Dealer Code of Ethics

Approved August 1967 by the ANA Board of Governors; revised March 2002.

As an ANA member dealer, I agree to comply with the following principles:

• To comply with the ANA Member Code of Ethics.
• To purchase and sell numismatic items at prices commensurate with a reasonable return to the seller and for a reasonable return on my investment with regards to the then prevailing rate.
• To furnish my clientele with advice on numismatic information to the best of my ability.
• To not knowingly handle for resale forgeries, counterfeits, unmarked copies, altered coins or other spurious numismatic merchandise that is not clearly labeled as such.
• To frequently publish my statement of return privileges, which will allow my customers a designated period of time in which to return numismatic material for a refund, except bullion or bullion-related material may not be returned for a refund. Said period of time shall not be less than fifteen (15) days from the recorded date of receipt or other transmittal of said material or not less than ten (10) days after my customer’s receipt thereof or my attempted delivery thereof to my customer, whichever time period shall be the earlier.
  • If a customer submits a misdescribed or overgraded coin to a certification service for authentication or grading and notifies me of such submission within ten (10) days of my date of mailing or other delivery, I will continue to recognize his/her return privilege for thirty (30) days after my customer’s receipt of said coin from me.
  • In an auction sale of consigned material, the return privilege period may be made available only to mail bidders, and the period for the return of such material may be limited to five (5) days from the mail bidder’s receipt thereof or fifteen (15) days from the bidder’s receipt of the invoice for such material or my attempted delivery of my invoice therefor, whichever time period shall be the earlier.
  • Whether or not an item has been returned within the limited return period, a dealer may be subject to expulsion or other disciplinary action for
    • a) the intentional sale of any counterfeit item or any item with an altered date or mintmark;
      b) the intentional misrepresentation as to the grade of any item; or
    • c) the failure or refusal to provide a refund or replacement for any item referred to in a) or b) preceding, whether or not the sale or misrepresentation was intentional. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, I shall have the right to enforce my written terms of sale furnished to a customer or the written provisions of my contract with a customer, even if such terms and/or provisions restrict or prohibit the return of numismatic material, contrary to the return privilege provisions set forth herein.

However, said terms and provisions may not provide a time limit for the return of a counterfeit coin unless I have informed my customer that a coin may not be genuine and he/she has agreed that the coin cannot be returned to me for a refund in the event it is determined to be counterfeit.

• To abide by all local, state and federal laws in all numismatic matters and to assist in the prosecution of violators of the law in this respect.
• To recognize and respect my own contracts and business dealings and those of fellow members of the Association.
• To refrain from making unjustified and/or false statements or misrepresentations in my relations with others, and to fully cooperate in the advancement of our hobby and business in my relations with collector and dealer alike.

Any violation of this code will be grounds for expulsion from the American Numismatic Association.