Accuracy, consistency, integrity
In the mid-1980s, when Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) was founded, the collectible coin market was threatened by two significant challenges: counterfeit coins had become increasingly commonplace, and sellers graded their own coins—an obvious conflict of interest. This made it difficult for people to agree on a coin’s grade and price.
NGC solves these problems by providing an accurate, consistent and impartial assessment of a coin’s authenticity and grade. After grading, the coin is encapsulated in a proprietary, tamper-evident holder designed for long-term preservation.
NGC’s holder is the result of millions of dollars in research and development and decades of refinement. The Smithsonian Institution, the Shanghai Mint Museum and other museums around the world use NGC holders to protect some of their most valuable rarities.
NGC-certified coins are backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee, which protects collectors in the rare event that an NGC-certified coin is later determined to be not genuine or overgraded. The NGC Guarantee is transferable and has no preset monetary limit.
Since it was formed over 30 years ago, NGC has graded nearly 45 million coins, tokens and medals—more than any other third-party grading service.
A proven, multi-step process
NGC uses a proven, multi-step process to authenticate, grade and encapsulate coins.
First, submissions are opened by trained NGC representatives under security cameras. Each coin is checked against the customer’s submission form and assigned a unique identification number that will track it throughout the grading process. The coin is then individually described in NGC’s computer system in a step called “verification.”
Once verification is complete, a coin goes to NGC’s team of professional graders to be attributed (if applicable), authenticated and graded. NGC employs a team of more than 30 full-time graders, and multiple graders look at every coin to maintain accuracy and consistency. To ensure impartiality, neither NGC nor its full-time graders buy or sell coins commercially, and graders never know the submitter’s identity.
NGC’s graders have access to specialized equipment, a comprehensive high-resolution image catalog and the latest research. Once a coin is determined to be authentic, it is assigned a grade on the internationally recognized Sheldon Scale of 1 to 70. After grading, the coin is encapsulated in NGC’s holder with a certification label bearing its description, NGC grade and unique NGC certification number. It is also imaged for the free Verify NGC Certification tool available at NGCcoin.de/verify.
Once a coin is determined to be authentic, it is assigned a grade on the internationally recognized Sheldon Scale of 1 to 70. After grading, the coin is encapsulated in NGC’s holder with a certification label bearing its description, NGC grade and unique NGC certification number. It is also imaged for the free Verify NGC Certification tool available at NGCcoin.de/verify.
After a final quality control check, the coin is ready to be safely returned to its owner.
Higher prices realized
NGC-certified coins are bought and sold around the world at trade shows and online—even sight unseen. Buyers have greater confidence in NGC-certified coins, which results in higher prices realized and greater liquidity. Here are just a few examples:
A United States 1787 Brasher Doubloon graded NGC MS 63 realized approximately 5,000,000 € through Heritage Auctions in 2018. The Brasher Doubloon is the first gold coin struck in the United States.
An NGC-certified China 1898 Hunan Pattern Silver Dollar graded SP 67 realized over 800,000 € in a 2014 Champion Auctions sale. Michael Chou of Champion Auctions said, “My client and I were willing to pay a seven figure sum [in US dollars] because of the peace of mind that comes from NGC grading.”
An NGC-certified Lydia Gold Stater, the earliest coinage ever struck, realized 110,000 € in a 2017 Heritage Auctions sale. Five months earlier, the same coin sold—ungraded—for 36,000 €.
An NGC-certified Russia 1701 2 Ducats sold for almost 500,000 € in a 2019 SINCONA auction—a price more than double its starting bid.
How to submit
NGC has a global presence with offices in Sarasota, Florida, USA; Munich, Germany; London, United Kingdom; and Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. NGC also has a network of 19 Official Submission Centers and thousands of authorized dealers. NGC International GmbH (NGC GmbH) is the German affiliate of NGC.
You can submit coins for certification if you are a paid member of NGC GmbH. To join, visit NGCcoin.de/join. Collector members and Authorized Dealers may submit directly to our offices in the United States or to NGC GmbH (by appointment only):
NGC International GmbH
Seidlstrasse 28,
80335 Munich, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0) 89 550 66 780
Email: Service@NGCcoin.de
Alternatively, many NGC Authorized Dealers can help you to submit your coins or notes to NGC. To view a list of dealers, go to NGCcoin.com/services/dealer-listing.aspx.
NGC grading fees are based on a coin’s value and start at just 16 € per coin.
To learn more about NGC and its services, fees and benefits, visit NGCcoin.de.
