NGC
NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company), part of the Certified Collectibles Group, provides third-party authentication and grading for coins, tokens, and medals. Founded in 1987, it serves individual collectors, dealers, auction houses, and institutions globally, anchored by a database of nearly 20 million certified coins.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
NGC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NGC
- Legal name
- Certified Collectibles Group - International Hong Kong Limited
- Website
- https://ngccoin.hk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company), part of the Certified Collectibles Group, provides third-party authentication and grading for coins, tokens, and medals. Founded in 1987, it serves individual collectors, dealers, auction houses, and institutions globally, anchored by a database of nearly 20 million certified coins.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NGC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hong Kong
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices7 records
Markets served
NGC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Coin Grading Services: NGC charges fees for grading and certifying coins submitted by collectors and dealers. Fees vary based on service tier, submission type, and turnaround time.
- NCS Conservation Services: Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS) provides conservation and restoration services for coins for a fee.
- Membership Fees: Collectors and dealers pay membership fees to join NGC and access submission services.
- Affiliate/Referral Revenue: NGC earns revenue through affiliate arrangements with platforms like eBay where NGC-certified coins receive preferred treatment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Various grading service tiers available with different turnaround times and pricing |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
NGC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NGC provides expert, impartial third-party authentication and grading services for coins, tokens, and medals. The service is backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee protecting buyers and sellers against counterfeits and misgraded coins. Founded in 1987, NGC operates as part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), offering tiered grading services, population/registry data, mobile verification tools, and conservation services through its NCS subsidiary.
Product overview
NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) is a third-party coin grading service founded in 1987, providing expert authentication and grading for coins, tokens and medals. The company operates as part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), which includes sister companies PMG (paper money), CGC (comics), and ASG (stamps). The core product is NGC Coin Grading, backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee. The service is supported by online platforms including NGC Census (population data), NGC Registry (collection display and competitions), NGC Price Guides (valuation), and NGC App (mobile access). Additional offerings include conservation services (NCS), VarietyPlus (coin variety catalog), NGC Galleries (featured collections), and certification verification tools. NGC holds official status with the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), and is an approved grading service for eBay and Catawiki.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NGC Coin Grading Core third-party grading and authentication service providing accurate, consistent, and impartial assessment of coin authenticity and grade, backed by the NGC Guarantee. Available in multiple tiers (standard to express/expedited) with varying turnaround times for individual collectors and dealers.
- NCS Conservation Services Professional coin conservation and restoration services provided through Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS), a wholly-owned NGC subsidiary. Enhances eye appeal of submitted coins prior to grading for a separate fee.
- NGC Ancients Grading Specialized grading sub-service for ancient coins, allowing collectors of ancients (Greek, Roman, etc.) to receive certification under a dedicated NGC Ancients designation.
- NGC Mobile App Free mobile application (iOS and Android) enabling users to scan NGC labels, verify certifications, access population census data and price guides, track submissions, and read numismatic news. Available at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Quantifiable outcome
- NGC-certified coins from major collections have sold for record prices including a Denmark 1496 Noble realizing €1.2 million and an 1820 Pattern realizing over $600,000
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NGC
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NGC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature7 records
NGC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.
- American Numismatic Association (ANA)coreNGC is the Official Grading Service of the American Numismatic Association, the largest numismatic organization in the world. This designation provides NGC with significant industry credibility and access to the association's member base.
- Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG)coreNGC is the Official Grading Service of the Professional Numismatists Guild, a leading organization of professional coin dealers. This partnership provides NGC with endorsement from the professional dealer community.
- eBaycoreNGC is an Approved Grading Service of eBay. NGC-certified coins receive preferred status on the eBay marketplace, providing visibility and trust signals for buyers purchasing NGC-graded coins.
- CatawikicoreNGC is an Approved Grading Company of Catawiki Modern Coins, facilitating auctions of NGC-certified coins on the Catawiki platform with preferred treatment for NGC holders.
- CDN ExchangeminorCDN Exchange is a strategic partner of NGC, providing additional market access for NGC-certified coins.
- ACEFminorACEF (American Coin & Currency Expo Forum) is affiliated with NGC, providing marketing and exposure for NGC services.
- The Royal MintstrategicThe Royal Mint is a strategic partner of NGC, indicating collaboration for authentication and grading services related to Royal Mint products.
- Stack's Bowers GalleriescoreStack's Bowers Galleries serves as the primary auction partner for NGC-certified collections including the L.E. Bruun Collection, SINCONA British Collection, and Salton Collection. This partnership handles major auction sales of NGC-graded coins.
- CDHCDcoreNGC is the Official Grading Service of CDHCD (RoundTableCoins), a numismatic organization providing additional industry credibility.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
NGC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Heritage Auctions: The largest US coin auction house and a key NGC distribution channel for high-value collection sales. While not a grader, Heritage consumes NGC certification for the lots it sells, making it both a partner and a gatekeeper to institutional submission volume.
- Stack's Bowers Galleries: Major numismatic auction house and NGC's named primary auction partner for marquee collections including the L.E. Bruun, SINCONA, and Salton Collections. Comparable in that it drives institutional submission demand and benefits from NGC's certification quality.
- GreatCollections Coin Auctions: An online auction platform specializing in PCGS- and NGC-certified coins. Touches the same buyer/seller workflow NGC serves and is comparable as an alternative distribution channel for graded-coin liquidity.
Direct peers
- PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service): The principal head-to-head competitor of NGC, offering the same third-party coin authentication and 1-70 grading service to collectors and dealers. PCGS competes directly with NGC on the same submissions, the same grading scale, and many of the same auction-house and dealer distribution relationships.
- Certified Guaranty Company (CGC): Another CCG sister company applying the same third-party grading and encapsulation model to comic books. Uses identical submission workflow, registry platform, and guarantee structure, demonstrating how NGC's authentication architecture is replicated across collectible verticals.
- Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG): CCG sister company extending the NGC grading and certification model to sports cards. Comparable in that it uses identical submission infrastructure, holder design, and guarantee structure, only the underlying collectible category differs.
- Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC): A specialized third-party stickering service that re-verifies coins already graded by NGC or PCGS, applied as a 'green bean' premium marker on high-end coins. CAC addresses the same trust/grading-accuracy gap NGC's guarantee targets and competes for share of high-value dealer and collector confidence.
- Paper Money Guaranty (PMG): A wholly-owned CCG sister company that runs the identical authentication/grading certification model for banknotes rather than coins. Operates the same member-submission, holder, guarantee, and price guide structure, making it the closest business-model comparable within the same corporate group.
- ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service): One of the original third-party coin grading services in the US, providing authentication and grading on a comparable scale to NGC. ANACS competes in the same core product category and serves similar collector and dealer customers, though with smaller market share.
Broad incumbents
- Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA): The dominant third-party grading service for trading cards, operating a fee-based authentication and encapsulation model closely analogous to NGC. While operating in a different asset class, PSA is the most strategically comparable broad incumbent to NGC in terms of business model and market position.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NGC social profiles
Digital presenceNGC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NGC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NGC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
NGC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NGC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NGC
What does NGC do?
NGC provides expert, impartial third-party authentication and grading services for coins, tokens, and medals. The service is backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee protecting buyers and sellers against counterfeits and misgraded coins. Founded in 1987, NGC operates as part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), offering tiered grading services, population/registry data, mobile verification tools, and conservation services through its NCS subsidiary.
Is NGC a public or private company?
NGC is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was NGC founded?
NGC was founded in 1987. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is NGC based?
NGC is headquartered in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does NGC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coin Grading Services are the primary driver. The others are NCS Conservation Services, membership Fees and affiliate/Referral Revenue.
Who are NGC's main competitors?
Others on record are Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers Galleries and GreatCollections Coin Auctions. Direct peers are PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG), Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC), Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service). Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does NGC have an API?
No public API is recorded for NGC.