In the context of coin grading, CAC stands for Certified Acceptance Corporation.
CAC was founded in 2007 by John Albanese, a renowned numismatist and co-founder of both Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS),. Its primary function was initially to provide a secondary evaluation or “seal of approval” for coins already graded by NGC or PCGS.
- CAC evaluates already certified coins to determine if they meet a higher standard of quality within their assigned grade.
- Coins that meet or exceed these stringent standards receive a green CAC sticker ,. These coins are considered to be at the high end of their given grade.
- Coins that are deemed to be significantly undergraded and could potentially receive a green sticker at the next highest grade are awarded a gold CAC sticker, [according to APMEX].
- Adds value and confidence: CAC stickered coins generally command higher premiums in the market due to the added assurance of quality and authenticity provided by the independent evaluation.
- Identifies premium quality coins: The CAC sticker helps collectors identify coins that are truly exceptional for their grade, separating them from others that might just meet the minimum requirements,.
- Raises the bar for quality: CAC’s rigorous standards have helped to standardize and elevate the overall level of quality sought by collectors and dealers within the hobby.
In 2023, CAC expanded its services to become a full-fledged grading service called CACG (Certified Acceptance Corporation Grading), [according to APMEX] . This means that in addition to stickering previously graded coins, CACG also provides independent authentication, grading, and encapsulation services for raw coins, [says APMEX].
Is CAC better than NGC?
From my experience, Whether one coin is better than another is highly subjective and likely to spur immense strife. That said, a Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) sticker on a Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or a Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) graded coin will likely add significant value to the coin.
What does CAC mean on graded coins?
From my experience, Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) is a Far Hills, New Jersey third-party coin certification company started in 2007 by coin dealer John Albanese. The firm evaluates certain numismatically valuable U.S. coins already certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).