CGC Now Grading Pokémon Coins!

Pokémon coin collectors, today is clearly your day! CGC® is excited to announce that plastic and metal Pokémon coins are now eligible for authentication, grading and encapsulation in a new, crystal-clear holder tailored to the unique sizes of TCG, sports and non-sports coins. The holder is designed to secure and protect Pokémon coins while seamlessly stacking with the standard CGC Cards holder, which is considered by many to be the industry's best due to its clarity and sleek feel in hand.

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CGC is the only third-party grading service that has developed a special holder specifically for Pokémon coins. It securely fits Pokémon promotional coins and Pokémon battle tokens sized between 29.8 millimeters and 51.6 millimeters in diameter and 2 millimeters and 3.08 millimeters in thickness. With the introduction of the new holder, all Pokémon coins should be submitted to CGC Cards, rather than Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®), CGC’s affiliate coin grading service, except for legal tender struck by world mints, which should continue to be submitted to NGC.

What are Pokémon coins?

Pokémon flip coins have been an integral part of the Pokémon TCG since its inception. In gameplay, they are meant to be used as randomizer tools to determine the effects of moves, the amount of damage done by an attack, status afflictions and more.

Many official Pokémon coins are made of plastic. The obverse typically features a design that shows a Pokémon, game character or TCG-specific symbol either in a metallic or holographic finish or sometimes etched into the coin. The reverse is typically a standard plastic backing featuring the Pokémon TCG logo. Wizards of the Coast and The Pokémon Company have also released coins in other materials, such as metal and cardboard. Metal coins are typically included in commemorative and limited-edition TCG products, such as anniversary collections.

Although these coins were heavily used in the early days of the Pokémon TCG, today’s players generally prefer to use dice as their randomizer tools because of their accessibility, so coins have fallen out of competitive popularity. Instead, collectors and enthusiasts assemble different varieties of Pokémon coin collections. Many collectors enjoy collecting coins featuring certain Pokémon, while others collect rare and exclusive coins that were only available at events or tournaments.

How to submit Pokémon coins for CGC certification

Collectors can now submit their Pokémon coins for CGC certification using the CGC Cards online submission form. The pricing is simple: just $20 per coin in the US; £17 (excluding VAT) in London; € 20 (excluding VAT) in Munich; and $22 (USD) in Hong Kong. All you need is a free CGC account to submit, but paid members receive discounts on certification services. Associate and Premium members save 10%, and Elite members save 20%. Memberships start at just $25 per year. Ready to join CGC or upgrade your account? Select your membership level here.

Please note: Cardboard Pokémon coins are encapsulated in the standard CGC Cards holder with a protective sleeve.

Need more info?

For more information on how to submit to CGC Cards, go here. If you have questions about CGC Cards Services, please contact Customer Service:

• For CGC Cards headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, please contact CGC Cards Customer Service at Service@CGCcards.com or call or text 1-855-GRADE10.
• For the London office, please contact CGC Cards Customer Service at Service@CGCcards.uk or call (+44) (0) 20 3968 3848.
• For the Munich office, please contact CGC Cards Customer Service at Service@CGCcards.de or call +49 (0) 89 550 66 780.
• For the Hong Kong office, please contact CGC Cards Customer Service at Service@CGCcards.hk or call (+852) 2115 3639.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more.