Authentication · Grading · Encapsulation
Meridian authenticates and grades rare coins, paper currency, trading cards and collectibles. Every item is examined by two specialists, sealed in a tamper-evident holder, and issued a certificate that stays verifiable for the life of the object.
Insured intake · 12-angle imaging · Independent of the trade
What we grade
Each category has its own bench, its own instruments and its own published scale — but the same rule applies everywhere: nothing is authenticated on the word of one examiner.
Metallurgical assay, die and variety attribution, and a full surface examination under 20× magnification before any grade is assigned.
Notes are examined for paper stock, intaglio engraving and plate position, then checked for restoration, pressing and repairs under UV.
Centering, corners, edges and surface are measured independently, with all four sub-grades printed on the certificate.
Autographs, watches, medals and small ephemera, authenticated through provenance research and physical comparison to known reference examples.
Chain of custody
From the moment a parcel is opened to the moment it is sealed, each stage is signed, timestamped and visible to you in your account.
Items arrive under our written shipping protocol, insured at declared value from the moment they leave you.
Twelve-angle photography before the object is touched. A submission number is issued the same working day.
Two specialists review independently — metal, paper, ink, print or movement. Neither sees the other's notes.
The grade is assigned on the published scale for the category, with every defect and notation recorded.
Ultrasonically sealed holder, tamper-evident band, certificate number etched into the label.
Insured return shipping, and permanent entry in the Meridian register that any buyer can verify.
Published standards
Every certificate states the scale used, the defects found and the notations that qualify the grade. Nothing is implied and nothing is left unstated — a collector, an insurer and a buyer should be able to read the same document and reach the same conclusion.
What we never do
Full scale definitions are printed on the reverse of every certificate and available from the intake desk on request.
Schedule of fees
Fees are charged per item, in the currency shown, and confirmed before your shipment is logged. Nothing is invoiced after the fact.
20 business days
10 business days
3 business days
25 items or more — from $18 per item, 25 business days. Contact the intake desk for a schedule.
Public register
Every Meridian certificate carries a number etched into its holder and printed on the document. Enter it here to see the item, the grade, the notations and the date of encapsulation — no account required.
Register entries are permanent and never re-issued
MG-19980142
Philadelphia mint · 8 Tailfeathers variety
Grading notes
Full luster, unbroken cartwheel. Reverse field shows one hairline from handling, no toning or dipping. Original surfaces.
Why Meridian
“We are not selling certainty. We are selling a method, and the discipline to repeat it the same way on the ten-thousandth object as on the first.”
Authentication and grade are signed by separate specialists who never see each other's findings first.
Every inbound and return shipment is insured at declared value through our underwriter.
If a grade fails on re-examination, we re-holder and re-grade at no charge, once.
Meridian holds no inventory and takes no position in any item we examine.
Begin
Describe the items, choose a service level and receive your intake number and shipping instructions immediately. No appointment, no minimum.