People have collected coins for centuries — for enjoyment, for study, as a store of value and as a measure of achievement. Over time, the hobby has developed its own language for describing condition. Today, that language is meeting the grading systems used by millions of collectors of other items.
Where the 70-Point Scale Came From
In 1949, Dr. William Sheldon introduced a numeric scale from 1 to 70 to describe the condition of early U.S. large cents. The idea was that a coin graded 70 would be worth 70 times as much as a coin graded 1. That pricing idea quickly became outdated, but the scale itself became the foundation of modern coin grading. Major grading services, including PCGS (founded 1986) and NGC (founded 1987), adopted it, and it remains the standard today.
Other Collectibles Use 10 Points
Meanwhile, collecting has expanded into sports cards, trading cards, comic books, video games and much more. These collectibles are almost always graded on a 10-point scale, which new collectors find instantly familiar: a 10 is perfect.
A 10-Point Scale for Coins
To make coin grades easier for new collectors to understand, NGC introduced NGCX, a 10-point grading scale for coins. NGCX does not replace the traditional 70-point scale — the two are offered side by side — but it translates coin grades into a format collectors of other items already know.
- NGCX 10 is the top grade, equivalent to MS70 or PF70: no imperfections visible at 5x magnification.
- NGCX 9.9 is equivalent to MS69 or PF69: a fully struck coin with only tiny, barely visible imperfections.
- Lower grades follow from there, so collectors can compare coins at a glance.
What It Means for Collectors
- Easier entry: new collectors coming from cards or comics can understand coin grades immediately.
- Same standards: a perfect coin is still a perfect coin, whatever the scale.
- More choice: collectors can choose the label style they prefer.
Traditional MS70 and PF70 grades are not going away. The 10-point scale is simply another way to describe the same quality — and another way to welcome new people into a timeless hobby.