coin guide

PCGS vs NGC

No independent authority ranks PCGS above NGC, or NGC above PCGS. Both services grade on the same 1 to 70 scale, and both guarantee that a coin in their holder is genuine and not overgraded. They differ in specifics you can check: how each defines a 70, how long the guarantee lasts, what each accepts for crossover, registry rules, holders and fees.

PCGS and NGC Side by Side

Each cell below comes from that service's own published pages. The fee rows come from NGC's fee schedule and PCGS's service levels as published in October 2026, and both services change their fees.

Two Companies With a Shared Starting Point

PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc., and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, is a member of the Certified Collectibles Group. Older NGC articles, such as this one from 2017, call it Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, and it's the same company. PCGS began operations on February 3, 1986. NGC has graded coins since 1987.

Neither invented third-party certification. The American Numismatic Association (ANA) set up ANACS, which certified its first coin as genuine on June 15, 1972. ANACS later added grading and issued photo certificates, and it didn't seal coins in holders until 1989. In its founder's account, PCGS's change was to encapsulate each coin in a tamper-evident holder and guarantee the grade instead of offering a certificate. That's why PCGS's own claim is narrower than "oldest": it calls itself the oldest international third-party coin grading company that authenticates and encapsulates coins.

Both now seal every coin with a label that carries a unique certification number, which is how graded coins trade. Before you buy one in either holder, enter that number in PCGS's certification lookup or NGC's Verify NGC Certification tool, and check that the coin, grade and description on the record match the label.

Where the Grading Standards Differ

The scale is shared, but the top grade isn't worded the same way. NGC's test for a 70 is no post-production imperfections at 5x magnification. PCGS's standard for a 70 is a coin that's fully struck and lustrous and free of visual marks, and it expressly allows minor as-minted defects that don't affect eye appeal. Two MS70 Silver Eagles in different holders have passed two differently worded tests.

Some label differences say nothing about the coin. PCGS writes Proof as PR and NGC writes PF. PCGS's early-issue label is First Strike, as on First Strike Silver Eagles, and NGC's Early Releases label marks coins it or an approved depository received during the first 30 days of release. None of these is a grade.

Plus and Star are where the rules part. PCGS limits its Plus to the top 30% of coins in a grade, from XF-45 through MS/PR-68. NGC covers the same range but excludes U.S. bullion and modern commemorative coins, so a bullion Silver Eagle in an NGC holder can't carry a plus at any grade. NGC also awards a Star for exceptional eye appeal, which PCGS doesn't use, and a starred coin can fall anywhere within its grade.

Problem coins get no number at either service. NGC gives coins that are improperly cleaned, holed or scratched a Details grade under a purple label. PCGS returns them in a Genuine with Details holder by default, or unholdered if you choose that in advance.

On who does the grading, NGC spells out its process: at least two professional numismatists examine every coin, its graders can't buy and sell coins commercially, and varieties are attributed without labeling that could identify the submitter. Neither service's grade is a measurement, though. The Royal Canadian Mint calls grading one of the more contentious aspects of coin collecting, and a second look is a paid service at both: PCGS charges its grading fee for a regrade or reconsideration whether or not the coin upgrades, and NGC's ReGrade is charged at the tier fee.

Holders and Security Features

Every PCGS holder made since October 2020 includes an NFC chip, so tapping the holder with a phone opens the coin's certification record. The plastic also contains an inert additive that only a hand-held reader developed for PCGS can detect. On a holder made before then, don't count on a chip. Use the certification number.

NGC's standard holder is the EdgeView. NGC says its holders are made of inert materials, are sealed ultrasonically and carry a hologram, and that the Smithsonian Institution uses them. The standard holder takes coins up to 45 mm in diameter and 4.5 mm thick.

How the Two Guarantees Differ

The time limit matters most when you buy a coin graded years ago. NGC's guarantee applies for 10 years from the date of grading, and a paid ReGrade extends it. NGC encourages buyers to look up the grade date with Verify NGC Certification before they purchase. PCGS's guarantee page states no time limit, though it does list exclusions.

Three limits apply at both services. The guarantee ends when the coin leaves its holder. It does little for the person who sent the coin in: PCGS's can't be used by the original submitter, and NGC caps that person's recovery at the grading fee paid. And it doesn't cover changes after grading, such as spotting on modern silver coins or color change on copper. A holder guarantees authenticity and grade, not how the coin will look later or what it'll sell for.

Crossover and Registry Rules

Crossover means sending a coin in one service's holder to the other. Between these two it works in both directions, but NGC accepts only PCGS-holdered coins for CrossOver and removes a coin from its holder only if it will assign the same grade or higher. PCGS also takes coins holdered by ANACS, ICG or others, and it lets you name the minimum grade you'll accept. If the coin doesn't cross, PCGS returns it in its original holder and still charges the standard grading fee, and if it does cross, PCGS adds a 1% Guarantee Premium.

Special labels don't always follow the coin. NGC won't carry over a PCGS set pedigree, such as the 25th Anniversary Set on an American Silver Eagle, because it didn't open the sealed Mint packaging itself.

Registries, the set-building competitions each service runs, shape demand for each holder. In the PCGS Set Registry, only PCGS-graded coins can be used in sets. The NGC Registry accepts PCGS-certified coins in most U.S. competitive sets. A collector building a PCGS registry set has no use for an NGC holder, whatever coin is inside.

Fees and Membership Compared

As of October 2026, the lowest membership with direct submission privileges at NGC is the Associate tier at $39 a year. At PCGS it's the Silver tier at $69 a year, which includes no grading vouchers.

Per coin, as of October 2026, NGC's Modern tier is $20 for coins struck from 1965 to the present and its Economy tier is $25 for non-gold coins valued up to $300, plus a $10 handling fee on every submission and shipping. PCGS's Modern Value level is $17 and its Economy level for vintage coins is $24, each for coins valued up to $300. PCGS is lower per coin at the cheapest tier and NGC is lower on entry membership, so the total depends on how many coins you send and at which tier.

What Can and Can't Be Said About Resale Value

Each service claims a price advantage for its own coins. NGC states that collectors and dealers pay more for coins it has graded, and PCGS says its certified coins are known for realizing top prices. Those are statements each makes about itself, not independent evidence.

The price guides don't settle it, because each covers only its own holder. PCGS's guide lists average dealer asking prices for PCGS-graded coins. NGC's lists average dealer retail prices for NGC-certified coins in a standard holder. Neither figure is what a seller receives. What drives the price of a graded coin is the coin: its date and mint, its mintage, its grade and the demand for it. A Details label changes the picture at either service: PCGS says a Details coin will generally be worth less than price guides show.

How to Decide Which Holder to Buy and Where to Submit

Buying a Coin That's Already Graded

Compare the coins before the labels. A PR 69 and a PF 69 are the same grade, and a plus or a star is a separate judgment from the number. Then weigh what the holder adds: the grade date on NGC graded coins, the chip in newer holders on PCGS graded coins and, if you're building a registry set, whether that registry counts the holder.

Sending a Coin In

Start with the registry, if any, the coin will go into. Check that the label you want exists at that service, since the Star is NGC's alone and NGC gives no plus to U.S. bullion or modern commemoratives. Then price the submission on both current schedules: the tier that fits the coin's age and value, plus the membership, spread over the number of coins you're sending.

Coins in Both Holders on Our Marketplace

We're an authorized dealer for PCGS and NGC, and our catalog carries coins certified by both. We run a two-way market, so our product pages show a bid alongside the ask, and you can see the price to sell a coin in either holder before you buy it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ANACS stand for?

ANACS stands for American Numismatic Association Certification Service. It certified its first coin in 1972, so it's older than both PCGS and NGC, but it's no longer part of the ANA. A year after ANACS moved to sealed holders in 1989, the ANA's board of governors sold it. PCGS will consider an ANACS-holdered coin for crossover, and NGC won't.

Is NGC trusted?

The facts you can check say yes. NGC has been the official grading service of the American Numismatic Association since 1995, and it holds the same designation with the Professional Numismatists Guild. It backs every coin with a written guarantee of authenticity and grade for 10 years from the grading date. None of that places it above PCGS, because no independent authority ranks either service above the other.

Is MS70 or PF70 better?

Neither. They're the same grade on coins made in two different ways. MS means Mint State, a coin struck for circulation, and PF means Proof, a coin struck for collectors. PCGS abbreviates Proof as PR, so a PR70 on a PCGS label and a PF70 on an NGC label describe the same grade.