All the big TPGs take photos of coins they grade. Couldn't the same process be done to recognize bag marks, nicks, scratches, levels of strike quality, wear of high points, and other imperfections? Certainly someone wouldn't purposely add a bag mark or scratch to avoid detection that might reduce a coin's value, and like fingerprint technology, if so many other factors are still the same (like level and location of wear) it is unlikely it would be fooled. And like fingerprint and facial recognition, toning over time wouldn't affect it being identified as an exact match.

The TPGs could share such technology and the database the same way various law enforcement agencies do with prints.

I feel this could help protect the integrity of our hobby, specifically the population stats - and thus the value - of higher grade coins. It could also detect coins that have been previously submitted and determined as counterfeits.

The services have been playing with this technology for a long time now. The problem is the cost of using it. It would have to be passed on in grading fees. At the last Fun Show in January, NGC and PCGS were talking about using the technology for counterfeit detection.

Of course it is possible. But it is expensive.

It always is at first. Just the same way the first microwaves were, HD tvs were, basic cell phones, and other items were at first cost prohibitive. But that's what is great about capitalism: If there is a demand, and technology exists, people will compete to attract business by searching for ways to make it cheaper.