Use one pre-purchase sequence every time

Use this order of operations for any coin over $100 — and for every key date at any price. Run it the same way every time.

1. Deal logic. Price vs. sold listings, seller reputation, return rights. Fail here and the coin never gets examined.
2. The three tests. Weight, diameter, magnet. Two minutes. Any fail ends the deal.
3. The loupe exam. Five minutes. Problems you find reprice the coin to problem price.
4. The certification decision. Key date, gold, or serious money means already certified by PCGS/NGC — or verified by an expert before full price. No exceptions.

Keep the rules on an index card in your kit pouch until they’re instinct.

A photograph can inform a decision, but it cannot authenticate or certify a coin.

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