NGC Help Center

NGC has a wide variety of labels available to all submitters. Some special labels are used automatically for certain coins for no additional fee, while others must be requested (and may require an additional fee). Visit the NGC Labels resource and look for labels that are marked "Available for All Submitters."

Elite NGC Collector members and NGC Authorized Dealers have access to additional labels for bulk submissions. These labels are marked "Available for Bulk Submissions" in the NGC Labels resource.

Other NGC labels may only be available from select retailers. These labels are marked "Available from Select Retailers," "Available from [Name of Dealer]" or are not listed on the NGC Labels resource.

In rare instances, certain coin types cannot be encapsulated with the requested NGC label or will be encapsulated with an older NGC label type. While NGC maintains holders that can fit virtually every coin size, unusual coin sizes or more fragile coins may need to be encapsulated with a particular holder and label type. NGC will make its best efforts to accommodate eligible submissions with the requested holder and label type, but it may not be able to fulfill all requests.

NGC cannot always perform its ReHolder service for NGC-certified coins encapsulated with color holders, specialty holders and/or special labels. Some holders and labels are retired after a period of time, while others were made exclusively for a particular customer. If your NGC-certified coin is encapsulated with a non-standard holder or label it is suggested that you contact NGC Customer Service prior to submitting it for ReHolder.

NGC will generally use the newest version of its holder for coins submitted under its ReHolder service. In addition, if a particular label has been updated since the coin was originally encapsulated, NGC will generally use the newest version of that label. It is not generally possible to receive an older version of an NGC holder or label when submitting for ReHolder.

A pedigree describes the current and/or past ownership of a coin. It notates the collector or collectors who have previously owned a particular coin. For example, a coin from the Eric P. Newman Collection may be pedigreed "Eric P. Newman" or "Newman" on the NGC certification label. NGC will pedigree coins to significant collectors or collections if sufficient documentation is provided.

Pedigrees can also be used to describe hoards. A submitter may request that their own name or the name of a collection be listed as the pedigree on the NGC certification label, subject to NGC's approval.

Learn more about pedigrees >

Releases Designations recognize coins that were received by NGC within a specific timeframe or at a particular event. For example, the Early Releases and First Releases designations are used for select coins that must generally be received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository within 30 days of the coin's release. Learn more about NGC Releases Designations >

Pedigrees generally reflect a coin's provenance. For example, a coin that was once part of the Garrett Collection may be pedigreed to the Garrett Collection on the NGC certification label. NGC may also use a pedigree to mark an event or provide other information about the coin. Learn more about NGC Pedigrees >

Strike Characters modify a coin's numeric grade to describe certain attributes or qualities. For example, copper coins receive a strike character to describe their color: BN for Brown, RB for Red Brown and RD for Red. Another example of a strike character is 6FS, which describes a Mint State Jefferson Nickel that has six full steps in Monticello on the reverse. See a full list of NGC Strike Characters >

In recent years, the US Mint has struck bullion American Silver Eagles at the West Point, San Francisco and Philadelphia Mints. Although these coins do not have mintmarks, NGC is able to identify the mint facility that struck the coins if the coins are received by NGC in the original, sealed 500-coin green box (commonly called a "monster box").

Bulk submitters of original, sealed monster boxes can request that NGC attribute the mint facility on the NGC certification label. The mint facility will be identified on the NGC certification label by a mintmark in parentheses after the coin's date and the additional text "Struck at [Mint Facility]." The mintmark is in parentheses to indicate that it is not actually present on the coin.

For example, a coin struck at the San Francisco Mint in 2017 will be described as a "2017(S) EAGLE S$1" with the text "Struck at San Francisco Mint" above. These descriptions can appear in combination with NGC Releases Designations, authentic hand-signed labels and other special NGC labels.

NGC's attribution of mint facilities for bullion American Silver Eagles is covered in more detail here.

NGC will attribute most sets issued by the US Mint as well as sets issued by select other mints. The recognition of a set pedigree is at NGC's sole discretion, and not all sets may be attributed on the NGC label. Please check NGC's list of eligible sets and follow all instructions when submitting.
In many cases, a coin is issued both in a set and separately. Therefore, to ensure the accuracy of its attributions NGC may require that a set be received in the original mint packaging or in the sealed mint shipping box to ensure the accuracy of its attributions.
Certain sets will be attributed only if received through NGC's bulk submission program. Check the list of eligible sets for detailed requirements.
NGC will list certain set pedigrees separately in the NGC Census, while others will be grouped together with the non-set population. For more details, view the list of eligible sets and requirements or visit the NGC Census.

NGC attributes some coin, token and medal types or varieties according to the predominant reference catalog for the series. The catalog name is typically abbreviated on the NGC label according to the last name(s) of the author(s).

To learn more about NGC attributions, visit the NGC VarietyPlus resource. You can also see a list of some of the reference books used by NGC here.

If you have an NGC-certified coin with a typographical error on the label (often called a "mechanical error"), contact NGC Customer Service. We will provide you with instructions on how to return this coin to NGC to be corrected. We apologize for any inconvenience.

GSA Hard Packs will not receive a blue band/label if the coin cannot be numerically graded.

Yes. All of the NGC holder materials have been subjected to accelerated testing that has shown them to be inert and suitable for long-term protection. In fact, the Smithsonian Institution chose NGC holders to protect more than 300 of its most important coins after conducting its own tests on NGC's holders.

The NGC holder is sealed using ultrasonic welding — a safe, clean and secure process — that helps to protect the coins and reveal attempts at tampering. This process is not designed to create an airtight or watertight seal.