PCGS

In 1985, a few top coin professionals identified key issues that needed to be resolved for the rare coin market to thrive. They soon realized that the physical condition, or grade, of a coin plays a crucial role in its value. However, the lack of a consistent grading system left people confused, as there were varying definitions of what each grade meant.

National

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#38158

United States

#7922

Hobbies and Leisure/Antiques and Collectibles

#10

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

18-Year-Old Goes from Coin Collector to Shop Owner

Aug 8, 2024 | pcgs.com | Joseph Ford

How does an 18-year-old collector end up owning his own coin shop? Let me share my journey from my first accidental numismatic discovery to becoming a young entrepreneur in the world of numismatics… It all started somewhat disastrously when I was in kindergarten. I had taken a Confederate $10 note from my dad’s desk to school for show and tell, not realizing the historical treasure I had stuffed into my pocket. After the note accidentally went through the wash, my dad discovered its fragments.
Market Movers and Shakers

Aug 6, 2024 | pcgs.com | Jaime Hernandez

DESCRIPTION GRADE TODAY'S PRICE PRICE 3 MONTHS AGO GAIN % CHANGE 1888-O $1 VAM 5 Oval O AU58 $1,250 $215 $1,035 481% 1853 1C Newcomb 10, RD MS65RD $12,000 $4,150 $5,850 189% 1955-D 25C MS67+ $41,000 $22,500 $18,500 82% 1893-CC $1, DMPL MS63DMPL $46,000 $25,500 $20,500 80% 1941-D/D 5C RPM FS-501, FS MS65+FS $1,150 $650 $500 77% 1878 8TF $1 VAM 14.12 Eye Dots XF45 $2,650 $1,500 $1,150 77% 1863 50C, DCAM PR66+DCAM $75,000 $42,500 $32,500 76% 2018 Voyageurs NP 5 Oz Silver FS MS69DMPL $500 $290...
Coin Market Fundamentals: What is Security Worth?

Jul 31, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

What is security worth? There are many factors that drive rare-coin and bullion markets. Inflation, interest rates, oil prices, and world unrest are just some of many possible factors that might influence the prices of bullion metals – or any other product, for that matter. These often-extraneous factors, while they certainly influence our buying decisions, often cloud our judgment. Currently, it’s all about the gold.
1925 Fort Vancouver Commemorative Half Dollar

Jul 22, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

The U.S. Mint issued four commemorative half dollars issued for 1925 that include the California, Lexington, Stone Mountain, and Fort Vancouver coins. All reach their centennial anniversary in 2025, and all are desirable coins for collectors. But the miniscule distribution of only 14,966 total coins for the Fort Vancouver Half Dollar explains much in regard to the current scarcity and price of the issue.
Nickel: The Other Precious Metal

Jul 11, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

United States five cent coinage has been popularly known as the “nickel” virtually since its inception as circulating money back in the 1860s. While the silver half dime was struck through 1873, the moniker “nickel” for the five-cent coin with the Shield design was met with almost immediate acceptance. Let’s delve a little further into nickel – the metal, that is. Why was it first utilized? Why did it see such widespread embrace? And why does it continue to be an integral part of our U.S. coinage?
1925 Stone Mountain Commemorative Half Dollar

Jul 10, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

My endeavors to write about the four U.S. commemorative coins of 1925 ahead of their centennial anniversary lead me to the 1925 Stone Mountain Half Dollar. I’ve written about the 1925-S California Jubilee and the 1925 Lexington Concord Half Dollar in prior articles. The California and Lexington issues were quite successful.
1925-S California Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Half Dollar Turning 100

Jul 9, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

In 2025, we will be celebrating the centennial anniversaries of four of the most iconic U.S. commemorative half dollars. A century earlier, in 1925, the United States Mint issued four different commemorative half dollars, including the California, Lexington, Stone Mountain, and Vancouver issues. The 1925 California Half Dollar: A Truly Classic Coin Let’s first look at the 1925-S California Half Dollar – a coin with which I’ve been fascinated for decades.
As I See It, Numismatics is a Family Affair

Jul 5, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

Some folks will remember the hit CBS sitcom Family Affair, which ran from 1966 to 1971. Actors Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot starred as two bachelors who suddenly found themselves surrogate parents of three children whose parents were killed in a car crash. The television family exuded warmth and love, both which felt real even to my brother and me when we watched this show as children.
A Coin Collector Needs to Collect Coins

Jul 2, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

I’ve always believed in building several coin sets at once to allow a multitude of options. I like to suggest building what I might call an “advanced” collection and then a “play money” collection, so to speak. Let me explain… I’ve known collectors who will be working on some really great, high-end PCGS Registry Sets that may be missing only two to four coins each. But these missing coins are quite challenging and costly.
How Coin Collectors and Coin Dealers Can Maximize Security and Peace of Mind When Traveling

Jun 28, 2024 | pcgs.com | Victor Bozarth

As a teenage collector, I would lie awake for hours on nights before the coin show, too keyed up to sleep. I love coin shows. Fifty years later, I still get excited, but I also realize just how fortunate I have been in terms of maximizing security and avoiding theft during my career. You might say I’ve been lucky. On any given weekend there is a coin show somewhere in the continental United States.