This year, eBay expanded its Authenticity Guarantee to service collectible coins purchased at $500 or more. Why? Now is the perfect time, according to the online retailer with one of the largest offerings of issues, as searches for coins have increased by 33% and searches for historical coins by 44%. World Coin News spoke with eBay’s General Manager of U.S. Collectibles, Luci Yang, to learn more about the program and how it will help buyers’ confidence.
World Coin News (WCN): How will eBay’s new authenticity guarantee for coins work from submission through authentication and delivery? What specific security measures will prevent counterfeit or altered coins from reaching buyers?
Luci Yang (LY): Eligible coins priced at $500 or more will have the blue Authenticity Guarantee checkmark on the listing and will automatically go through the authentication process when purchased. The seller will send the coin to our authentication partner, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), for a multi-point physical inspection before it is sent to the buyer.
For raw coins, this involves inspecting the coin and its overall condition to help verify that it is authentic and consistent with the listing description. For graded coins, they’ll inspect the certified holder for signs of tampering and verify that the holder and label are authentic to the grader. For both raw and graded coins, authenticators will also confirm the item is consistent with the listing title, photos, and listing description. Finally, once authenticated, the coin is securely packaged with a tamper-proof e-tag and unique QR code and shipped to the buyer.
If the coin cannot be authenticated or doesn’t match the listing, it won’t be sent to the buyer, and they’ll receive a full refund. However, in many cases, if there is a minor discrepancy compared to the listing, the buyer will be contacted to see if they would still like the coin.
WCN: Who will perform the authentication, and what are the qualifications and standards?
LY: We’re partnering with PCGS, an industry leader in coin grading and authentication services. Their experts bring decades of numismatic experience and use extensive reference data, physical inspection, and technical equipment to authenticate eligible coins. Our partnership with PCGS is a distinct operation from grading services, and our authentication turnaround is typically one to two days upon receipt of the coin.
WCN: How will the program address coins whose authenticity is difficult to determine, including rare, ancient, cleaned, repaired, or previously certified coins?
LY: For raw coins, experts also assess overall condition and whether it matches the listing. For eligible previously graded coins, the focus is on authenticating the certified holder and checking for tampering––this service does not involve re-grading the coin.
We’re excited to be working with PCGS––their team has the expertise to verify an incredible selection of coins, and we’re confident in their ability to tackle rare coins, ancient coins, and more. The bottom line is that if a coin can’t be authenticated, it won’t be sent to the buyer, and they’ll receive a full refund.
WCN: What happens when a buyer and seller disagree with an authentication decision, and what protections or appeal mechanisms will be available?
LY: Authenticity Guarantee provides an independent third-party checkpoint, and if an item cannot be authenticated or doesn’t match its listing, the buyer is refunded, and the item is returned to the seller. For eligible returns, the coin goes back through the authentication center, where experts verify it is the same item and in the same condition before it is returned to the seller. Note that final sale items can’t be returned once cleared.
A tip for sellers to avoid rejection due to an item being classified “not as described”: we recommend refining your listing, reviewing your condition and description, title, or adding more photos of the item to accurately convey the condition of the coin. The best way to ensure your listing gets the blue checkmark is to make sure all aspects of your listings are descriptive, transparent, and accurate.
WCN: What does eBay expect the program to do for buyer confidence, sales of high-value coins, and the broader online coin-collecting market—and how will eBay measure whether the program is successful?
LY: Trust is foundational to collecting, especially when you’re buying and selling high-value coins. We’ve seen the impact of investing in authentication for our trading card community, and we see a significant opportunity with coins. Searches for collectible coins on eBay globally increased by more than 30% comparing June 2025 to June 2026. Authenticity Guarantee gives both seasoned collectors and enthusiasts who are newer to the hobby another layer of confidence as they discover and build their collections.
Source: Numismatic News