coin guide

How to Get a Coin Graded

You get a coin graded by sending it to a third-party grading service, in practice PCGS or NGC, either directly as a paid member, by mail or at a coin show, or through an authorized dealer. You choose a service tier by the coin's value, pack the coin in an inert flip and ship it insured. It comes back sealed in a holder with a grade and a certification number, the form in which graded coins trade.

First decide whether this coin should go at all, because the fee buys an examination, not a grade.

Check the Coin Before You Pay to Grade It

Under the PCGS submission guide, the full grading fee applies when PCGS judges a coin genuine but not gradable. The PCGS no-grade codes for counterfeit coins and for coins it can't authenticate both state that the fee isn't refunded.

Look for the problems that stop a coin from getting a number. A coin that's been improperly cleaned, holed or scratched can't receive a numeric grade from 1 to 70 at NGC. It gets a Details grade instead: a word for its wear plus the named problem. According to the PCGS grading standards, a Details grade can't be used to look up a value in a price guide, and the coin will generally be worth less than the guide shows.

Cleaning is the problem owners cause themselves. Asked whether collectors should clean their coins, the American Numismatic Association's short answer is no, and NGC says harsh cleaning leads to Details grading only and can't be corrected by conservation.

For a working estimate of the grade, PCGS Photograde lets you match your coin to photos. The result is approximate, which is enough to choose a tier.

Which Coins Are Worth the Grading Fee

No grading service publishes a dollar threshold, so the test is a subtraction. Take what the coin would bring in a PCGS or NGC holder at its likely grade, subtract what it would bring raw (the trade's word for a coin that isn't in a holder), then subtract the whole cost of grading: membership, the per-coin fee, any handling fee and insured shipping both ways.

Each service's price guide supplies the graded side of that sum. The PCGS Price Guide lists average dealer asking prices for PCGS-graded coins and calls them a starting point, and the NGC Price Guide lists average dealer retail prices for NGC-certified coins. Both show what dealers ask, not what they pay.

A coin that trades on its metal content has to pass the same test, and the price guides show whether a holder adds anything at its likely grade. The case is stronger for a key date (a scarce date and mint combination), a coin in unusually high grade, or a type that's often counterfeited, where authentication alone can justify the fee. Home tests don't settle that last case: PCGS warns that weight and specific gravity tests are the least useful authentication tools for the vast majority of U.S. coins, because counterfeiters often use blanks of the proper weight and fineness.

Where to Get Coins Graded

Coins reach PCGS or NGC by mail, through an authorized dealer or at a coin show. A search for coin grading near you ends at a dealer, a show or a scheduled drop-off date.

Submitting to PCGS

There are four ways to submit to PCGS: the Online Submission Center, a PCGS Authorized Dealer, printable forms sent by mail, and in person at trade shows. The PCGS show schedule sorts events into On-Site Grading, Submissions Only and Local Drop-off, so check which kind a show is before you carry coins to it. Local Drop-off covers the Walk-In Wednesday dates PCGS lists in Santa Ana, California and Jersey City, New Jersey.

A show isn't a way around the membership: the PCGS instructions for show submissions begin once you're a Collectors Club member. When grading your own coin doesn't pay, the alternative is one already in the holder, such as the PCGS graded coins in our catalog.

Submitting to NGC

Direct submissions to NGC are open to paid members through an online form. Two other routes need no paid NGC membership: submitting as an active member of the American Numismatic Association, or going through an NGC Authorized Dealer. The service grades most U.S. and world coins struck from 1600 to date, and coins that have already been certified are listed with our NGC graded coins.

How a PCGS or NGC Submission Works, Step by Step

A direct submission to PCGS or NGC runs in five steps.

Step 1: Join the Service

NGC accepts direct submissions from paid members only. As of October 2026, the NGC Associate level is $39 a year, and the free NGC level gives access to online tools only, with no submission privileges. PCGS ties direct submission privileges to its Collectors Club, where the Silver level is $69 a year, renews automatically and isn't refundable once charged.

Step 2: Choose the Tier by Declared Value

Every tier has a maximum value per coin. As of October 2026, the NGC Economy tier takes non-gold coins valued up to $300, and the NGC Modern tier takes coins struck from 1965 to the present and valued up to $3,000. The PCGS Economy level has the same $300 limit.

The declared value you write on the form does two jobs at NGC: it selects the tier, and it caps what you're paid if the coin is lost. NGC doesn't assign values, so base yours on a recent purchase price, a price guide or a dealer's offer, the three sources NGC suggests. NGC can move an undervalued coin to a higher tier and bill the difference. Leave the value blank on the PCGS form and you authorize PCGS to assign $50 per coin.

Step 3: Complete the Form Exactly

List each coin's date with its mint mark (the PCGS form's example is 1880-S), its denomination and its declared value. On arrival, NGC checks the count against the invoice, then compares each coin's date, denomination and mint mark with the form. As of October 2026, incomplete descriptions add a $5 per coin attribution fee to the entire NGC submission.

One form covers one type of submission at one service level at PCGS. The form also has you choose in advance what happens to a problem coin: it comes back in a Genuine with Details holder, which is the default, or without a holder. The full grading fee applies to either choice.

Step 4: Pack Each Coin in Its Own Flip

The flip PCGS asks for is a 2 1/2 inch square of mylar, and PCGS doesn't accept acrylic snap cases or stapled cardboard holders. For raw coins up to 40.6 mm across, NGC asks for a 63.5 mm square non-PVC plastic flip, which is the same size, since 2.5 inches is 63.5 mm. Put one coin in each flip and label it with the submission number and line number. Don't cut, tape, staple or glue a flip, which NGC says can damage the coin. The plastic matters: NGC can't encapsulate a coin with active residue, PVC included, though it says many such coins are likely to be eligible after conservation.

Step 5: Ship the Package Insured

For the safest delivery, the PCGS shipping instructions recommend USPS Registered Mail. They require the package to be insured and refuse UPS and DHL shipments. They also tell you not to write Numismatics, Currency or any other word that relates to the contents on the outside of the box.

As for where to send it, PCGS prints one address for USPS Registered Mail and a different one for FedEx, so copy the address from the current guide on the day you ship. Mailing instructions for NGC are the fourth step on its how to submit page.

What Happens at the Grading Service and How Long It Takes

At NGC, at least two professional numismatists examine every coin, and NGC graders can't be involved in the commercial buying and selling of coins. NGC says the work is done without labeling that could identify the submitter. The coin is then sealed with a label that carries its date, mint mark, denomination, variety, grade, any special designation and an identification number.

On October 9, 2026, NGC estimated 60 working days for U.S. coins at its Modern and Economy tiers, and PCGS estimated 50 business days for U.S. coins at Economy. At 5 business days a week, that's 12 weeks and 10 weeks. Both figures are estimates: NGC states that its turnaround times aren't guaranteed, and PCGS estimates exclude mailing time.

If your coin is in an original Mint box or capsule, NGC discards the packaging once the coin is removed unless you select the Return Packaging service. As of October 2026, Return Packaging is $5 per submission form plus any additional shipping.

What to Check When the Coin Comes Back

Start with the certification number. The PCGS verification page takes the seven- or eight-digit number printed on the holder, and the NGC buying guide points to the Verify NGC Certification tool. Confirm that the coin, grade and description on screen match the label in your hand, a check that works on any graded coin before you buy it.

A Details result isn't a low grade. It means the coin has a named problem, and NGC notes that problem on the certification label beside the Details grade.

Buying Coins That Are Already Graded

We're an authorized dealer for PCGS and NGC, and each coin we list in a PCGS or NGC holder carries a certification number you can check with the service that issued it. We verify every item we sell, and customers can buy and sell on the same platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it usually cost to get a coin graded?

The bill has five parts: a membership if you submit directly, a per-coin fee set by the tier, any handling fee, postage to send the coin in and insured return shipping. As of October 2026, the PCGS Economy level is $24 per coin for coins valued up to $300. Fees at both PCGS and NGC change, so read the current fee page before you send anything.

How much does it cost to grade a coin at NGC?

As of October 2026, the NGC fee schedule lists the Modern tier at $20 per coin, for coins struck from 1965 to the present and valued up to $3,000, and the Economy tier at $25 per coin, for non-gold coins valued up to $300. Every NGC submission also carries a $10 handling fee, and shipping is additional.

Can I get my coins graded for free?

No. The nearest thing is a voucher or credit that comes with a paid membership. As of October 2026, the PCGS Gold membership is $149 a year with 4 grading vouchers, and Platinum is $249 with 8. Under the PCGS voucher rules, a voucher covers the grading fee at the Regular service level, isn't valid for coins valued over $2,500, and leaves you paying shipping and handling. The NGC Premium membership is $159 a year and includes a $150 NGC credit.