SARASOTA, Fla. (July 3, 2018) — Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) reports that a seller of counterfeit coins in counterfeit NGC holders has pleaded guilty to importing counterfeit coins and bars into the United States. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

NGC first became aware that Jonathan Kirschner of Moorestown, New Jersey, was selling counterfeit NGC holders in mid-2017. NGC gathered additional details and shared this information with a federal investigator.

On June 25, 2018, NGC was informed that Kirschner had been taken into custody and pleaded guilty. “NGC will vigorously protect its intellectual property and the coin collecting community,” said Richard S. Montgomery, NGC President and Grading Finalizer. “We are pleased that a seller of counterfeit coins and holders has been brought to justice.”

NGC encapsulates coins in a proprietary holder that features a number of elements to protect against counterfeiting and tampering, including UV ink, microprinting, an ultrasonic seal, and an advanced hologram.

As an added security measure, NGC has imaged virtually every coin that it has encapsulated since October 2008 and has made these images available for free in the NGC mobile app and at NGCcoin.com/verify.

While counterfeit NGC holders comprise a very small fraction of the total NGC holders in the marketplace, collectors should nonetheless be vigilant and buy only from trusted retailers. For additional information about protecting yourself from fraudulent holders, visit NGCcoin.com/security.