PMGnotes
PMG (Paper Money Guaranty) is the world's largest third-party paper money grading service, having certified nearly 8 million notes since 2005. It authenticates, grades, and encapsulates banknotes for collectors, dealers, investors, and auction houses through a global network of submission centers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSarasota, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What PMGnotes does
Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) is a third-party paper money grading and certification service founded in 2005 and operated as part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG). It is the world's largest dedicated paper money grading company, having certified nearly 8 million notes since inception, and serves collectors, dealers, investors, and auction houses across the global numismatic market. PMG authenticates, grades, and encapsulates notes, assigning each a grade and a population tracking identifier that feeds the publicly available PMG Population Report.
PMG operates a global network of more than 19 Official Submission Centers, supported by offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, the UAE, and India. Submissions move through a centralized grading process executed by 20+ employed graders. The company holds Official Grading Service designations with the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), and the Macau Numismatic Society, and is an Approved Grading Company with major marketplaces and dealer networks including eBay, Catawiki, CDN Exchange, and Vcoins. It also offers derivative products and services such as the PMG Registry (a set registry for competitive collecting), PMG Star designation, and the EPQ (Exceptional Paper Quality) qualifier.
PMG monetizes through per-note grading fees structured by service tier (e.g., standard, express, walk-through) and value-based pricing for higher-end notes. Revenue is driven by submission volume, which is in turn a function of collector activity, dealer inventory turnover, and auction liquidity. The business is asset-light, scaling primarily through grader capacity and geographic reach rather than capital intensity. PMG is a private subsidiary of CCG, with no public funding rounds or equity disclosures.
PMGnotes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PMGnotes
- Legal name
- NGC India Numismatic Services Private Limited
- Website
- https://pmgnotes.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- PMG (Paper Money Guaranty) is the world's largest third-party paper money grading service, having certified nearly 8 million notes since 2005. It authenticates, grades, and encapsulates banknotes for collectors, dealers, investors, and auction houses through a global network of submission centers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where PMGnotes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sarasota
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
PMGnotes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Grading Services: Fees based on a note's fair market value and the submitter's desired turnaround time. Higher-priced tiers offer higher maximum value limits while lower-priced tiers have lower maximum value limits.
- Encapsulation and Holder Sales: Secure encapsulation services with high-quality holders and labels for preserved banknotes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Value-based tiered pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
PMGnotes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PMGnotes (Paper Money Guaranty) is a third-party paper money grading and certification service that authenticates, grades, and encapsulates banknotes for collectors, dealers, and financial institutions. The company assigns standardized grades, issues certifications, and provides population data, registry sets, and price guides to support the global paper money collectibles market.
Product overview
PMGnotes is a paper money grading and certification service providing expert authentication, grading, and encapsulation of US and world banknotes. The core offering consists of the Paper Money Grading and Certification Service, backed by the comprehensive PMG Guarantee, which protects buyers and sellers. Notes are encapsulated in PMG's proprietary holders and labeled with grades on the 70-point PMG Grading Scale, along with designations such as Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) and PMG Star. The 10-step grading process encompasses submission, authentication, grading by multiple professionals, and quality control. Supporting the core service are add-on modules including the Population Report for rarity data, the World Paper Money Price Guide for valuation, the Verify PMG Certification tool for verification, the PMG Registry for collector competition, Galleries for showcasing collections, and the Banknote Dealer Locator for finding dealers. PMG is part of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), alongside NGC Coin, CGC Comics, ASG Stamps, and JSA Authentication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Paper Money Grading Service Third-party authentication, grading, and encapsulation of paper money/banknotes for individual collectors and dealers worldwide.
- PMG Certification Official certification of authenticity and grade assigned to a banknote, supported by the company's guarantee of authenticity and grade.
- PMG Registry A free online platform where collectors create and showcase PMG-graded banknote sets, with competitive rankings and awards.
- PMG Price Guide A market reference providing price indications and value tracking for PMG-certified banknotes, available through the PMG website.
Quantifiable outcome
- Near 8,000,000 notes certified since 2005
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PMGnotes
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PMGnotes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
PMGnotes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Marudhar ArtscoreOfficial Submission Center in India (Bangalore). Accepts submissions for NGC and PMG grading services and handles logistics.
- Todywalla AuctionscoreOfficial Submission Center in India (Mumbai). Accepts submissions for NGC and PMG grading services and handles logistics.
- American Numismatic Association (ANA)coreANA is the only numismatic organization chartered by the US Congress. PMG is the Official Grading Service of ANA, providing authentication and grading services for ANA members.
- Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG)corePNG is a guild of professional coin and paper money dealers. PMG is the Official Grading Service of PNG, supporting the professional numismatic community.
- VcoinscoreOnline marketplace for coins and banknotes. PMG is the Official Grading Service of Vcoins, integrating certification verification into the marketplace.
- CDN ExchangecoreCDN Exchange is a trading platform for certified coins and banknotes. PMG is an Approved Grading Company facilitating trade on the platform.
- CatawikicoreEuropean auction platform for coins and banknotes. PMG is an Approved Grading Company for Catawiki auctions.
- eBaycoreGlobal online marketplace. PMG is an Approved Grading Service for eBay's coin and banknote listings.
- Macau Numismatic Society (MNS)corePMG is the Official Paper Money Grading Service of the Macau Numismatic Society.
- Certified Collectibles Group (CCG)coreParent company. PMG is part of CCG along with NGC (coins), CGC (comics), ASG (stamps), and other grading companies. Shares technology, processes, and infrastructure.
- Heritage Auctions EuropeminorEuropean auction house and Official Submission Center in Netherlands.
- CGB Numismatics ParisminorOfficial Submission Center in France (Paris).
- Numismatica Ars Classica (NAC)minorOfficial Submission Center in Italy (Milan).
- Aste BolaffiminorOfficial Submission Center in Italy with offices in Turin, Milan, and Rome.
- World Coins JapanminorOfficial Submission Center in Japan (Tokyo).
- Mavin InternationalminorOfficial Submission Center in Singapore.
- NumiscolminorOfficial Submission Center in Colombia (Bogota).
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PMGnotes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ANACS: ANACS is a long-standing third-party grading service for coins that also grades paper money, making it an additional direct competitor in the banknote authentication category alongside PCGS Banknote.
- Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA): PSA is the dominant third-party grading service for trading cards and a major force in collectibles authentication under parent Collectors Universe. While not focused on paper money, it competes for the broader 'certified collectibles' mind-share and uses a comparable grading/encapsulation/registry business model.
- Beckett Grading Services (BGS): Beckett Grading Services authenticates and grades trading cards and similar collectibles, using a parallel grading-scale model to PMG. While it does not grade paper money, it is a useful comparable for collectibles-grade authentication pricing and scale.
Others
- Stack's Bowers Galleries: Stack's Bowers is a major US numismatic auction house that relies on PMG (and competitors) for banknote certification. It is comparable as a channel partner and collector-services participant in the paper-money ecosystem, though its primary function is auctioneering rather than grading.
- Heritage Auctions: Heritage Auctions is the world's largest collectibles auction house and a key downstream user of PMG certification for high-value banknote lots. It is highly comparable as a collector-services participant and channel partner, though its core business is auctions rather than grading.
Broad incumbents
- James Spence Authentication (JSA): JSA, owned by CCG, authenticates autographs and memorabilia. While the underlying physical artifact differs, the business model — third-party expert authentication with database-backed verification — closely mirrors PMG's banknote certification offering.
- Certified Guaranty Company (CGC): CGC is another CCG sister company that grades and certifies comics rather than banknotes. It operates a directly analogous grading/encapsulation/guarantee model and shares brand and infrastructure with PMG under the Certified Collectibles Group umbrella.
- Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC): NGC is PMG's sister company within Certified Collectibles Group, providing third-party grading and certification for coins rather than paper money. It is highly comparable in business model (grading scale, encapsulation, population report, guarantee) and shares parent-level technology and infrastructure.
- Authenticated Stamp Guaranty (ASG): ASG is the CCG sister company providing third-party grading for postage stamps. It uses the same core grading-service model, holder technology, and guarantee framework as PMG, making it a strong adjacent comparable.
Direct peers
- PCGS Banknote: PCGS Banknote is the principal direct competitor to PMG, offering third-party authentication, grading, and encapsulation of paper money using its own grading scale. It competes head-to-head with PMG for banknote grading submissions from US and international collectors and dealers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PMGnotes social profiles
Digital presencePMGnotes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PMGnotes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PMGnotes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PMGnotes 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 PMGnotes
What does PMGnotes do?
PMGnotes (Paper Money Guaranty) is a third-party paper money grading and certification service that authenticates, grades, and encapsulates banknotes for collectors, dealers, and financial institutions. The company assigns standardized grades, issues certifications, and provides population data, registry sets, and price guides to support the global paper money collectibles market.
Is PMGnotes a public or private company?
PMGnotes is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PMGnotes founded?
PMGnotes was founded in 2005.
Where is PMGnotes based?
PMGnotes is headquartered in Sarasota, United States, in the North America region.
How does PMGnotes make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grading Services are the primary driver. The others are encapsulation and Holder Sales.
Who are PMGnotes's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ANACS, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett Grading Services (BGS). Others are Stack's Bowers Galleries and Heritage Auctions. Broad incumbents are James Spence Authentication (JSA), Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Authenticated Stamp Guaranty (ASG). PCGS Banknote is listed as a direct peer.
Does PMGnotes have an API?
No public API is recorded for PMGnotes.