Authentic Altered
Authentic Altered is a grading designation for a card that is genuine but has been changed since it was made, for example trimmed or recolored. CGC Cards prints it in the grade box in place of a number.
Also called Altered card.
In more detail
An altered card has had something added or taken away. CGC's glossary lists trimming, recoloring, pressing, power erasing, rebuilt corners and restored stock among the common alterations, often made to improve how the card's condition looks. CGC Cards marks such a card AA and gives it no numeric grade.
It sits beside two other designations on CGC's scale. Authentic, marked AU, is for a genuine and unaltered card that cannot take a number, such as one below the minimum size. Authentic ART is for a card with custom art applied by an artist with a CGC artist account or through a qualified Signature Series submission.
An AA label tells a buyer the card is real but not original, so compare its price only with other altered copies. CGC's glossary uses the word doctored for alterations made to hide a flaw and says the hobby frowns on the practice.
Related terms
Where Rip.fan covers it
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