PCGS, NGC, CAC & CACG — What It All Means & What Your Coins Are Worth
We are PCGS, NGC, CACG & CAC authorized dealers with 50+ years of experience. We'll give you a straight answer on what your coins are worth — no charge.
864-502-0100Third-party grading services authenticate and grade coins, sealing them in tamper-evident holders. As authorized dealers, we work with all of them daily.
PCGS — Professional Coin Grading Service
Founded in 1986, PCGS is one of the two most respected third-party grading services in the world. A PCGS-graded coin in a sealed "slab" holder is universally trusted by collectors and investors alike.
NGC — Numismatic Guaranty Company
Founded in 1987, NGC is the other leading grading service. NGC-graded coins are equally respected and widely traded. Both PCGS and NGC use a 70-point Sheldon scale.
CAC — Certified Acceptance Corporation
CAC reviews already-graded PCGS and NGC coins and awards a green bean sticker to coins that are solid or premium for their grade. A gold bean indicates a coin that deserves an upgrade. CAC approval significantly increases a coin's value.
CACG — CAC Grading
CACG is CAC's own grading service, launched to provide an alternative to PCGS and NGC with a focus on strict, consistent grading standards. CACG-graded coins are gaining rapid acceptance in the marketplace.
ANACS — American Numismatic Association Certification Service
One of the oldest grading services, ANACS is well-respected for problem coins and varieties. We buy and sell ANACS-graded material.
ICG — Independent Coin Graders
ICG provides affordable grading services and is accepted by many collectors. We buy and sell ICG-graded coins.
All major grading services use the 70-point Sheldon scale. Here are the key grades and what they mean.
Absolutely no wear, perfect strike, full luster. The highest possible grade — extremely rare.
Strong luster, well-struck, only minor contact marks. The benchmark for investment-grade coins.
Moderate distracting marks or blemishes in prime focal areas. Still a desirable uncirculated coin.
No trace of wear but may have many heavy marks. Lowest uncirculated grade.
Slight wear on the highest points. Often looks nearly uncirculated to the naked eye.
Light wear throughout but all design elements sharp and well-defined.
Moderate wear on high points. All major features sharp.
Moderate to heavy even wear. All design elements visible.
Well worn. Main features clear but flat.
Heavily worn. Design visible but faint in spots.
A coin graded MS-65 can be worth 10x or more than the same coin in MS-63
CAC approval adds a 10–30% premium — sometimes much more on key dates
PCGS, NGC, CACG, CAC, ANACS and ICG certification eliminates counterfeiting risk for buyers
Slabbed coins are far easier to sell and command higher prices to dealers, collectors and investors.
Population data (how many coins exist at each grade) drives rarity premiums
We are authorized dealers — we know exactly what certified coins are worth
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