Poll Question: Do you believe there’s a place for AI in numismatics? Why or why not?

I do not want to see AI in Numismatics! I believe there would be far more negative effects than positive. If it isn’t broke….

KE, Germantown, Ohio

Not to me. I just don't trust AI, in general. AI engines do not think for themselves; they collate data from other sources. He who feeds the AI reaps the information provided.

Jim Burnell, Colorado

I notice more and more sellers of coins on eBay are using AI listing descriptions for their coin auctions. You can spot these in the opening line...I fear they are relying too heavily on these and, many times, failing to describe the particular coin(s) for sale. So don't over-rely on them.

Name and Address withheld

Yes, AI can and will have a place in numismatics. I think the main application will be in the authentication of numismatic specimens. Counterfeiting has been a plague on the hobby since antiquity, and the ability of AI to scan, analyze, and provide a detailed explanation of why it is authentic or fake by comparing it to databases of known exemplars will be invaluable to the hobby.

We need to evolve “Third Party” service results beyond what I call the “opinion standard.” We have available technology that can not only render extremely precise measurements of characteristics that we common coin collectors look at…diameter, thickness, weight, degradation by wear, quality of strike, and specifics of the devices of the design but, additionally, we can generate topographic maps of the coin surfaces to nanometer changes in relief or incursion; reflectivity of various wavelengths of light; scatter patterns of reflected light; thermal and electrical conductivity and radio spectroscopy for precise metallurgical content.

Of course, the other side of the double-edged sword of technology, including Artificial Intelligence, is the impact on actual intelligence. We’ve already seen collectors that buy only “certified” coins, so they have an accurate determination of authenticity and quality and consequently don’t bother to learn the history and characteristics of their purchases. My opinion is this may be the line between a coin consumer and a coin collector or numismatist.

Several years ago, an “investigative reporter” took several coins and submitted them to a TPGS, and when returned, he recorded the results and carefully removed them from that service’s packaging and sent the same specimens to a second and then a third TPGS…the three services he used did not have agreement on any of the specimens submitted with Sheldon grades varying by 10 or more points. Recently, an acquaintance of mine submitted coins to a TPGS, and one of them came back as an AU Details: Cleaned. He cracked that coin out and sent it to another service, and it came back an MS-65 with no “Details.” To put his mind and conscience at ease, as he intended to resell the coin, he sent the graded coin to CAC, and it got a “Green Bean.” We know that fake coins are occasionally found in authentic TPGS slabs, and we’ve all seen counterfeit holders. We know that often the “experts” can’t articulate why one specimen is a 70 and another a 69…an admitted very fine line in difference. These truths are why I view all TPGS evaluations as being done on an “opinion standard.”

The other problem I see with the “have everything graded” culture is the finite resource of people who possess the knowledge and experience to evaluate every coin manually. Currently, we have five TPGS providers generally recognized as reputable providers of the service; the high volume often means the grader has a matter of seconds to evaluate each coin…certainly AI could essentially be a force multiplier of the expertise necessary for those determinations.

Name and Address withheld

Yes, anything that makes grading services cheaper is better for those of us who can’t afford the high prices.

Name and Address withheld

AI can determine how many collectors are collecting coins by series. Then, rank by most collectors in a series. For example: #1 Morgan Dollars, #2 Bust Halves, etc. Of course, collector input is crucial. Updates as more people report their preferences. A thought!

Horst S., Address withheld