Numismatic Guaranty Company

About NGC

NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) is the world's largest third-party coin grading service by volume. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, NGC is a subsidiary of Certified Collectibles Group (CCG). NGC has graded hundreds of millions of coins from virtually every country and time period.

NGC was established one year after PCGS and has long been considered its peer rather than a follower. The two services together set the industry standard, and for most US coins their grades are regarded as interchangeable in quality — though specific market premiums vary by series and by collecting area.

What NGC Is Known For

While NGC grades US coins to the same high standard as PCGS, NGC is particularly well regarded for world coins, ancient coins, and tokens. Their World Coin Census and Ancients Census are industry-leading databases that track grading populations for non-US coins — something no other grading service matches in depth.

NGC's Ancients division is run by a dedicated team of specialist graders who assess ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and other pre-modern coins. These coins are graded on a modified scale that accounts for strike and surface characteristics unique to ancient production methods, making NGC the only major service with deep credibility in the ancients market.

The Star (★) Designation and Plus Grades

NGC introduced the Star (★) designation for coins that display exceptional eye appeal for their grade — superior luster, toning, strike, or visual quality beyond what the numeric grade alone implies. A Morgan Dollar graded MS-65★ is a standard MS-65 with outstanding visual qualities, and typically trades at a premium over a non-star MS-65. The Star is applied sparingly, which preserves its market meaning.

NGC also uses a Plus (+) designation to identify coins at the high end of their assigned grade — similar in concept to the PCGS Plus tier. Coins can receive both designations together (for example MS-65★+) when they qualify on both quality and eye appeal.

Holders, Labels, and Custom Issues

NGC holders are distinguished by their black-core design and clear polycarbonate shell. Modern NGC slabs are tamper-evident and include anti-counterfeiting features. NGC also produces a wide range of custom and special-issue labels for commemorative coins, mint releases, signature series, and partnership programs — items such as signed labels from coin designers, first-release labels, and co-branded labels with mints around the world.

Custom labels have become particularly popular in the modern bullion and commemorative market, where they can significantly affect resale value and add collectibility to otherwise common issues.

Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS)

NGC's sister service, Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS), professionally conserves coins that have environmental damage, residue, or improperly applied substances. NCS can remove PVC contamination, stabilize toning, and rinse coins of harmful residues without damaging the underlying surfaces. Conserved coins can then be submitted to NGC for grading, often receiving higher grades than they would have in their pre-conservation state.

NCS is particularly useful for collectors who inherit coins stored in old flips or albums that contained PVC, or for coins with developing environmental damage. Note that NCS conservation is not the same as "cleaning" — abrasive or chemical cleaning remains a disqualifying practice that reduces a coin's grade.

Submission Tiers and Pricing

• Economy — $22–$30/coin, 30+ business days, coins valued under $3,000
• Standard — $40–$50/coin, 15–20 business days
• Express — $75–$100/coin, 5–10 business days
• Walkthrough — $150+/coin, 1–3 business days

NGC membership starts at $25/year for the basic tier, which is more affordable than PCGS for casual submitters. Submissions can also be made through authorized dealers or at coin shows, often at reduced per-coin rates through bulk submission.

The NGC Guarantee

NGC guarantees the authenticity and grade of every coin they certify. If an NGC-graded coin is found to be counterfeit or overgraded, NGC will buy it back at fair market value. This guarantee covers the coin as long as it remains in the original, unaltered NGC holder.

Who NGC Is Best For

NGC is the recommended service for collectors of world coins, ancient coins, and modern commemorative issues where custom labels matter. For US classic coins, NGC is a fully-respected alternative to PCGS and is often chosen for its lower membership cost and comparable grading standards. Many serious collectors use both services — NGC for world and ancients, PCGS for US classics — and this split-based approach is widely accepted in the hobby.