What Greysheet does

Greysheet, operating as CDN Publishing, LLC, is a privately held U.S. data and publishing company founded in 1963 and headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is the established industry standard for wholesale pricing of U.S. coins (via the monthly Greysheet, introduced 1963) and U.S. paper money (via the Greensheet, introduced 1986), serving professional numismatic dealers, auction houses, grading companies, and collectors. The company supplements wholesale pricing with the CPG (Collector Price Guidance) retail pricing system, introduced in 2017 to bridge the wholesale–retail valuation gap using a dynamic formula calibrated on its proprietary dataset.

The underlying technology platform is centered on a proprietary catalog and pricing engine. The GSID (Greysheet ID) numbering system provides universal identifiers for U.S. coins and currency that map across Red Book, PCGS, NGC, and Friedberg references, and has been adopted as the cataloging standard by Red Book Quarterly, the Guide Book of United States Coins, and CAC Grading. The platform holds over 12.8 million catalog data points, 7.6 million images, and 7.6 million historical auction records, with CDN Exchange (CDNX) supplying live dealer-to-dealer trading data as a primary input into pricing. Distribution occurs via the greysheet.com website, iOS and Android mobile apps, an API for professional integration, the Greysheet Marketplace, and a publishing partnership with Whitman Publishing for reference books including the Red Book and Blue Book franchises.

The business model combines multiple recurring and transactional revenue streams: subscription publications (Greysheet, Greensheet, Red Book Quarterly, Banknote Book, Track & Price WPM), subscription-based API data licensing for enterprise dealers, grading services, and auction houses, marketplace commissions on peer-to-peer coin and currency transactions, and one-time book sales through Whitman Publishing. Customer segments span primary personas (professional coin dealers, collectors), secondary personas (investors), and business segments (grading companies, auction houses, CDN Exchange members). The company has operated without disclosed outside funding, maintained 11–50 employees, and continues to extend its product surface into new categories such as world paper money, mobile access, and embedded data licensing.

Name

Greysheet

Legal name

CDN Publishing, LLC

Website

https://greysheet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greysheet (CDN Publishing, LLC) is the U.S. industry-standard wholesale and retail pricing reference for coins and currency since 1963, serving professional dealers, auction houses, grading companies, and collectors via subscription publications, API licensing, mobile apps, and a proprietary GSID cataloging standard.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Numismatic Pricing Data & Publications

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Numismatic pricing data
• Coin price guides
• Wholesale coin pricing
• Rare coin valuations
• Currency price references

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Publications: Monthly Greysheet (wholesale coin pricing), Greensheet (wholesale paper money pricing), Red Book Quarterly (retail CPG pricing), and other subscription periodicals. Wholesale pricing requires paid subscription.
2. API Access: Data licensing for professional dealers, auction houses, and grading companies to integrate Greysheet pricing into their platforms.
3. Marketplace Commissions: Greysheet Marketplace platform connecting buyers and sellers of coins and currency.
4. Book Sales: Sale of numismatic reference books including Red Book (Guide Book of United States Coins), Blue Book, and specialized titles from Whitman Publishing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Greysheet (operated by CDN Publishing, LLC) publishes industry-standard wholesale and retail pricing data for U.S. coins, U.S. currency, world coins, and world paper money through subscription periodicals (Greysheet, Greensheet, Red Book Quarterly), a digital pricing platform with GSID cataloging, mobile apps, and an API for professional data licensing. The company also operates the CDN Exchange wholesale trading platform, an online marketplace for coins and currency, and sells numismatic reference books through Whitman Publishing.

Product overview

Greysheet is a comprehensive numismatic platform providing industry-standard pricing for U.S. coins, world coins, U.S. paper money, and world paper money since 1963. The core offering consists of the monthly Greysheet (wholesale coin pricing) and Greensheet (wholesale paper money pricing), supplemented by the Red Book Quarterly for retail CPG values. The product portfolio includes a digital pricing platform with GSID cataloging (12.8 million data items, 7.6 million images, 3.4 million auction records), the CDN Exchange wholesale trading platform, a mobile app, and an API for professional access. Additionally, Greysheet publishes extensive numismatic books including the Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book), Mega Red, Handbook of United States Coins (Blue Book), and specialized references on paper money, world coins, and errors. The platform serves both wholesale (dealers) and retail (collectors) markets through subscription products and a marketplace connecting buyers with sellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPG (Collector's Price Guidance): Retail-friendly pricing based directly on published wholesale values for coins and currency.
• Red Book Quarterly
• GSID (Greysheet Identification System)
• CDN Exchange

Products and services

• Monthly Greysheet The flagship monthly subscription publication providing wholesale market values for U.S. coins, serving as the industry standard for professional numismatists, dealers, investors, and serious collectors since 1963.
• Greensheet Monthly subscription publication providing the industry standard for wholesale valuation of U.S. bank notes and paper money, serving dealers, investors, and serious collectors.
• Red Book Quarterly Quarterly magazine combining over 100 pages of CPG retail pricing tables for U.S. coins and currency with informative market stories, designed for collectors and retail users.
• The Banknote Book Comprehensive subscription reference on world bank notes featuring 328+ country chapters and over 10,200 pages detailing paper money from around the globe.
• Track & Price WPM Subscription service for tracking and pricing world paper money with real-time market data.
• Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book) Annual price guide featuring 448 pages, 12,000 listings, and 32,500 coin prices in full color; the definitive reference for U.S. coin values with over 25 million copies sold since the first edition.
• Mega Red: A Guide Book of United States Coins Comprehensive expanded edition of the Red Book featuring market values from the Greysheet team, collector-friendly layout, and contributions from over 90 numismatic experts.
• Handbook of United States Coins (Blue Book) Authoritative annual reference guide for U.S. coin values and collecting, sold through Whitman Publishing distribution.
• Gold Coins of the World (Friedberg) Revised and expanded reference edition with full-color photographs covering gold coins from around the world for numismatists, bankers, economists, and historians.
• Paper Money of the United States (Friedberg) 23rd Edition Industry-standard reference book for U.S. paper money, 23rd edition, serving as an essential companion for users of the Greensheet.
• Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, 6th Edition Comprehensive guide featuring years of new research, photographs, updated pricing, and auction records for rare die varieties of U.S. coins.
• GSID Catalog (Greysheet ID) Proprietary universal numbering system providing unique identifiers for every type of U.S. coin and currency note, linking disparate numbering systems from references such as Red Book, PCGS, NGC, and Friedberg into a single catalog standard.
• CPG (Collector Price Guidance) Values Retail-friendly pricing values derived directly from published wholesale data using a dynamic formula that adjusts based on market influences, providing accurate retail pricing for collectors.
• CDN Exchange (CDNX) Wholesale trading platform for professional dealers to buy, sell, and trade coins and currency; serves as a primary data source feeding Greysheet pricing determination.
• Greysheet Mobile App Free mobile application for iOS and Android providing access to CPG, Greysheet, Greensheet values, and Auction Prices Realized data on the go; full pricing access requires paid subscription.
• Greysheet API Data licensing API enabling professional dealers, grading companies, auction houses, and financial institutions to integrate Greysheet pricing and market data into their own platforms and systems.
• Greysheet Marketplace Online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of coins and currency, featuring inventory from third-party dealers such as Heritage Auctions and Great Collections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 million Red Book copies sold since first edition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CDN Exchange (CDNX)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternal wholesale trading platform that serves as a primary data source for Greysheet pricing determination. Provides real-time market data from dealer-to-dealer transactions.
• Heritage AuctionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor auction house that displays CDN pricing on their website and provides auction result data for pricing determination.
• Stack's Bowers GalleriescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading auction house displaying CDN pricing data and contributing auction realized prices to the pricing database.
• CAC GradingcoreTechnology or IntegrationProfessional coin grading service that uses GSID as standard cataloging system and integrates Greysheet pricing for registry programs.
• Certified Collectibles Group (CCG)coreTechnology or IntegrationParent company of NGC, PCGS, and CAC grading services. Uses Greysheet data and GSID cataloging standards.
• PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor grading company referenced in pricing data and integrated through GSID numbering system.
• NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor grading company referenced in pricing data and integrated through GSID numbering system.
• Whitman PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner for Greysheet periodicals, Red Book, and other numismatic reference books. Whitman is a subsidiary of the parent company.
• ANA (American Numismatic Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor numismatic organization that displays CDN pricing on their website.
• GreatCollectionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline auction platform that displays CDN pricing and is a CDN sponsor.
• David Lawrence Rare CoinsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDealer directory member and CDN sponsor displaying Greysheet pricing.
• eBayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace advertising partner through CDN Sponsors program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• APMEX: Largest U.S. online precious metals and rare coin retailer, with live spot prices and product valuations that overlap with Greysheet's pricing data products. Compares on customer base (collectors and investors) and on retail product offering breadth.
• Whitman Publishing: Strategic publishing partner (sister brand under the same corporate parent) that prints and distributes Greysheet, Greensheet, Red Book, Blue Book, and other numismatic references. Comparable in publishing workflows and catalog breadth; both operate in consumer numismatic publishing.

Direct peers

• Amos Media (Coin World): Major competing numismatic publication; issues Coin World, Coin Values, and related guides that overlap with Greysheet, Red Book Quarterly, and the broader hobbyist news market. Targets the same retail collector demographic.
• Stack's Bowers Galleries: Leading numismatic auction house using CDN pricing as the industry benchmark. Provides realized-price data to Greysheet and competes for the same dealer/collector transaction flow, with overlapping customer base in rare U.S. coins.
• Heritage Auctions: Largest U.S. rare coin auction house; displays CDN pricing on its website and contributes auction realized prices back to the Greysheet data engine. Competes with Greysheet Marketplace on transaction volume and on proprietary price/realized analytics for institutional users.
• Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC): Coin grading/verification service that uses GSID as its cataloging standard and integrates Greysheet pricing into its registry and stickering programs. Competes in adjacent pricing and verification services for the same high-end dealer/collector segment.
• Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC): Major coin grading service with its own published price guide and a network of dealers and collectors. Operates as both a data partner (using GSID) and a competing reference-pricing platform for the same end customers.
• GreatCollections: Online auction platform that displays CDN pricing for certified coins and lists CDN/Greysheet pricing in lot descriptions. Competes for auction transaction volume and is a direct sales-channel overlap with Greysheet Marketplace.
• PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service): Operates an independent U.S. coin price guide and registry valuation tools, directly competing with Greysheet for share of professional pricing workflows. Both serve coin dealers, auction houses, and collectors; both anchor cataloging references (PCGS numbers vs. GSID).
• Krause Publications (Numismatic News): Long-running U.S. numismatic periodical publisher covering news, market trends, and pricing — competing directly with Greysheet periodicals for collector and dealer readership and advertising dollars in the same niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@greysheet-redbook
• Facebookfacebook.com/greysheetredbook
• Xx.com/greysheet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cdn-publishing-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greysheet