Author Archives: F. Michael Fazzari

I’ve probably been boring readers writing about coins with altered surfaces; but it is still a big problem. I see the evidence of this at every coin show I attend and with many of the coins submitted to ICG for crossover service or upgrade. Continue reading →

This year will mark the 40th anniversary of coin authentication services in the United States. My 40th will come later this year in September. Continue reading →

Recently, I read that the Professional Numismatists Guild has formed a committee to draft a definition of “coin doctoring.” A definition needs to be concise – short and sweet, just like in a dictionary. Apparently, this may not be as easy as it would seem. There are too many variables so a previous attempt at this task became too wordy. Continue reading →

I’ve illustrated a 1921 yuan from China that is commonly called the “Fat Man” dollar. Thirty or so years ago it was rather difficult to find one of these coins at a large show unless there was a major dealer in foreign coins. Today, it seems that these coins have flooded the market. Continue reading →

In a recent column I illustrated two Standing Liberty quarters and challenged readers to pick the coin that was assigned the higher grade by a major grading service. It was a trick question used to illustrate the subjective nature of the commercial grading system we use today. In that column, the coin with slightly more design detail was graded much lower because only one digit of its date was visible. Continue reading →