Coin Slabbing: PCGS vs NGC and When to Grade
Coin slabbing means sending a coin to a grading service such as PCGS or NGC, which checks that it is genuine, assigns a grade on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale and seals it in a plastic holder. Grading pays before a sale when a coin is scarce, high grade or often faked. For common, worn or cleaned coins, the fees usually cost more than the slab adds.
What slabbing is and why it exists
A slab is the hard, clear plastic holder a grading service seals a coin inside. The label on top names the coin, its date and mint mark, the grade, and a certification number you can look up on the grader's website. The holder is sonically sealed, so nobody can swap the coin or tamper with it without breaking the case.
Slabbing took hold in the mid-1980s because buyers and sellers kept arguing about grades. One dealer's 'almost uncirculated' was another's 'extremely fine', and on a scarce date that gap could mean a big swing in price. A neutral third party that does not buy the coin settled those arguments. Today a slab does three jobs: it confirms the coin is real, it records the condition, and it protects the surfaces from fingers, air and spills.
A slab does not set a price. It sets a grade. The price still comes from what collectors and dealers will pay for that coin in that grade, which moves with demand and, for gold and silver, with the metal market.
PCGS vs NGC in plain terms
Two companies handle most graded U.S. coins: Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), based in California, and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), based in Florida. Both grade on the same 1 to 70 scale, both guarantee their grades and authenticity under their own published terms, and both are accepted by every serious dealer in the country. For most coins, either one is a sound choice.
The differences are small and shift over time. Many collectors of classic U.S. series such as Morgan dollars, early gold and type coins lean toward PCGS, and those coins sometimes bring a little more in a PCGS holder. NGC grades a very large share of modern issues and world coins and is often the first stop for those. Fees, service levels and promotions change at both, so compare current price lists on each company's site before you pick.
| Point | PCGS | NGC |
|---|---|---|
| Grading scale | 1 to 70 Sheldon scale | 1 to 70 Sheldon scale |
| Guarantee | Grade and authenticity, per its terms | Grade and authenticity, per its terms |
| Who can submit | Paid members or authorized dealers | Paid members or authorized dealers |
| Problem coins | Genuine label with a details note | Details grade with a note on the problem |
| Common reputation | Strong with classic U.S. coins | Strong with modern and world coins |
| Online lookup | Yes, by cert number | Yes, by cert number |
The Sheldon scale, from Poor to perfect
Both services use the 70-point Sheldon scale. Low numbers mean heavy wear, and 70 means a coin with no visible flaws under magnification. Grades from 60 up are Mint State (MS) for business strikes or Proof (PR or PF) for coins struck on polished dies for collectors. A plus sign or a star may appear for coins at the top of a grade or with extra eye appeal.
The jumps that matter most for price usually sit at the top. On many coins the gap between MS-64 and MS-65, or MS-65 and MS-66, is far larger than the gap between two worn grades.
| Grade range | Name | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Poor, Fair, About Good | Worn nearly smooth, date may be hard to read |
| 4 to 10 | Good, Very Good | Outline of the design, little fine detail |
| 12 to 35 | Fine, Very Fine | Moderate wear, main details clear |
| 40 to 45 | Extremely Fine | Light wear on the high points only |
| 50 to 58 | About Uncirculated | Traces of wear, much of the original luster left |
| 60 to 70 | Mint State or Proof | No wear; grade set by marks, luster and strike |
What grading involves for a seller
Neither PCGS nor NGC takes coins from the general public without a paid membership. You either join one of their collector programs or submit through an authorized dealer. Then you fill out a submission form, list each coin and its declared value, and choose a service tier.
Tiers are priced per coin and depend on two things: the declared value of the coin and how fast you want it back. Cheaper tiers carry value caps and longer waits. Faster tiers cost more per coin. On top of the grading fee you pay for insured shipping both ways, the membership itself, and sometimes extra charges for special labels, oversize coins or coins that end up worth more than the tier allows. Both companies post current fees on their websites, and they change, so check before you budget.
Wait times run from a few business days on the costliest tiers to many weeks on economy tiers, and the clock usually starts when the coins are logged in, not when you mail them. Add shipping and you can easily be two months from the day you pack the box to the day you can sell. Both companies also take submissions at some large coin shows, which saves shipping but not the fee.
- Join a membership program or find an authorized dealer to submit for you.
- Pick a tier that fits each coin's value; the declared value caps matter.
- Pack coins in inert flips, ship insured, and keep photos of every coin.
- Track the order online and plan for weeks, not days.
The risk most sellers do not plan for: a details grade
Not every coin comes back with a number. If the grader sees cleaning, scratches, rim dings, a removed jewelry loop, corrosion, or color that looks artificial, the coin gets a details label instead of a straight grade. NGC prints something like 'XF Details, Improperly Cleaned'. PCGS uses a Genuine label with a short note on the problem. Coins the grader thinks are counterfeit or altered come back unslabbed.
A details coin still costs the full fee, and it usually sells for less than a problem-free coin in the same wear grade. Some sellers find the label confirms what a buyer would have said across the table anyway. Old cleaning is the most common reason. Grandparents often polished coins to make them shine, and that bright, hairlined look is exactly what graders flag.
When it pays to grade before selling, and when it does not
The test is simple: will the coin be worth more in a holder than raw, by more than the total cost and wait? That tends to be true for a short list of coins and false for most of a typical collection.
| Often worth grading | Usually not worth grading |
|---|---|
| Scarce dates and mint marks in any grade | Common-date circulated silver dollars |
| Coins that look Mint State 63 or better | Pre-1965 dimes, quarters and halves sold for silver |
| Coins often faked, such as some gold and Carson City dollars | Common modern bullion coins |
| Possible errors or varieties that need confirming | Cleaned, scratched or damaged coins |
| Coins headed for a buyer far away who cannot see them | Mint and proof sets in original packaging |
We buy raw and graded coins
You do not need to grade anything before you call us. We look at raw coins every day and judge date, mint mark, grade and eye appeal in front of you. If a coin looks like a strong grading candidate, we will say so and explain why, and you can decide whether to grade it first or sell it as is. If you already own PCGS or NGC coins, bring them as they are. We check the cert number, look at the coin through the plastic, and price it against current demand for that coin in that grade.
Coins in holders from lesser-known grading companies are a different story. Many dealers treat those as raw coins, because the market does not trust every label equally. We will tell you plainly how we see each one.
Want a real number?
See how we handle selling graded coins in Dallas, or call (469) 754-8608 for a free appraisal.
Graded coins and Dallas collections
Slabs show up in Dallas estates more than most families expect. North Texas has a long collecting tradition, and plenty of collectors in Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands and Richardson bought graded Morgan dollars and gold in the late 1980s and 1990s, then tucked them in a safe deposit box. Heirs often find a stack of holders with labels nobody in the family can read. Older holders from both PCGS and NGC look a little different from today's, and that is normal. An older slab is still a valid slab, and some collectors even pay a premium for certain early holders.
The bigger question we hear is whether to send a raw collection off for grading before selling it. Dallas sellers who are settling an estate usually have a deadline, a probate attorney waiting, or siblings who want things divided. Mailing coins to California or Florida, waiting weeks, and paying fees on every piece rarely fits that timeline, and on most estate coins the math does not work anyway. A sorted look at the whole group first tells you which few coins, if any, deserve the trip.
Storage matters here too. A Dallas summer turns a garage or attic into an oven, and the humidity swings that follow a spring storm can tone or spot raw coins kept in paper envelopes or old PVC flips. Slabbed coins hold up far better, which is one quiet reason long-time local collectors favored them. If you are holding raw coins while you decide, keep them indoors in a closet with steady air conditioning, in inert holders, and away from rubber bands and soft plastic.
Whatever mix you have, raw, graded or both, the first step costs nothing. Call (469) 754-8608 to book a free appraisal. We will look at every coin with you, tell you which ones might grade well, and hand you a written offer you can take or leave.