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ETCM subscribers may obtain FREE examinations of error coins subject to the following ground rules:
Subscribers may send up to five (5) coins each month for identification without certificates. This service is intended to aid collectors who have difficulties understanding or identifying any puzzling coins. Explanations are given in the form of brief notes. The coins sent should be mounted either in 2x2 envelopes, flips, or staple holders for ease in handling them. A letter MUST accompany the coins with your questions about what it is that puzzles you. The collector must ask the questions related to the coins which require explanations. We will not simply search through coins to find errors for you unless there is an indication of the area of interest the suspected flaw is in. If the test requires Specific Gravity analysis, there is a charge of $10.00 per coin for this additional service.
ETCM does not issue Authentication Certificates. Since the various services which now authenticate and encapsulate error coins are capable of greater preservation standards, ETCM does not encapsulate coins. On rare occasions, if the error coin warrants it, we will issue a certificate for extremely special conditions, at the discretion of ETCM.
All coins sent for these
FREE services must be accompanied by sufficient
postage to allow us to return them to you by Insured or Registered Mail.
If postage is not included, ETCM will NOT advance the funds, and we will
not be responsible for the return of your coins. No exceptions!
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Currently, insured Mail (and packaging expense) costs a minimum of $5.00. Registered mail costs a minimum of $9.50 for a basic 2 ounces of mail. Added weight of additional or heavier coins will push these costs higher. These figures include the cost of our packaging material, handling and re-mailing your coins back to you. Any overpayments within reason will go into a kitty for packaging materials and handling expenses. Excess funds will be returned.
Since this service is FREE (except for postage and handling, of course), we reserve the right to reply to this type of mail on an "as time permits" basis. All such mail is usually answered within two weeks of receipt, as a rule, and often far more rapidly
In case of special tests required such as those on unplated zinc core cents, we must have a letter from the coin owner agreeing to abide by ETCM findings. In case the tests cause the coin to change in appearance (as in the case of fakes. Lack of a letter accompanying the coins to be examined will mean that they will be returned without explanation. PLEASE DO NOT send scans, sketches, rubbings, photographs or descriptions of coins instead of the coins themselves. ETCM will only check coins which can be examined first hand in our facilities, No exceptions |
NOTICE: If coins are received which in our opinion are fraudulent, counterfeit or in some way illegal, we will forward them to the U.S. Secret service for their attention. The owner of the coin will receive a Xerox copy of the receipt which we get from the Secret Service, and the owner can contact them for the disposition of the coin(s) in question.
It is not permissible to add up your five- coins-a month, and send us a large batch all at once. You cannot store them up and send us (for example) 60 coins in one batch as your year's worth. If you miss a month you cannot accrue that as a credit against future months. This is a hard and fast rule to allow us to give equal attention to all ETCM subscribers who wish to use our free service.
ETCM will not be responsible for coins sent to us by Certified (uninsured) Mail or uninsured mail of any class. All such coins are sent at the owner's risk.
Send all coins for examination by insured mail, to ETCM, PO Box 158, Oceanside, NY 11572-0158. Make sure to include an explanatory letter and your return name and address.
This is a service for ETCM subscribers only. Non-subscribers must pay fees of $8.50 per coin plus postage costs ($5.00 P&H) and additional insurance costs as noted above. No exceptions Postage rates effective as of October, 2004 |
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