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MPMount Pleasant Coin

Collector's Corner

PCGS vs. NGC (and PMG for Currency)

These are the two major third-party grading services for U.S. coins, plus a sister service for paper currency. Neither is a scam and neither is universally 'better' — but there are real, practical differences worth understanding.

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Background

A brief history

Third-party grading emerged in the 1980s to solve a real problem: buyers and sellers disagreeing on grade, and outright counterfeit or altered coins circulating in the market.

The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) was founded in 1985 in California, the first company to combine grading with encapsulation ("slabbing") and a guarantee behind the assigned grade. The Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) followed in 1987, based in Florida, built on a similar model. Both quickly became the dominant services for U.S. coins, and both are accredited by, and members of, major industry bodies. Paper Money Guaranty (PMG), a sister company to NGC, performs the equivalent service for currency — U.S. and world paper money.

What's different

Holders, labels, and grading approach

FeaturePCGSNGC
Founded19851987
Holder styleRectangular hard plastic ('slab') with a tamper-evident sealRectangular hard plastic slab with a tamper-evident seal, slightly different profile
Label infoDenomination, date/mint mark, grade, certification number, variety notesSame core information, with its own label design and variety/pedigree notations
Special designationse.g. CAC-approved (via a separate sticker service), PL/DMPL for Morganse.g. Star (★) designation for exceptional eye appeal, PL/DPL for Morgans
Currency armNone (PCGS Banknote exists as a separate, smaller division)PMG (Paper Money Guaranty), a well-established sister company

Both companies grade on the same Sheldon scale — see our coin grading guide — and both issue Details grades for problem coins rather than a straight numeric grade.

Verification

Population reports and certificate lookup

Both companies publish population reports and let anyone verify a certified coin's details online — two of the most useful tools certification provides.

Population reports

A running count of how many coins of a given date, mint mark, and grade each service has certified. These are a genuinely useful (though imperfect) proxy for condition rarity, since the same coin can be resubmitted multiple times, slightly inflating counts.

Certificate verification

Each service's website lets you enter the certification number printed on a slab's label to confirm the coin's basic description matches what's recorded — a quick way to catch a fake holder or a swapped coin before buying.

Crossovers and market perception

Does it matter which service graded the coin?

For most coins and most buyers, both services are well respected and a coin's assigned grade will be treated as reliable. There are some nuances worth knowing.

  • A 'crossover' is when a coin certified by one service is resubmitted to the other, hoping to receive the same or a higher grade in the new holder — sometimes done for market or personal preference reasons.
  • For certain series or eras, the market has developed mild preferences for one service's grading standards being perceived as slightly stricter or looser, though this shifts over time and by series — it's not a fixed rule.
  • Add-on services like CAC (Certified Acceptance Corporation) stickers, applied to coins already graded by PCGS or NGC that CAC believes are strong for the grade, can add a further layer of market confidence and price premium.
  • For widely collected, higher-value coins, both PCGS and NGC holders are broadly liquid and accepted by dealers and auction houses; for a low-value common coin, certification cost may exceed the value it adds.

Worth it?

When certification is worth the cost

Certification carries a real fee, plus shipping and insurance, and takes time — so it isn't automatically the right move for every coin.

Certification tends to make the most sense for coins with meaningful value at stake: key dates, coins believed to be in high Mint State or Proof grades, coins with a suspected error or variety, and coins you intend to sell where a trusted grade will widen the pool of confident buyers. For common, low-value coins, or bullion-type coins valued mainly for metal content, certification costs can outweigh any benefit. A knowledgeable dealer can help you decide which coins in a group are worth submitting before you spend the money.

Keep reading

Related guides

Coin Grading Explained

The scale both services use, and what strike, luster, and surfaces mean.
Read the guide

What Makes a Coin Valuable

Rarity and demand factors that determine whether certification pays off.
Read the guide

How to Store Coins

Certified holders are among the safest long-term storage options.
Read the guide

Found certified coins in an inherited collection and not sure what the labels mean? See our inherited collections guide or request a free evaluation.

Wondering whether your coins should be certified?

We'll look at what you have and give you a straight answer on whether certification makes financial sense.

Start Your Collection EvaluationCall (843) 981-9985