Frequently Asked Questions

A. Paper Money Guaranty, LLC (PMG), founded in February 2005, is an independent member of the Certified Collectibles Group of companies.

The Certified Collectibles Group is an umbrella organization consisting of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America (NGC) the leading grading service in rare coins, Paper Money Guaranty, LLC (PMG) the expert third party grading service in notes, Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) the first independent, impartial, expert third party grading service in comics, and Numismatic Conservation Services, LLC (NCS) a leading authority in numismatic conservation. Our certification companies have a proven and respected commitment to integrity, accuracy, consistency and impartiality in grading collectibles that has made them leaders in their fields. This proven model of success is ideally suited to adapt to the unique challenges of grading currency.

Additionally, as is the policy of all companies under the Certified Collectibles Group umbrella, all employees of PMG are prohibited from commercially buying and selling paper currency. This will enable the company to maintain its independent, third-party position, thus avoiding any conflict of interest.

A. PMG does not commercially buy, sell or trade notes. You can ask your PMG member dealer about the value of your notes, or you can refer to the publication Paper Money of the United States by Friedberg.

A. No. The degree of liquidity for PMG certified notes, as with any certified note, will vary according to market conditions and according to the particular note(s) involved.
Additionally, as is the policy of all companies under the Certified Collectibles Group umbrella, all employees of PMG are prohibited from buying and selling paper currency. This will enable the company to maintain its independent, third-party position, thus avoiding any conflict of interest.

A. Yes. We strongly suggest that you visit the "legal notice" section of our Web site at www.PMGnotes.com. Legal notices are also contained on the back the PMG Submission Invoice.

A. The "pedigree" field on the label of a certified note may be used to indicate the collection name but it is not specifically designated for highlighted collections typically referred to as "pedigrees." Many collectors like to have their names tied to their collections and, while this is allowed, not just anything may be put on the label / holder. It should also be noted that although this field may add value to certain notes, it is not the primary purpose of the field.

A. You have some options regarding how you may submit your notes to PMG.

• You may submit notes through a PMG authorized dealer. Please call 1-877-PMG-5570 for a dealer in your area or visit our Member Dealer directory.
  


• You may submit notes to PMG by joining the Collectors Society. Membership provides educational resources, grading services, inclusion in a vibrant online community and more. Choose the membership level that's just right for you.
  


• If you are an active member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), you may submit notes directly to PMG after obtaining a PMG submitter number.
  

A. Most PMG member dealers will help you screen your notes and select the appropriate submission tiers, package your notes for safe shipment to PMG, and assist in determining insurance values for your notes so that they're protected against loss in shipping. With considerable expertise, PMG member dealers can save you time and money by helping you determine which notes will be eligible for grading. PMG member dealers are also able to answer many questions you might have about your notes or about PMG.

A. When your notes are sent to PMG, you can be confident that they are entering a secure environment. Our highly sophisticated security system is state-of-the-art, and designed to ensure that your notes are under constant surveillance. All notes in PMG’s possession are fully insured. As soon as your notes arrive, they are assigned a unique ID number and are tracked throughout the PMG grading and encapsulation process. Also, each highly trained PMG employee will handle your notes as delicately as if they were their own.

A. Yes, you can have your notes shipped directly back to you from PMG via insured registered mail. Please note that the postal service allows for a maximum insurance coverage of $25,000 per package. Ask your PMG authorized dealer to write your name and address as the return address on the PMG submission invoice.

A. A "net graded" note is one which has had an adverse occurrence after it left the BEP. PMG understands that such a note can still be rare and valuable. Instead of returning it ungraded, PMG will holder and authenticate it as a "Net Graded". PMG will specifically state the reason(s) why any note is net graded. The PMG guarantee is not valid on any net graded note. Listed here are a few examples of why a note may be "net graded": tear, corner missing, repaired, re-embossed, washed, stained, ink or writing and PVC damage.

A. No. Once removed from its PMG holder there is no guarantee whatsoever as to what that note will grade when resubmitted. This is due to the fact that we cannot account for where that note has been, what if anything has been done to it, and for the overall subjective nature of note grading itself. In addition, the grade of a note may be affected if improperly stored and handled while in the holder.

A. The Grade Guarantee portion of the PMG Guarantee does not apply to notes given a "Net" grade by PMG. Only the Genuineness Guarantee portion of the PMG Guarantee applies to notes given a "Net" grade by PMG. The PMG Guarantee does not apply to attribution. The PMG Guarantee does not apply to notes which have been graded by PMG but have subsequently been subjected to abuse, alteration, or improper storage conditions such as (but not limited to) extreme temperature, moisture, damaging environmental conditions, excessive light, excessive motion, improper handling or vibration, or any other extreme conditions. The PMG Guarantee does not apply to notes that have been removed at any time from their original PMG holder, or to notes that – in PMG's reasonable opinion - bear any evidence of holder tampering or holder abuse. Additionally, any PMG certified note deemed by us to be representative of a clerical error is not covered by the PMG guarantee. This is an excerpt of the PMG Guarantee. Please read the Guarantee in its entirety.

A. These notes may be submitted through PMG's Appearance Review/Downgrade service. There is no charge for this service.

A. These notes should be submitted in their PMG holders through our "ReGrade" service, where you choose the cost and delivery turnaround tier for the notes you want ReGraded (ex. "ReGrade Express" 5 working days).

A. Submission costs vary depending on the value and category of collectibles you are submitting as well as the turnaround time you desire. Note: PMG Collectors Society Elite members receive 10% Discount on grading tiers (Not applicable to Bulk Tiers or onsite grading fees at shows.)

A. PMG direct submission forms are available online for PMG Collectors Society Associate, Premium and Elite members. Access the PMG online submission form

A. On each submission form, there is a link describing how to safely package your items. Follow these directions and be sure to accurately value your insurance coverage for delivery to our grading services, as we are not responsible for damage incurred in transit.

A. Yes, but only on submissions to the same company. For example, do not send submissions for NGC in the same box with submissions for PMG.

A. You may submit multiple submission forms to the same grading company in one shipping box. Your submissions will be returned separately. For that reason, each of your submissions is calculated alone for its return shipping and insurance.

A. Contact PMG Customer Service and request a Dealer Application. It is required that you have been in the business of numismatics for at least one year and can provide at least four numismatic references.

A. Collectors Society offers free and paid membership levels to provide options for every type of collector. Benefits that vary consist of access to online resources, direct submission privileges, grading coupons and more. Compare the full membership options and benefits here.

A. Membership packets are sent out via US Mail within 10 business days of registration. Please allow up to 3 weeks to receive your packet and if it still hasn't arrived, please call us at 1.877.PMG.5570 for assistance.

A. Yes. The coupons expire one year from the day they were issued.

A. Because of the benefits received with your membership, a pro-rated refund is not available. However, if you have signed up for auto-renewal of your membership, and decide within 30 days of auto-renewal that you would like to cancel your membership, you may receive a refund of your membership dues by calling customer service.

A. Your public name shows up on your journal, Registry and other Collectors Society postings. You can change your public name in your profile settings.

A. Yes. Your membership in the PMG Collectors Society automatically gives you direct submission privileges to NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corp.), NCS (Numismatic Conservation Services), PMG (Paper Money Guaranty) and CGC (Certified Guaranty Company). Use your same log-in information to make submissions within these other companies.

A. Currently, we only allow one membership per household.

A. No. Any coupons you received with your membership are tied to your membership account and profile.

A.If you are not logging in from a public computer, click the "Remember Me" box to save your log-in information.

A. Your login is the e-mail address you used to sign up for your account. You can use the Forgot Password link to get the password for your account. If you continue to have problems please contact us.

A. For convenient processing, we require that you send all coins, currency or comics on the same submission form in order to claim your free grading award. When you fill in the submission form, please indicate the use of your coupon under payment option.

A. No. When using your free grading award, we ask that you submit no additional items.

A. No. Your membership is valid for submissions of your collectibles ONLY. You may not submit on behalf of any third party.