APCGS New Hologram Label?

Here is the pictures on there website

I blew up the picture and I wouldn't say no to having this 1923 halfpenny, regardless of the grade

I agree, it's not really a simple "dealer slabbing his own stuff" - it's a little more convoluted than that. They're not exactly the same people - just real good mates, apparently. The only coin dealer to exclusively slab all their coins with APCGS - indeed, the only coin dealer you're likely to find any APCGS-slabbed coins at all - is GoldAndCoins, who also prominently advertise APCGS on every single one of their webpages. Both APCGS and Gold&Coins are based in Port Macquarie, NSW. I wonder if APCGS makes their (only) major customer pay their full grading fees, or if he offers mates rates?

I don't know how thin the "Chinese wall" is separating these two companies, but it is clear that APCGS is far from "independent".

All of which is rather separate from the other question you asked: Are they any good? If APCGS were competent graders, then perhaps their quasi-neutrality can be forgiven - after all, everyone has to start somewhere, even if it's charitable help from friends. Even the great and powerful PCGS started out as a cartel of dealers slabbing their own stuff. Unfortunately, I've seen little evidence that their authentication and grading skills are competent and consistent enough to give the thumbs up. Meanwhile, their utter incomprehension of the Sheldon grading system and the simplicity of their website and submission process all tell me this is still very much an amateur operation.

Finally, their use of the lookalike name "APCGS" and adoption of American-style grading (even without fully understanding it) is a clear indication that they hope to tack onto the reputation of the American PCGS, rather than go to the trouble of building up their own reputation the hard way as CGS-UK in Britain have done. Even their new "holographic labels" seem to me to be simply an attempt to make their slabs look more PCGS-like.

Well from what I have heard they aren't very good with grading but I have no idea whether they are trying to be legitimate or simply as a form of passing of coins as better grades than they actually are. At the moment the Australian market isn't in particular open to grading but I think it could be due to costs in getting a coin graded overseas while if we had a good company here I think people would be much more open to the idea. Emphasis on good

You could eliminate any of the words or substitute any word for any synonym, and come up with a completely different acronym. Australian Coin Certification Service ACCS, Australian Coin Grading and Certification Authority ACGCA, Western Pacific Coin Grading WPCG... it doesn't really take much creativity to think up a unique, non-derivative name for a slabbing company.


Yes, people like investego on eBay. Funnily enough, the owner of APCGS first joined this forum under that username, trying to spruik his new grading service. Seems he's also selling his own slabbed coins. That makes him, by the standard definition, a "basement slabber".

APCGS new hologram label?

I think its ridiculous.

I never look at usernames, since they have little correlation to real life, so hadn't noticed the preponderance of Shanes all lined up on one side of this fence. Hmmmmmm...

If this were cricket, we could have a Shane vs The Word one-day match, perhaps? ;)