Beginning
Tuesday, May 25, 2010, all eligible coins submitted to NGC
for grading will be reviewed for the Plus Designation ().
NGC assigns a
to coins at the high end of their assigned grade, approaching
the quality requirements for the next grade. In addition to
their superior technical merit, coins receiving a
must have above-average eye appeal.
NGC assigns the
only to United States coins issued from 1792 to 1964, and
the
is available in combination with all grades from XF45 to MS68,
inclusive. Coins submitted to NGC under applicable grading
tiers including Economy, EarlyBird, Gold Rush, Specialty Gold,
Express and WalkThrough tiers are automatically examined for
during grading, and there is no additional fee or special
service request.
All coins submitted for on-site grading at tradeshows and
other events are also considered for
at time of grading. The first on-site event where NGC will
evaluate all coins during grading for the Plus Designation
is the Long Beach Coin & Collectibles Expo, where on-site
grading will be offered June 2 through June 4, 2010.
Coins already certified by NGC must be submitted for regrade
using one of the above mentioned grading tiers to be evaluated
for
. Crossover submissions at applicable grading tier levels
are also reviewed for
during grading. More detailed information concerning submission
requirements and answers to frequently asked questions can
be found on NGC's website at www.ngccoin.com/plus.
"We have been overwhelmed by the flood of support and
enthusiasm for the launch of the NGC plus designation. For
a number of years, collectors and dealers have wanted NGC
to recognize premium quality-grade coins because our unique
capabilities allow us to distinguish these differences with
accuracy and consistency – providing credibility and
consumer confidence to this segment of the market," comments
Mark Salzberg, NGC chairman and grading finalizer.
Salzberg
continues: "Although we have used discriminators of premium
quality internally at NGC for a number of years, the Plus
Designation allows us to convey this information in a simple
and straightforward way on our certification label. We listened
very carefully to comments we received from throughout the
numismatic community during the months that led up to this
service launch, and in response we believe that we are offering
our customers the best value and most-preferred services in
the industry."
After first announcing the Plus Designation on March 25,
NGC opened a 60-day comment period, inviting dealers and collectors
to provide comments and questions. Customer feedback played
a valuable role in developing this service, and additional
comments are still accepted at plus@NGCcoin.com. Questions
regarding submission procedures should be directed to NGC
Customer Service at service@ngccoin.com or by phone toll-free
at 1-800-NGC-COIN (642-2646)
A few website enhancements are being released in concert
with the launch of the Plus Designation. Population figures
of Plus Designated-coins will be reported in the NGC Census,
beginning on May 25, 2010. Coins graded with a
will receive a point premium in the NGC Registry. New Registry
score tables will be available on the Collectors Society website
on May 25, 2010.
PLUS
& STAR DESIGNATIONS
The NGC coin grading scale is an efficient tool for communicating
information about a coin’s condition. Precise numerical
gradations make it extremely accurate and concise. There are
times, however, when a coin will benefit from an additional
description that cannot fully be encompassed by numerical
grade alone. NGC uses two important symbols that, when applicable,
appear after the numerical grade in order to describe the
coin in greater detail. They are the plus and the star.
PLUS DESIGNATION
NGC
assigns a
to coins at the high end of their assigned grade, approaching
the quality requirements for the next grade. In addition to
their superior technical merit, coins receiving a plus designation
must have above-average eye appeal.
For example, a coin graded NGC MS 64
is close to the quality of a coin graded NGC MS 65. The
is synonymous with the term "PQ" or "Premium
Quality."
Not all coins are eligible for .
Coins grading from XF 45 to MS 68 or PF 45 to PF 68 may receive
a
, while lower- and higher-grade coins cannot. Additionally,
the
is only assigned to United States coins from 1792 to 1964.
Coins are automatically evaluated for during
grading when submitted under the Economy, Early Bird, Gold
Rush, Specialty Gold, Express and WalkThrough tiers. All on-site
and CrossOver grading submissions are also automatically evaluated
for
. There is no designation review service for
. Coins must be submitted for grading to receive this designation.
STAR DESIGNATION
NGC
assigns a
to coins with exceptional eye appeal for their assigned grade.
Eye appeal is the most subjective attribute of a coin, but
there are norms and standards shared by numismatists. Exceptional
eye appeal may include attributes such as vibrant, colorful
toning; intense luster; or, in the case of Proof coins, especially
strong cameo contrast. To receive a ,
coins must be free of any obvious planchet irregularities,
and display no bothersome spots or blemishes. Toned coins
can be of a single color or multicolored but cannot have any
areas that are dark brown, approaching black.
It’s important to remember that
designated coins can fall anywhere within the grades to which
they are assigned. For example, an MS 64-graded coin could
be at the lower end, mid-range or higher end of that grade.
NGC applies the
to qualifying US coins in its normal course of grading. It
is not used for non-US coins. As they are already of the ultimate
grade, any coin graded MS 70 or PF 70 will not be eligible
for the
. Coins already certified by NGC can be resubmitted and reviewed
for using the Designation Review Service, the fee for which
is $10.