PCGS vs NGC vs ANACS: Which Grading Service Should You Use?

The three services the market actually trusts, the ones it quietly ignores, and when certification is worth paying for.

There are four coin grading services in the United States that matter at all, and really only two that matter to most collectors: PCGS and NGC. The other two — ANACS and ICG — are legitimate but trade at a noticeable discount in the secondary market. This guide covers which service to use when, what their grades are actually worth, and when you should skip grading entirely.

The short answer

For coins you plan to sell, and for coins worth over about $150, send them to PCGS or NGC. PCGS holders tend to bring a small premium (often 5–15%) in the secondary market, especially for key dates and high-grade coins, but NGC is cheaper and faster on standard submissions. For coins under $150 in market value, grading usually doesn't make financial sense — the fees exceed the value certification adds.

PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)

Founded in 1986 and widely considered the gold standard in US coin grading. PCGS-graded coins command the highest prices in the secondary market, especially for high-grade material and key dates. Their population report (total number of coins they've graded at each level) is the most authoritative reference in the industry.

Pros: highest market premium, strongest population data, robust trueview imaging, PCGS CoinFacts is the best free pricing resource available. Cons: most expensive, longest turnaround on standard tiers, stricter than NGC on certain borderline grades.

Pricing starts at around $25 per coin for Economy tier (coins under $300 value), scaling up to $125+ for coins valued over $10,000. Turnaround ranges from 15 business days on the slowest tier to same-day for "walk-through" service at major shows.

NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company)

Founded in 1987. Officially certified by the American Numismatic Association as its grading service. NGC is PCGS's main competitor and for most collectors the two are interchangeable in terms of actual grading accuracy. NGC tends to be slightly more lenient on borderline grades, which some collectors see as a feature and others see as a bug.

Pros: cheaper than PCGS at most tiers, faster turnaround, excellent for world coins (their market share internationally is larger than PCGS). Cons: slight market discount on US coins vs PCGS (5–15% on average), less authoritative population data for some series.

NGC's modern tier system is similar to PCGS's. Economy starts around $20 per coin for material under $300. Their "Crossover" service lets you submit coins already in other holders and have them re-graded in an NGC slab if they meet the grade.

ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service)

The oldest grading service in the US, founded in 1972. Once a market leader, now a clear third. ANACS grades are generally accurate but their slabs trade at a meaningful discount — often 15–30% below PCGS equivalents. Their niche is variety attribution (they were early to certify doubled dies and other errors by Cherrypickers' Guide designation) and error coin specialization.

Use ANACS if: you have an error coin or variety that PCGS/NGC may not attribute, or you're on a budget and the discount doesn't bother you. Skip ANACS if: you plan to sell, or the coin is worth enough that the 20% holder discount outweighs the fee savings.

ICG (Independent Coin Graders)

The smallest of the four. Cheaper than ANACS. ICG slabs trade at a 20–40% discount. Primarily useful for preservation and authentication of mid-value coins you plan to keep rather than sell. Most serious collectors treat ICG the same as a raw coin with an extra piece of plastic around it.

When to grade and when to skip

Grade the coin if:

• The coin's raw value is at least 3x the grading fee.
• You plan to sell the coin, and grading will meaningfully expand the buyer pool.
• There's real doubt about authenticity — certification is cheap insurance.
• The grade is ambiguous and a professional opinion changes the price tier significantly (e.g., the difference between MS-63 and MS-65 on a Morgan dollar).

Skip grading if:

• The coin is common and worth less than $100 raw.
• You're keeping the coin indefinitely and authenticity isn't in doubt.
• The series has tight grade breakpoints and you're confident of the grade already.
• The coin has "problems" (cleaned, polished, damaged) — grading will return a "Details" holder that often reduces value versus the raw coin.

How submission actually works

You sign up for an account, fill out a form online listing each coin and its declared value, pay the fee, and ship the coins in 2x2 flips inside a padded envelope or small box with tracking. The service grades, encapsulates, photographs (for some tiers), and ships back. Turnaround varies from about two weeks to two months depending on tier and current backlog.

First-time submitters: start small. Send one or two coins on an Economy tier submission, learn the system, then scale up. Don't submit your whole collection at once without knowing how the grading will go.

What to read next

Before submitting anything, learn how the 70-point grading scale actually works — you'll make smarter submission decisions when you know what grade to expect. And never, ever clean a coin you plan to submit; grading services catch cleaning every time.