CAC-Approved Coins Command Strong Premiums in February 2026 Auctions

Coins approved by the Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) and those encapsulated by CAC Grading (CACG) delivered notable results across several major U.S. auctions in February 2026.

Collectors and dealers often track CAC-approved material because the sticker, or CACG holder, signals that a coin ranks among the stronger examples for its grade. February’s auction data again shows that many buyers remain willing to pay meaningful premiums for coins with that distinction.

The following results come from public sales held by major firms, including Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Heritage Auctions, GreatCollections, and David Lawrence Rare Coins.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries: CACG Coins Lead the Way

Several CAC-approved and CACG-certified coins brought strong prices during a February 3 auction conducted by Stack’s Bowers.

A CACG-graded MS-64 1883-S Morgan silver dollar realized $8,700. By comparison, a PCGS MS-64 example without a CAC sticker sold for $5,612 at Heritage on January 15.

Another highlight involved a 1911 Indian Head $5 gold coin graded Proof-67 by PCGS with CAC approval, which realized $162,000. For context, Heritage sold a PCGS Proof-67 example without a CAC sticker on August 18, 2021 for $99,000. Market levels for these coins likely stood about 12% higher in February 2026 than in August 2021, yet the CAC-approved piece still achieved a significantly stronger result.

Stack’s Bowers also sold a CACG MS-67 1939-S Arkansas Centennial commemorative half dollar for $3,840. Comparable examples without CAC approval have brought noticeably less. A PCGS MS-67 without a CAC sticker realized $2,025 at GreatCollections on February 1. Earlier, on October 5, Heritage sold another PCGS MS-67 non-CAC coin for $2,280.

Heritage Auctions: CAC Stickers Drive Collector Demand

Sales at Heritage during early February also revealed clear price differences between CAC-approved coins and similar non-CAC examples.

On February 2, Heritage sold two PCGS MS-65 1925-S California commemorative half dollars in consecutive lots. The example carrying a CAC sticker realized $915, while the coin without CAC approval brought $524.60.

The same pattern appeared with 1936 Gettysburg commemorative half dollars. A PCGS MS-66 example with CAC approval sold for $1,464. A PCGS MS-65 coin without a CAC sticker realized $976 in the adjacent lot. Immediately afterward, an NGC MS-67 example without CAC approval brought $1,342, which still fell below the CAC-approved MS-66 result.

Another comparison involved 1936 Lynchburg commemorative half dollars. Heritage sold a CACG MS-66 example for $451.40, while an NGC MS-66 coin realized $366. Shortly afterward, on February 15, GreatCollections sold a PCGS MS-66 example without CAC approval for $377.30.

GreatCollections: Side-by-Side Sales Highlight CAC Premiums

GreatCollections provided several particularly clear comparisons because similar coins sold within seconds of each other.

On February 8 at 4:13:03 PM Pacific Time, a CACG MS-66 Red 1909-VDB Lincoln cent realized $605.02. Just three seconds earlier, a PCGS MS-66 Red example without CAC approval sold for $397.10. Later, on February 15, an NGC MS-66 Red coin without CAC approval realized $363. All three carried the full Red (RD) color designation from their respective grading services.

The 1973 Eisenhower dollar market produced similar results. On February 15, GreatCollections sold a CAC-approved MS-66 example for $675.40. A separate CAC-approved MS-66 coin brought $640.50 at Heritage on February 11. By contrast, a PCGS MS-66 example without CAC approval realized $423.50 at GreatCollections on February 1, while an NGC MS-66 example without CAC approval sold at Heritage on December 24 for $216.

Another head-to-head comparison occurred on February 22. At 6:59:48 PM Pacific Time, GreatCollections sold a CACG MS-65 1893 Isabella quarter for $1,765.50. Just three seconds later, a PCGS MS-65 example without CAC approval realized $1,218.94.

David Lawrence Rare Coins: CAC Examples Outperform Market Levels

Auctions conducted by David Lawrence Rare Coins also produced strong CAC results in February.

On February 12, DLRC sold a CAC-approved AU-55 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo nickel for $2,820. Comparable coins without CAC approval have recently brought less. Heritage sold a PCGS AU-55 example without CAC for $1,740 on August 19, while Stack’s Bowers sold another PCGS AU-55 non-CAC example for $1,800 on September 2. Market values for these coins have risen roughly 6% during the past six months, which does not fully account for the difference between the CAC result and the non-CAC sales.

Another DLRC result came on February 15, when a CAC-approved VF-25 1871 silver dollar realized $800. Earlier that month, on February 1, GreatCollections sold a PCGS VF-30 example without CAC approval for $638.

DLRC also sold a CAC-approved MS-65 1937 Walking Liberty half dollar on February 19 for $426. Comparable pieces without CAC approval realized less. Heritage sold an NGC MS-66 example for $390.40 on February 24, while Stack’s Bowers sold two PCGS MS-65 coins without CAC stickers on January 14 for $145 and $168.

Market Takeaway: CAC Approval Continues to Influence Prices

Auction results from February 2026 again show the influence of CAC verification in the rare-coin market.

In many cases, coins carrying CAC approval, or those encapsulated by CACG, realized higher prices than similar coins graded by major services but lacking CAC endorsement. The data also highlights how collectors respond when two nearly identical coins appear in close succession during the same auction.

For buyers focused on quality within a grade, CAC verification remains a factor that many bidders continue to reward at auction.