What is a coin grading service, and is PCGS a grading company like NGC?
A coin grading service is a third-party company that authenticates a coin, assigns it a condition grade, and seals it in a tamper-evident holder (a "slab") with the grade printed on the label. The two services the whole market prices from are PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service, founded 1986) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company, founded 1987). ANACS is older than both and still operates, but PCGS and NGC slabs are what dealers, auction houses and collectors pay the strongest money for, sight unseen.
These are authentication companies, not coin buyers, and they are not competitors of ours. We buy PCGS and NGC certified coins across the counter every week, priced on the certification.
How does the 70-point grading scale work?
Coin graders and coin ratings: the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and PCGS
The two coin graders whose ratings the market trusts are PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, now Numismatic Guaranty Company). Both authenticate the coin, assign a numeric rating, and seal it in a tamper-evident holder. A rating from either carries essentially the same weight at our counter; third-tier grading labels do not, and we price those coins on our own inspection.
What does an MS70 American Silver Eagle grade mean?
MS70 is a flawless Mint State coin under 5x magnification, the top of the scale. It matters most on modern bullion: an MS70 American Silver Eagle brings a premium over the same coin ungraded, while a raw, common-date Eagle sells at silver value plus a small bullion premium. That gap is exactly why the grade-it-or-sell-it-raw question below is worth a minute of your time.
Both major services grade on the Sheldon scale, which runs from 1 (barely identifiable) to 70 (flawless under magnification). The bands a seller actually needs:
| Grade range | Name | What it means on the coin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 45 | Circulated (Good to Extremely Fine) | Visible wear from use; most pocket-change finds and inherited jars live here |
| 50 to 58 | About Uncirculated (AU) | Only a trace of wear on the highest points |
| 60 to 70 | Mint State (MS60 to MS70) | No wear at all; the grade turns on luster, strike and marks |
The money lives at the top. One grade point inside Mint State can separate two prices dramatically on a rare date, which is exactly why certification matters for high-end coins and matters far less for a worn common one, where the grade changes little.
Should I get my coins graded before selling them?
Here is the seller's math no grading company publishes: grading only pays when the certified premium exceeds the all-in cost. That cost is real: a per-coin grading fee, membership or submission charges, insured shipping both ways, and weeks of waiting. Multiply it across a collection and a jar of coins can cost hundreds of dollars to slab.
For a genuinely rare coin or a high-end Mint State piece, certification can add far more value than it costs, and grading first is the right move. For common circulated silver, the certified price and the raw price are nearly the same coin-shaped number, and the fees come straight out of your pocket.
The good news is you do not have to guess which side your coin is on. A free counter appraisal tells you first, before you spend anything. We look at every coin for collector value before any melt-based offer, and when a coin genuinely deserves a PCGS or NGC submission, we say so, because a seller who slabs the right coin comes back with a better coin to sell.
What are culls, and do cull coins still sell?
Culls are coins too worn, damaged or cleaned to grade: dateless Buffalos, slick Barbers, holed large cents. They still sell, just as metal or bulk lots rather than graded coins, and silver culls always carry their melt value. Grading a cull is the clearest case of fees you should not spend.
Already slabbedWhat if my coins are already graded?
Leave them exactly as they are. A certified coin is priced on its certification: the holder proves authenticity and grade, so the appraisal moves straight to the market value of that coin at that grade. Never crack a coin out of its slab before selling, and never clean any coin, graded or raw. Our certified coins page covers how slabbed coins are valued at the counter, and the sell coins page covers raw coins and whole collections in one visit.
Dollar coins worth checking: Eisenhower dollar price and valuable Susan B Anthony dollars
The Eisenhower dollar, struck 1971 to 1978, is the big clad dollar in most coin jars, and the ordinary Eisenhower dollar price is close to face value. The valuable Eisenhower dollars are the 40 percent silver versions sold to collectors, the 1972 Type 2, and high-grade certified pieces. The same shape holds for the Susan B Anthony dollar: most are worth a dollar, and the valuable Susan B Anthony dollar examples are varieties and top grades. Both are sorted free at the counter before any offer.
The 1979-S Susan B Anthony dollar value, and the value of a JFK 50 cent piece
The 1979-S Susan B Anthony dollar value turns on its mint mark style: the Type 2 clear S proof is the collectible one, while the ordinary Type 1 stays modest. The value of a JFK 50 cent piece depends on its year: 1964 halves are 90 percent silver, 1965 through 1970 are 40 percent silver, and later dates are clad and mostly face value outside high grades. Silver-date halves always carry their melt floor, priced from the live feed.
Doubloons, florins, the denarius (denarii) and the drachma: old world coins
A doubloon is the old Spanish gold coin of pirate legend, and genuine doubloons are serious gold pieces priced on weight, rarity and provenance. The florin began as Florence's gold trade coin and lived on as a British two-shilling piece, silver in its earlier dates. The denarius, plural denarii, was Rome's silver workhorse, and the drachma was Greece's. Ancient and world coins are evaluated individually, because collector value routinely beats metal value on the genuine article.
The Mexican 50 peso gold coin: how a 50 dollar peso search usually ends
People searching a 50 dollar peso usually mean the Centenario, the Mexican 50 peso gold coin first struck in 1921, which contains 1.2057 troy ounces of pure gold, one of the largest standard gold coins ever circulated. It is a bullion cornerstone and always trades close to its substantial melt value, with older dates and pristine examples earning premiums above it. We buy them at every counter, weighed and verified in front of you.
Not sure whether your coins are worth grading? The answer is free. Bring them in, graded or raw, and hear it before you spend a dime on fees.
Find your nearest of our 8 storesCoin grading FAQs
How much does coin grading cost?
Real money per coin: a grading fee that scales with the coin's value, plus submission charges and insured shipping both ways, plus weeks of turnaround. Across a whole collection it adds up fast, which is why the grade-or-not question deserves a free appraisal first.
Is PCGS or NGC better?
They are the two market standards and both are fully respected at our counters. Dealers and auction buyers pay strong prices for either holder; for a seller, which of the two graded your coin matters far less than the coin and the grade itself.
What does MS mean on a coin grade?
Mint State, the top band of the 70-point Sheldon scale. MS60 through MS70 means the coin has no circulation wear at all, and within that band the number turns on luster, strike quality and surface marks. MS70 is flawless under magnification.
Which coins are worth grading before selling?
Coins whose certified premium clearly beats the all-in fees: rare dates and mint marks, high-end uncirculated pieces, and key coins where one grade point moves the price a lot. Common circulated silver almost never qualifies. A free counter appraisal sorts your coins into those two piles before you spend anything.
Should I remove a coin from its holder before selling it?
No. The sealed holder is the proof of authenticity and grade, and the coin is priced on that certification. Cracking a slab throws away paid-for certainty and can only lower the offer, never raise it.