ACCA (Asian Coin Certification Authority) appears to be on the forefront of a “new” computer technology (introduced in 2009)  for authenticating and grading Asian Coins. ACCA operates out of Taiwan and is considered reputable in authenticating and grading Asian Coins.

This technology is being referred to as “Artificial neural network approach to authentication of coins by vision-based minimization”, and was first reported by SpringerLink. The development, research and publication of this technology is credited to Jang-Ping Wang, Yi-Cih Jheng, Guo-Ming Huang and Jen-Hsien Chien

Of which, Jen-Hsien Chien, formerly Professional Technician of London Jewelry,  was promoted to the President of Asian Coin Certification Authority (aka 2009),  (sample image of their holder above). This technology will hopefully bring in an era of more consistent and trustworthy methods of authenticating Asian coins, and hopefully for US Coin Grading and Authentication, in which the present leaders in the U.S. now are *PCGS, *NGC (ANA), *ANACS and *ICG respectively.

Considering the Reference’s mention of Kenneth, B., Abe, K.: The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins. American Numismatic Association (2006),  applications of  the Artificial neural network approach to authentication of coins by vision-based minimization, just might soon be on the way. This might be stretch on my part, considering the reluctance for such technology being used in authenticating and grading U.S. Coins, but it’s my opinion that its use is long over-due. Read original publication of reference click here

 In 1991, Compugrade was introduced to the public, but within a fews months, they closed their doors to the public. A few submissions went through but the technology and the Numismatic Community wasn’t ready yet. It’s been a long time since any serious attempts have been made in grading or authenticating coins using computer technology.

In 1991, most people didn’t trust computers and didn’t know much, if anything, about them, but that has changed dramatically over the last few years; and Smart Phones have  helped bolster our trust in technology that gives us our powerful computers.

Applications for Smart Phones have broke the mold in what a little hand held computer can do. Touch screens, bar code scanners, navigation, paying bills, directions, calculations, Internet searches, even telling the phone what to do, and much, much more can be accomplished via a computer that fits inside your hand.

It’s a just a fact that technology has advanced, at super speed, since 1991 so that even one single smart phone has many more abilities than any technology Compugrade had at it’s disposal. I hear people say the human factor can’t be eliminated by in grading of coins, besides “How can a computer determine eye appeal?”.

Ah, but computers can or eventually will be able to scan coins with great eye appeal (toned or white), then be able to identify this eye appeal in other coins they scan in the future, and will be able to accomplish much more than some can even realize.

PCGS have come the closest to using this technology for grading and authenticating coins, but only use it in their Secure Plus Program, that scans and saves a coin’s various markers, so it can be identified if it ever returns to PCGS, for reholder, regrade or even a raw submission, after being cracked out of its original holder by a thief, if such would happen.

If you have more information you would like to share on this subject send inquiries to help@coinauctionshelp.com

 More information on TPGS (Third Party Coin Grading Services)

Walking Liberty Half Dollars, commonly referred to as “Walkers” are a very popular coin series for coin collectors. The U.S. Mint begin the series in 1916 and ended in 1947, and the key dates of the series include 1921 and 1921-D. Also, the only coin of it’s time to have dates (1916 and 1917) featured with mint mark on the obverse and the reverse, as two separate types.

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