Store Policies

RETURN POLICY 

If you are unhappy with your purchase, for any reason, just send it back in its unopened, original holder within 5 business days for a full refund. No questions asked! Just let us know it's coming via e-mail.

• We accept Cashier's checks, Postal money orders, and PayPal. Personal checks must clear 7 to 14 days prior to shipment, with no exceptions.
• Coins removed from their original holders are considered sold. 
• An email confirmation will be sent when your package ships!
• In the rare event of a return, be sure to send the package with insurance, as we are not responsible for returning packages if they are lost, stolen, or damaged.

We believe that being upfront and honest about policies and ethics is the best way to prevent misunderstandings. Here are some important points about our business. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.

General Policies 

Our 5 business days, no-questions-asked return policy is designed to help you! Your satisfaction is our goal; if you are not completely satisfied, neither are we. Therefore, returns are generously accepted according to our stated policy.

We endeavor to answer all serious inquiries professionally and as quickly as possible, in the order they were received. We have an extensive knowledge of coins and are happy to help!

We attempt to describe every coin as accurately as possible, providing any and all relevant information that may or may not be listed on the slab.

We never recommend coins as investments, and will not try to sell them for that reason. Coins should be collected for their artistic, historical, and cultural aspects, as well as for the satisfaction of achievement when completing a set.

Coin Photography

We provide clear photographs of every coin. Additionally, all images are of the actual coin being offered; anything less would be unprofessional and dubious (at best). We are happy to re-image any coin that you would like a better look at!

We provide close-ups of the obverse, reverse, and any variety diagnostics, as well as a "coin-in-slab" view that shows the coin from arms-length, and provides an important perspective that is often lost in close-up images. A coin with Prooflike characteristics will often receive what we call a "reflection-shot." In this image, we hold an NGC label anywhere from 1/2" to 6" away from the front of the slab so you can see a reflection on the mirrored face of the coin (but not the plastic). This is sometimes the best way to demonstrate a coin's reflectivity over the internet.

Pricing & Sales

Our coins are always priced at what we believe to be appropriate retail levels, based on respective quality and rarity. We do extensive research ahead of every listing (even on the most esoteric items). We often work on very small margins, so, while we always appreciate offers, we often have little wiggle room.

Sometimes we place sales on our listings. Our sales are not gimmicks: if we are having a sale, that means we need to move inventory to keep our cash flow up, and you can bet we will be taking losses on some items to make that happen. That just means we periodically offer some great deals!

Variety Attributions

All die varieties that we attribute are unconditionally guaranteed.

If we list a variety or strike characteristic that is not written on the slab label, that means we have researched it thoroughly, using standard references and years of experience. The listing of die varieties is a secondary concern to the grading services. No grading service attempts to list all known varieties on their labels. PCGS and NGC each have an exclusive list of the varieties they are willing to recognized, and they will only do so for a considerable fee. The reality is that most certified coins were not reviewed for anything but grade alone. Our extensive knowledge of die varieties goes well beyond the limited catalogues of NGC and PCGS, and there are times when a certain variety cannot be added to the slab for that reason. 

Fortunately, there are organizations dedicated to the attribution of die varieties that can help us fill the void. PCGS and NGC do not have the resources, or the will, to keep up with the discovery of new die varieties. As of 2011, we've begun submitting some variety coins to CONECA for detailed variety attributions. CONECA issues a signed certificate stating the PCGS/NGC certification number, the specific die variety, and also the exact die state. They keep a comprehensive file of all known varieties and their die states, and their attribution experts are extremely precise and reliable.

Grading Services

We submit to PCGS, NGC, and CAC on are regular basis, and we know what their tolerances are for each grade on various coin series. Our in-house grading standards tend to be conservative in comparison to all three of these companies.

It is not our desire to offer low end material, and we do not. On the occasion that we acquire coins on trade or consignment that are over-graded, improperly dipped, artificially toned, or otherwise problematic, we send them directly back to NGC or PCGS for downgrade. Most dealers will not do this (as evidenced by the number of garbage coins we see being offered in auction as problem free).

Even so, it is possible you may disagree with a grade; that is bound to happen on occasion because of the subjective nature of coin grading. However, you can be sure we have carefully screened every coin to make sure that it meets our standards for quality, unless otherwise noted. 

Terminology: High-end versus PQ

We try to offer only top quality coins, often describing them as "High-End" or "Premium Quality" (PQ). These terms mean slightly different things. Because a coin's level of preservation runs along a theoretical continuum, there is a wide range of quality possible within each numerical grade. We use "High-end" to describe a coin that is at the pinnacle of quality for its assigned grade, but which is still accurately graded. We use "PQ" to describe a coin that we believe is beyond the level of quality typical for the assigned grade, and which could easily have been graded higher. We have to feel very strongly about a coin to use the term "PQ."

Recently, a new grading service, CAC, emerged as a quality check on PCGS and NGC. In effect, they have institutionalized the standards we have been using for High-end and PQ coins. CAC green-stickers coins that are solid, or even high-end for the assigned PCGS/NGC grade. CAC gold-stickers those they believe are under-graded outright. The extra verification provided by CAC confirms that you really are buying high-quality material, and our specialization in High-end and PQ coins means that you will continue to see CAC stickers appearing in the DM Rare Coins inventory!

Price Corrections & Typographical Errors

We reserve the right to change our posted prices, at any time and without prior notice, due to fluctuations in the market, as well as typographical errors or other mis-statements. This happens only rarely.

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