Older Small ANACS Slabs

They get overhyped from nostalgia. There's good coins in them that survived being cracked out from people liking the slabs but a lot of the best have been crossed over

Several itterations of SWH... ANA ownership, Amos Press, Anderson Press

Do remember that most of the Small White Holders (SWH) have been picked over many times in the years since they were graded and so the obvious upgrades have probably already been cracked out.

http://www.anacs.com/contentPages/History.aspx and others...

There are several different iterations of ANACS ownership and grading standards.

ANA starts ANACS in Washington DC
* starting in 1972
* (initially) authentication w/o grading
* Moves to Colorado Springs, CO in 1976
* Adds photo certificates and grading
* Strict technical grading to ANA standards


ANA Ownership - SWH
* Starting in 1989
* Gold ANA Hologram
* Cert is 2 letters + 4 digits
* Slab mold has ANA Lamp of Knowledge inside
* Strict technical grading to ANA standards


ANA sells ANACS to Amos Press in 1990, reportedly for $1.5M plus royalties
* Moves to Dublin, OH
* Continues with the 2 letters + 4 digits certs
* Switches to all numeric, cert#s known into 3 million
* Hologram is black with 2 As
* Mold detail is now A
* Gradually shifts to market grading
* If you are a purist, this is the beginning of the race to the bottom


Amos Press sells to Anderson Press (Red Book, Whitman) in March 2005
* This sale is left off the history of ANACS page
* Introduces the slanting top "Curved Bottom" slabs with Blue labels

Sold to Driving Force, LLC in December 2007/January 2008
* Relocates to Austin, TX in July 2008 http://www.numismaticnews.net/artic...m_in_austin)
* Insert color switches to yellow (likely did not happen instantly)
* DFLLC (Yellow) does not back AP(Blue) labeled coins for guarantee
* While they had stock they would reholder blue-for-blue

http://www.numismaticnews.net/buzz/...old-now-what


Driving Force, LLC closes up and ANACS trademark registered to EKW LLC in Sept 2016.

https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/Vie...=20081262540
https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/Vie...=20161612738


Somewhere in there, ANACS also creates a Made-for-TV slab, which is bigger, doesn't have the slant top and gets questions like "Is this really an ANACS slab?"

Yes, I had one in my hand at today's Cowtown show, but I don't remember who it was. I'll have to remember to check at the next show (Grapevine in two weeks) as the same dealer will be there with the same junk box.

Off the top of my head around December 2007.

I checked the box yesterday in OKC, but didn't find one of the prez in that holder...