For years, the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) has graded and certified gold, silver and platinum coins. Starting in 2020, they will expand their services to include bank notes, which will allow currency collectors to receive the same benefits.

About PCGS Gold Shield

This grading service, officially called Gold Shield outside the U.S., has been available in both Asia and Europe for a number of years, but until 2020, it had yet to expand to the United States. American currency collectors can now enjoy this service through PCGS Banknote, which incorporates a number of state of the art features designed to boost security. Each note that is holdered and certified via PCGS Banknote will have a permanent guaranty for both grades and authenticity.

Which Notes Will Be Accepted?

Every type of U.S. currency and denominations will be accepted, from Colonial era bills to the American Civil War and more recent issues. In addition to grading, PCGS will also provide re-holdering and crossover service, and will make sure the bills are properly cared for. Bills which qualify must be evaluated based on a grading scale of seventy points, with twenty seven possible grades which range from G04 (Good) to PPQ MS70 (Premium Paper Quality).

Detail designations will be used to correctly describe bill condition, including damage or issues which exceed the expectations for specific grades. Examples of this include substantial trimming, repairs or heavy stains. PCGS staff has spent about a year preparing for the service launch, which involved the assembly of numerous currency experts and the expansion of existing technology and operations. A system has been created which makes it easy for collectors to submit their notes and then receive efficient service.

Why Is This Service So Important?

While coin collectors have enjoyed professional grading services for decades, until 2020 American currency collectors were left out in the cold. While there are exerts who evaluate paper currency, there has never been an official national grading service until now. Counterfeiting was and is a major issue with paper notes and the PCGS Banknote is designed to combat this once and for all by providing an extremely high level security and grading structure that no counterfeiter can ever hope to defeat.

This service will also facilitate greater transactions between currency collectors and dealers, who can do business and make trade without fear of receiving a note that is fraudulent. Those who become members of the PCGS Collectors Club will enjoy the same service and can continue submitting their notes and coins without having to acquire a separate membership. Just a few of the services that are available to members include Pop Reports, educational materials, set registry and certified verification services. PCGS intends to do for banknotes what it did for coins, which is to become the industry standard by which third party currency collectors can get their investments graded and authenticated.