Professional Coin Grading Service
| Founded | California, U.S. (1985) |
|---|---|
| Founders | David Hall, Silvano DiGenova, Bruce Amspacher, Gordon Wrubel, Van Simmons, John Danreuther, Steve Cyrkin |
| Headquarters | 1921 E. Alton Avenue, Santa Ana, California 92705 |
| Products | coin certification services and supplies, memberships and subscriptions |
| Website | www |
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a coin grading, authentication, attribution, and encapsulation service founded in 1985. The intent of its seven founding dealers, including the firm's president David Hall, was to standardize grading. The firm has divisions in Europe and Asia, and is owned by parent company Collectors Universe. PCGS cofounder Silvano DiGenova was the lone creator of PCGS's grading standards via his assemblage of its coin grading set, which are still in use and "widely accepted". PCGS has graded over 33 million coins valued at over $29 billion.
PCGS was founded in 1985 by seven dealers, including the firm's president, David Hall. The founders' intent was to establish definitive grading standards, backed by a guarantee of grading accuracy. PCGS began operations on February 3,1986. The firm has since started grading foreign coins and established divisions in Europe and Asia, and was purchased by Collectors Universe. PCGS cofounder Silvano DiGenova was the lone creator of PCGS's grading standards via his assemblage of its grading set of coins, which are still in use and "widely accepted". PCGS has graded over 31 million coins valued at over $29 billion.
PCGS certifies most U.S. and foreign coins, which consists of grading, authenticating, attributing, and encapsulating them in clear, airtight plastic holders. PCGS services include special label programs, "First Strike" designations, Tru View (high quality photography), conservation, and tiered certification (priced according to values and turnaround times.) Coins that are improperly cleaned, doctored, damaged, or otherwise impaired will not be numerically graded by PCGS, but upon request will still be authenticated and given verbal "details" grades.
The PCGS holder (aka slab) is made of clear, inert plastic and is stackable. Anti-counterfeiting measures include a hologram on the back and markings within the holder. Printed on the front of the blue paper insert is the coin's type, denomination, grade, attribution, pedigree (if any), serial number, Universal Product Code (UPC), and other pertinent information. First-generation PCGS coin holders are smaller and lack the raised stackable edges of later issues. Their insert was printed on plain white paper. In some of these early holders, the coin will be loose enough to produce noise when the holder is handled, thus their "rattler" nickname.
PCGS was at one point named the official grading service of the Professional Numismatic Guild; during that time, the PNG logo was included on the holder. This design was replaced with a different one when PNG switched their affiliation to NGC.
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