NGC Verify & Grade Coins: What Every Collector Should Know

When people are involved in numismatic endeavors, they sooner or later understand how important it is to go through professional coin authentication. Indeed, any certified proof of the coin’s origin and value makes it a legitimate member of the collection.

There exist a few major organizations that may take care of all the required documents, check the background of the coin, validate its authenticity (if it passes the eligibility check), and even more. The NGC coin grading service is one of the most trusted among them. But how does it work, and which features does it have to offer? 

Briefly About NGC

The Numismatic Guaranty Company, or simply NGC, is one of the major grading and certification organizations. It was established long ago, in 1987, yet this still manages to attract people from all over the world and shares its monopolistic position with another large company, i.e., PCGS. 

As such, the NGC verification app, as well as its physical office, provides a few prominent services that help collectors, investors, and business holders identify coins, prove their authenticity, and condition, and estimate the overall value. For instance, with the help of this service, you can prove that you really have an original half dime in Mint State. 

NGC Coin Explorer

The NGC Coin Explorer is an extensive online research tool or a catalog that offers detailed information on thousands of US and world numismatic creations. It introduces images, mintage data, price guides, and registry data in one place. All in all, it is an essential NGC lookup resource that may help one verify coins in advance when certificates are not available yet.

What is NGC Authentication?

Apart from NGC coin lookup and NGC cert lookup functions that allow one to check collectibles by their ID numbers and certification data, the central feature of this service refers to NGC coin authentication. As soon as the coin is physically submitted for authentication, the team of numismatists carefully inspects this to ensure it successfully meets the criteria for originality and lacks inconsistencies in its profile, too. 

As a result, a coin is granted a grade with a certification label put on the holder that cannot be taken away anymore. This small proof of validity is to include info about its origins, unique certification number, and any other details that might be easily checked via the NGC app - > NGC barcode scanner.

NGC Grading Cost

To get your coin graded by NGC, you should be ready to pay a base NGC coin grading cost depending on the service tier, along with a $10 handling fee and additional shipping costs. Grading tiers vary by the item’s market value and turnaround speed. Here are some common options:

• Unlimited WalkThrough – $350 + 1% of the Fair Market Value

• WalkThrough – $175

• Express – $80

• Standard – $40

*Optional services such as fast track, special labels, oversized or thick holders, and other attributes may be also added to the final cost.

The Process of Certification and Grading

Coin Identification

Before submitting, one should collect as much information as possible to help numismatists and let them grasp some characteristics of these units in advance. So as to make it more accurate, we recommend that you employ apps like the Coin ID Scanner app that make it possible for one to identify a coin by photo. 

Just take a picture right in the app and wait for the system to process the info. Receive profound descriptions with photos and know what YOUR coin is from deep down. 

Authentication

First of all, one should submit the coin. After having been received, it goes through a rigorous authentication procedure. In particular, it is to be examined by the most experienced numismatists with composition, weight, mint markings, and design components being analyzed to ensure that it is authentic.

Grading

The NGC members separately rate coins on a scale from 1 to 70, where 70 indicates a perfect state with no flaws at all (such a coin may cost a lot). 

Encapsulation

The next necessary step is encapsulation when the already graded coin is safely encased in a tamper-evident container usually called a "slab". Besides, there should be put a label with details like the grade, designation, year, distinct certification number, etc.

Verification

Every coin is assigned a distinct certification number that is added to the NGC's web database. This enables collectors to quickly access the system and grasp the true information about the coin via the NGC number lookup.

Return to Owner

Lastly, the coin is safely packed and sent back to the owner after it has been certified and graded. Now that the encapsulated coin has been clearly identified as genuine, it can be purchased, sold, or exchanged with confidence and ease. 

NGC authentication is a complicated process that requires thorough preparation and documentation that defines its value and validity. So, should you wish to obtain these certificates, do not neglect the initial stage but dedicate time to self-education, familiarizing yourself with coins, and engaging with knowledgeable representatives in the field of numismatics.