Or at least giving them the tools the need?

After reading NGC's announcement yesterday about counterfeit NGC holders, I don't know about anyone else, but my stomach just about fell out. Part of bidding with confidence on Ebay for me, for instance, is buying NGC (or PCGS) graded coins.

I recognize that NGC and law enforcement may be taking this very seriously. Nonetheless, hearing that counterfeiters went to such elaborate lengths to counterfeit the coins and the slabs was a serious blow to my confidence.

It also made me wonder: Are we, as Collectors Society members, participating in the NGC Registry, providing potential material to conterfeiters?

NGC's public statement announced that because they (the counterfeit holders) reflected actual serial numbers on file, they would show in the NGC database, with the correct coin, and the coins on the counterfeit holders matched the counterfeit coins in them.

Well, we as users of The Registry innocently list our collections WITH SERIAL NUMBERS of the coins for all to see. I don't think any of us could have anticipated such potential for abuse, especially members of such a hobby, close knit group, a "community" even. Counterfeiters can access the database, see serial numbers of coins along with the precise details of what the coin is/should be, even find photos in some cases, and voila!

So, are we complacent?

While one solution may be to obscure our sets so NO one can see them, we would punish ourselves and one another in the process. Personally, I'd like to see (and for what it's worth, I encourage others to suggest this to NGC), NGC PUBLICLY obscure the serial number, or more of it, similar to how a restaurant or other merchant obscures the majority of your credit card, and only the last digits show. Or how companies who still use your Social Security Number will obscure most of the number and show only the last few digits. The full serial number can be visible only to the set owner (and to AUTHORIZED NGC staff, which should be limited for security purposes).