INSIST ON PCGS

For third-party certification of rare coins, there is one name collectors around the world recognize and trust: Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). At PCGS, coins are more than just a hobby. They are our passion - and our business. When you choose PCGS, you get:
Impartial grading and authentication by the world's top experts - Provides confidence to buyers and sellers alike
The ultimate protection for your coins
Incomparable value - PCGS-certified coins are well-known for obtaining top prices at auction
Special services - Collectors Club , Population Report , Price Guide and PCGS Set RegistrySM where you can list your coin collection and compare it to those of other collectors.

Product Spotlight

  • NEW PCGS Coin Restoration Service Restores the Beauty of Your Coins

    PCGS has launched a new service to help restore and preserve the natural condition of coins. PCGS Restoration Service is designed to help collectors remedy environmental problems that may have occurred with their coins. Improper storage, exposure to caustic elements, or even the deliberate addition of foreign substances can detract from an otherwise beautiful coin. If your coin suffers from a problem that compromises its natural beauty, PCGS Restoration Service may be able to help.

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  • Maximize the Value of Your Coins – Insist on PCGS

    Professional Coin Grading Service:

    •  Offers unlimited guarantee of authenticity
    •  Maximizes every con’s value and liquidity
    •  Is recognized worldwide as the standard for grading

  • PCGS Announces 2013 International Show Schedule

    If you can’t make it to our European or Hong Kong submission center, visit PCGS at one of the many numismatic trade shows held throughout the year. PCGS attends numerous shows around the world, accepting take-home submissions and in some cases, offering on-site grading. Click here to find a show near you.

  • PCGS's Muriel Speaks With Mark Teller About The Asian Coin Market.
More News

The Importance of Coin Grading

As coin collecting gained momentum during the early 1900s, the condition of a coin, along with its rarity, essentially determined its value as is the case today. And over the years, coin grading evolved to a system of finer and finer grade distinctions. The problem was the often subjective assignment of "grades" by different coin dealers.

Even after the Sheldon Scale of grading was introduced in 1948, the need for numismatists to agree on a universal standard remained. When PCGS was founded in 1986, the problem of standardization was solved - providing a reliable form of protection for rare coin collectors. In short, PCGS revolutionized the coin grading industry by creating an environment where consumers could participate in the coin market with confidence.

With PCGS grading behind your coins, you are guaranteed a level of impartiality, grading accuracy and authenticity that was previously unavailable, and only the leader in third-party grading can provide.

The PCGS Guarantee

The PCGS Guarantee of Grade and Authenticity is fundamental to our concept of third-party grading. The cash-back policy ensures the accuracy of the grade assigned to any PCGS coin as long as it remains in its tamper-evident holder and neither the coin nor the holder has been tampered with.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All PCGS graded World coins are covered by the PCGS Guarantee of Grading and Authenticity. There are some terms and restrictions, so for a detailed explanation of the PCGS Guarantee (English), click here.

PCGS Grading Standard

The PCGS Grading Standard is based on the 1-70 Sheldon Scale and is the guide we use for every coin we grade.

PCGS offers a full description of each grade, including suffixes that are added to certain grades, and No-Grade codes. For more information, please view the PCGS Grading Standards .

To see how the PCGS Grading Standards compare to established European Standards, click here .