been accurately graded by PCGS or NGC.  However, CAC stickers only coins that are solid for the grade, often referred to as B quality coins, and those that are considered high-end for the grade, which are often called A quality coins.  Those that are accurately graded by PCGS or NGC, but are considered low-end for the grade and often referred to as C quality coins, are not stickered by CAC.

Furthermore, CAC wishes to protect the interest of an owner of a coin that has been reviewed by CAC but did not receive a sticker.  Therefore, CAC does not want to compromise the value of such a coin by disclosing a negative review by CAC.

Q: Will CAC send me submission forms? 
A: While we do have paper submission forms, we encourage you to take a look at our online portal where you can create a submission.  You can also print a PDF version of the submission form within the portal.  Members who use the online portal will receive a $5 discount on the handling fee for each submission.  Paper forms may be requested through CAC Customer Care at [email protected].

Q: What address should I send my submissions to? 
A: CAC stickering submissions should be sent to CAC, 1420 US Highway 206, Suite 110, Bedminster, NJ 07921.
*Please note this address is valid for STICKERING submissions only. 

Q: If I want to submit coins but do not have private insurance, where can I indicate that on the submission form?

A:  There is a box to check for "CAC Shipping"  in the Shipping Method section of the submission form.  This indicates that CAC will use its insurance and CAC-chosen shipping method to return your submission.  DO NOT fill out any other information regarding shipping method.

Q: If I want to submit coins but want to use my private insurance, where can I indicate that on the submission form?

A:  There are multiple shipping methods available for members that are using their private insurance and they are listed in the Shipping Method area of the submission form.  Please be aware that Federal Express and UPS require an established account to use those shipping methods and both of those shipping methods require a delivery speed which must be checked on the submission form.  If choosing a USPS shipping service (e.g. Express, Registered, Priority), CAC will use your insurance and bill for the USPS postage and signature fees.  You must list your account number if using Federal Express or UPS.  The maximum insurance limit per package must be listed for all shipping methods chosen.  DO NOT check the box for "CAC Shipping" when using your private insurance.

Q: Can I drop off coins in person at your office?
A:  If you are a CAC member, you may drop off coins in person at our office provided you call to make an appointment.

Q: What is the turnaround time for my submissions to be processed? 

A:  Processing of submissions varies depending on the volume of submissions in-house at the time.

Q: Given that we are in the midst of a major bull market, wouldn't it make more sense to introduce CAC under normal market conditions?
A: While it's true that many coins have experienced phenomenal gains in the last 5 years, many important segments of the market have not participated.  For example:  In January 2000, gold traded at $280 per ounce.  However in 2008, it had risen to over $800 per ounce during the same period the Grey Sheet bid for an MS65 1922 $20 Saint fell from $3120 to $1650.  Coin collectors and investors had been told that the best way to participate in a rise in the price of gold would be through rare gold coins, as they would increase in value by a greater percentage than gold bullion.  This proved to be true with a number of especially rare gold coins, but not for the MS65 1922 $20 Saint and a multitude of other coins.  Clearly something is amiss. CAC can help address this anomaly.

Q: What happened in the market to cause the anomaly between the rise in the price of gold and the decline in the value of MS65 1922 $20 Saint gold coins ?
A: One of the main reasons for this phenomenon has been an increasingly knowledgeable and sophisticated collector base.  While the full-time numismatist used to have a big advantage, the collector/investor has narrowed that gap by accessing a huge amount of information in recently published books, as well as articles and information available on the internet.  In fact, there are many collectors who spend more time researching numismatics than rare coin dealers do.  Today, the highly informed collector rules.

As sophisticated collectors have continued to cherry-pick the best coins available for each grade, the overall quality of the remaining coins on the market has gradually lowered.  In addition, as third-party grading services have certified millions of coins, inevitably, large quantities of low-end and over-graded coins have appeared.  CAC believes that low-end and over-graded coins constitute at least 10% of existing certified populations, yet they probably represent 50% of the coins available in today's marketplace.  So it is no surprise that over time, dealers have continued to lower the prices they are willing to pay for these coins.  This, in turn, has resulted in the steep decline of the Grey Sheet bid for the MS65 1922 $20 Saint mentioned above, as well as for numerous other coins.  Unfortunately, it seems as if the low-end coin is now wagging the nice-quality dog.

If your question about CAC Stickering was not answered on this page, 

please contact CAC Customer Care so we can assist you with any inquiries. 

(908) 781-9101                                                                                                                        [email protected]