Stamps We Grade
ASG will grade most modern stamps issued by the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, from 1950 to present. Chinese stamps issued during the Cultural Revolution, Chinese stamps issued before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China and stamps from other countries will be accepted on a case-by-case basis only. For a list of ASG holder sizes, click here.
Stamps ASG Will Not Grade
ASG will not grade stamps that are not genuine, stamps that are not mostly original, stamps that cannot be positively identified and/or stamps that are missing large pieces. ASG will also not encapsulate stamps with active gum since they may stick to its holder.
These stamps will be returned “raw” (not encapsulated) with a notation that describes the reason why the stamp could not be graded.
If a stamp is a type that ASG does not grade, it will also be returned raw.
Collectibles from Sanctioned Countries
Due to US sanctions, the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), which includes NGC, PMG, CGC, CSG, ASG and CAG, will not accept collectibles either (a) issued by the following countries/regions if submitted to CCG’s offices in London, Munich or Hong Kong; or (b) submitted to any CCG location by a customer located in one of the following countries/regions:
- North Korea
- Iran (including Persia)
- Cuba
- Crimea
If collectibles from the above-listed countries/regions are already in the US and are owned by a US-based customer, they may still be eligible for grading by a CCG company in the US. If collectibles from the above-listed countries/regions are already in Mainland China and are owned by a Mainland China-based customer, they may still be eligible for grading by CCG’s Mainland China affiliate, NGC Shanghai Business Information Consulting Co., Ltd.
In addition, special handling applies for the following countries:
- Syria: CCG will accept collectibles from Syria but will not ship any collectibles to Syria.
- Iraq: CCG will accept collectibles from Iraq but they may be subject to additional scrutiny by CCG and, if applicable, US customs, resulting in delays and possible rejection.
At this time, there are no sanctions affecting collectibles issued by Russia or submitted by customers in Russia. However, shipments containing collectibles issued by Russia may be subject to significant delays due to customs processing times.
Certain individuals are also subject to sanctions and cannot do business with CCG. A complete list of individuals sanctioned by the US can be found at https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/.
This policy was last updated on April 23, 2022, and is updated periodically. This policy is not meant to be taken as legal advice and, due to quickly evolving situations, it may not reflect current sanctions. For current US sanctions, please visithttps://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/. CCG reserves the right to reject any submission from any customer.
Policies
Precious Metal Stamps with Additive Applications (Jewels, Enamel, Colorizing and Similar) Policy
Declared Value Policy
Submitters to CCG Hong Kong are required to list a declared value for each stamp in their submission. By submitting a stamp and listing a declared value, the submitter agrees that the declared value represents the current fair market value of the submitted stamp.
If you do not know the stamp’s current fair market value, you can assign a declared value based on the price you paid for the stamp (if purchased recently), a value you found in a price guide, the price a dealer offered to pay you for the stamp or other reasonable determining method.
CCG Hong Kong does not assign values to stamps. If CCG Hong Kong determines that a stamp is undervalued and does not qualify for the tier or services selected, it may adjust the tier and charge the appropriate difference in grading and/or services fees based on its determination of the stamp’s current Fair Market Value. CCG Hong Kong will not, however, change the declared value originally assigned by the submitter.
The declared value is used to insure a stamp while it is at CCG Hong Kong’s facility. In addition, in the extremely rare event that a stamp is lost or damaged while at CCG Hong Kong’s facility, the submitter will be compensated based on the stamp’s current Fair Market Value (as defined below) in the condition in which it was received by CCG Hong Kong; provided that in no event will the compensation exceed the declared value listed by the submitter on the Submission Form. It is therefore very important that the declared value listed by the submitter represent the stamp’s current fair market value.
Fair Market Value: For the purposes of this Policy, the “current Fair Market Value” is the value of the stamp if it were to be sold, as determined by CCG Hong Kong in its sole reasonably exercised discretion. CCG Hong Kong will determine the current Fair Market Value of a stamp based upon what CCG Hong Kong believes, in its sole reasonably exercised opinion, to be reliable current market information. CCG Hong Kong may use actual pricing and sales information available to it, including prices in the actual transaction history of the stamp in question. However, due to the volatile nature of the stamp market and Internet auctions/sales as well as the differences in buying habits of different individuals, such information may not necessarily represent the accurate current Fair Market Value of any particular stamp, which again, will be determined by CCG Hong Kong in its sole reasonably exercised discretion. CCG Hong Kong reserves the right to use the declared value listed by the submitter on the Submission Form as the current Fair Market Value, and in no event will CCG Hong Kong’s determination of current Fair Market Value exceed the declared value listed by the submitter on the ASG Submission Form. CCG Hong Kong’s determination of the current Fair Market Value will be absolute and binding on all parties.
Precious Metal Stamps with Additive Applications (Jewels, Enamel, Colorizing and Similar) Policy
CCG Hong Kong will accept submissions of stamps with additive applications (such as embedded jewels, enamel or colorizing) only if they are accompanied by CCG Hong Kong’s Release for Stamps with Additive Applications Form.
While CCG Hong Kong will use its best efforts to protect stamps and any additive applications, it is possible that the additive applications may become dislodged or the additive applications or the stamp may be become damaged during or after CCG Hong Kong’s normal grading process. As a result, CCG Hong Kong will not be liable for any damages associated with additive applications. The grade of these stamps is also not covered by the ASG Guarantee.
Return Packaging Policy
CCG Hong Kong will return capsules and other packaging (such as original boxes and certificates) to submitters who check the “Return Packaging” service on the Submission Form. There is an additional $5 (USD) fee per submission form for this service, plus any additional shipping costs that may apply.
CCG Hong Kong will attempt to return packaging at the same time as graded stamps. If the packaging is not returned at this time (e.g., the submitter does not accept the returned packaging or it cannot be delivered to the submitter), the packaging will be held by CCG Hong Kong for an additional 14 calendar days. After this time, unclaimed packaging will be discarded. CCG Hong Kong will not be liable for packaging discarded if unclaimed for more than 14 calendar days after the date graded stamps are returned to the submitter.
In addition, while CCG Hong Kong will use its best efforts to preserve capsules and other packaging in the best possible condition, it is possible that capsules and packaging may be damaged when stamps are removed. ASG will not be liable for damaged packaging.
Please note that if the “Return Packaging” service is not selected on the ASG Submission Form, CCG Hong Kong will discard the packaging once the stamps have been removed. CCG Hong Kong will not be liable for any discarded packaging.