PCGS Banknote

You collect. We protect.

Here you can learn more about the PCGS Banknote grading service available to PCGS Collectors Club members and authorized dealers.

About Banknote Grading

PCGS Banknote is the premier third-party certification service for paper currency.

Each note that enters our building is carefully examined, authenticated, and graded by our team of world-renowned experts. We use state-of-the-art, tamper-evident plastic cases that seal all graded banknotes within a safe, inert, quality holder that will protect the banknote for generations. Nothing beats the peace of mind in knowing your investments are authentic, properly graded, and physically protected against mishandling – and when your banknotes are graded and encapsulated by our PCGS Banknote service, those are guarantees you’ll never have to think twice about.

All banknotes graded and encapsulated by PCGS feature revolutionary Near-Field Communication (NFC) Anti-Counterfeiting Technology allowing collectors and dealers to instantly verify every holder and the banknote within.

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Research Banknotes at PCGS NoteFacts

Looking for PCGS Currency?

Submission Types

You may submit banknotes through the grading, regrade, reholder or crossover services

Grading For “raw” banknotes not currently encapsulated by a third-party grading company
Regrade For banknotes currently encapsulated by PCGS Banknote to be regraded raw
Reholder To replace old or damaged PCGS Banknote holders
Crossover Improve value, security and liquidity for banknotes currently graded by other companies

Want to submit paper currency to PCGS Banknote?

Join the PCGS Collectors Club

Prices

Per banknote fee for our most commonly used services

Economy


For pre-1960 banknotes valued up to $300

$22

Value


For banknotes valued up to $1,000

$32

Regular


For banknotes valued up to $2,500

$45

Express


For banknotes valued up to $10,000

$100

High Value


For banknotes valued up to $25,000

$250

Rarity


For banknotes valued over $25,000

$300 + 1% GP

Estimated Turnaround Times

Service LevelBusiness Days
Rarity 10
High Value 15
Express 15
Regular 20
Special Issues 30
Value 25
Economy (Pre 1960) 30
Modern (1960 – Date) 25
Bulk Consecutive (min of 25) 20
Bulk Non Consecutive (min of 50) 35
Reholder 8
High Value Reholder 8

The turnaround times stated above are the previous week’s average for each service level indicated. These times are estimated, as turnaround times always vary. Certain paper money may require additional research, and turnaround times can fluctuate based on the amount of research required. Times listed are in business days. Turnaround times may fluctuate based on many factors. PCGS counts business days starting the day after the order is entered into the PCGS system and does not include the time it takes to open incoming packages to PCGS or to ship orders once they are completed.

PCGS Banknote Grading Standards

PCGS Banknote uses a 70-point numerical scale universally accepted by all collectors. Below is a brief description to show how a note is evaluated and assigned a grade by PCGS Banknote. Please note that all banknotes graded 65 and higher must also meet the criteria for Premium Paper Quality (PPQ).

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PCGS Banknote Guarantee

PCGS became the industry standard for coin grading and authentication by providing maximum value, security, and liquidity for collectible coins. We are excited to extend this to our banknote grading service. An added benefit of PCGS grading is the peace of mind provided by our PCGS Guarantee of Grade & Authenticity. This cash-back warranty policy ensures the accuracy of the grade assigned to any PCGS-graded item, as long as it remains in its tamper-evident PCGS holder. Read the PCGS Banknote policy in its entirety through the link below.

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Banknote Error Designations

In the process of printing banknotes, various errors are known to occur that sometimes escape the quality check processes at the printing facilities. Notes with recognized errors can be labeled with a designation to further showcase and identify the unique features of the note.

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