About Us

Meet our Team

Will Christie is a familiar face in the community who can be found at many shows and auctions in the greater Toronto area. Often approached by fellow numismatists and even occasionally dealers for assistance in grading and attribution, he is known for a vast knowledge and understanding of the specimen series, error coins, and prooflike coinage. Thanks to over a decade of studying numismatics coupled with mentorship from more advanced dealers and collectors, William has formed around himself a circle of friends and clients who trust him for quality coins, expert level advice and a sharp eye. Some of his favourite examples he's had the pleasure of owning include:

• 1964 Two-Tailed Nickel, PCGS AU-58. Now the oldest known and possibly most impressive two-tailed or two-headed Canadian coin known. Sold privately.
• 1939 25c PCGS SP-66+ CAM / ICCS SP-66 Cameo, Ex Belzberg collection. One of only about three known examples. Part of personal collection.
• 1941 25c PCGS MS-67. A lustrous rainbow gem ranked solo finest for the issue, tied for finest with one other ET IND IMP type, and tied with the rest of the series for finest known. Sold at Heritage Auctions October 29th, 2021.

Cole Lawrence has devoted the past few years to engaging with new collectors and helping expand the reach of the hobby to a wider demographic. Introduced to numismatics as a child, he has been collecting coins for as long as he can remember. In recent years, Cole has had extensive experience handling examples of all grade points and strike designations contributing to a honed grading eye. With specialization in the assessment of prooflike coinage, Cole has amassed a vast set of prooflike, specimen, and mint error rarities. Some of his favourites he's handled include:

• Newfoundland 1943-C 1c NGC / PCGS MS-63 RD PL. The only Newfoundland coin in the series to receive a PL designation among all major grading services.
• 1966 $1 ICCS SP-67. The finest example at ICCS of this deceptively rare issue.
• 1964 10c PCGS SP-68 DCAM. Finest known example among all services of this highly elusive issue.

Josh Lucrezi has been an avid collector of coins since age 6, and began intensively studying Canadian numismatics in 2017. What started as selling coins to make extra pocket change in high school has developed into a love for progressively higher-end Canadian coins. While Josh’s collection mainly focuses on King George V specimen coinage, he specializes in the appraisal of mint state coins, and has had the privilege of owning several of the finest MS pieces Canadian numismatics has to offer. A few of his highlights include:

• Original pair of 1942 Tombac 5c, both ICCS MS-66. Featuring brilliant orange mint lacquer. Issued by the Royal Canadian Mint during WWII in special cards, this is currently the only known mint state pair, as all other known pairs were struck as specimens. Unique as such. Part of personal collection.
• 1858 20c PCGS MS-65. One of the highest graded examples of an extremely elusive type, this coin possesses almost specimen-like fields. Notably higher in grade than examples in many high-end collections, including Dominion and Cook, among others. Sold at Heritage Auctions October 28, 2021.
• 1929 25c PCGS SP-66. A frosty, blast white gem with less than a dozen in existence. Part of personal collection.

The three of us combined to form CNAS in 2021, when we determined that the Canadian numismatic market needed a service to help remove the uncertainties that exist among the major third party grading services. CNAS is here to instill confidence in the Canadian collector, helping them to ensure they are buying quality coins at their stated grade point.

The Canadian Numismatic scene is incredibly unique; unlike the USA and other large collecting hubs, we have a multitude of TPGs fighting for dominance such as ICCS, PCGS, NGC, and CCCS.

As collectors we have often come across many collectors and dealers who only put faith in one grading company. Some people will only buy PCGS while others scoff when offered their slabs. Others worship ICCS as the longest-serving Canadian grader while others have lost faith in them with the advent of American TPG expansion in our market.

The unfortunate reality is that many dealers and collectors have serious concerns about their less-preferred grading companies. Naturally, this produces unnecessary and unwanted issues in the marketplace and restricts collectors’ choices as certain issues become harder to find in their preferred TPG plastic.

Our goal here is to help harmonize the Canadian numismatic market and make it a fair playing field advantageous to dealers and collectors alike. By using our grading skills, we aim to help assert which coins can be trusted for the grades on their holders regardless of who graded them.

Overall, this revolutionary new service is the product of a partnership between three young collectors with extensive experience in grading and assessing every type of Canadian coin, regardless of finish or level of preservation. We want to make a more confident market by leveling the playing field so any collector can buy the coin he or she wants without lacking confidence on what their respective holder says.

Coins which meet CNAS standards receive our standard silver sticker. For a coin to receive our seal of approval, it must exhibit solid or above average technical quality for the assigned grade. Alongside the surface quality, we also consider elements of eye appeal. Eye appeal issues that aren't generally market acceptable can hold a coin back from receiving a CNAS sticker.

Coins which we determine to exhibit qualities of a higher grade than described receive our blue sticker. For a coin to be eligible for a blue sticker, it must possess all the technical qualities of the next numerical grade. Additionally, eye appeal is also considered and much like the silver, eye appeal distractions can hold coins from receiving a blue sticker.