The Evolution of PCGS Holders

Since debuting in 1986, PCGS holders have evolved as time, technology, and tastes in the numismatic space have changed. Our holders have seen a multitude of changes over the years, from minor modifications in label fonts to total makeovers of the holder style. including state-of-the-art technology and anticounterfeiting upgrades. Let's look back at some of the most important moments in the evolution of the PCGS holder.

The First PCGS Holder

The first PCGS holders, known by collectors as Gen 1.0, were used for only the first few days of PCGS’s operation, which officially began on February 3, 1986. These earliest holders, among the kind known as “rattlers” by many in the hobby, are now extremely rare and are identifiable by their four alignment pins in the main holder body, their white unribbed cardboard label stock, and crude dot matrix printer font.

Regency Holders

Regency holders were mainly used for encapsulation of rare or novel coins. The holders, with their dark-green backgrounds and absence of PCGS spec numbers on the label, looked distinctive from typical PCGS holders and helped the coins within them make a bold statement. Ultimately, about 700 coins were encapsulated in Regency holders from 1992 through 1996, with about half of those containing Israeli coins from the cabinet of actor and philanthropist Danny Kaye. Regency holders are very scarce today and in high demand from those who collect PCGS holders.

Gen 4.0

PCGS moved toward its iconic blue labels with the fourth generation of holders in 1998, by which time many of the most important trophy rarities, like this virtually elusive 1884 Trade Dollar, were being encapsulated by PCGS. Blue labels continue being used in PCGS holders.

Multi-Coin Holders

PCGS continued innovating with larger, multifaceted holders, such as this two-coin arrangement showcasing two complementary matched-pair coin errors. These revolutionary holders are not only unusual, but they also provide a vivid, tangible way for coins to share their fascinating numismatic stories with the world.

Special Labels

PCGS has offered Special Labels for many years, and what makes them distinctive is that they convey the significance of the encapsulated coins by way of special titles and exclusive graphics. PCGS Special Labels are used for a variety of coins, including those from with historic provenance, like this 1879 $20 Liberty Head Quintuple Stella (Judd-1643) hailing from the cabinet of Texas Rangers baseball team co-owner Bob R. Simpson.

PCGS Banknote

PCGS was proud to launch a new era of encapsulating banknotes in 2020. Ensuring superior protection of paper money of various sizes from throughout the United States catalog and representing nations around the world, these large PCGS Banknote holders provide unmatched protection and complete viewing of the entire note within. Rigid Half Pack and Full Pack holders were also introduced to preserve consecutive runs of rare and exceptional notes.

Anti-Counterfeiting Advances

By the autumn of 2020, PCGS became the first company in the numismatic industry to utilize Near-Field Communication (NFC) devices in all of its new holders. NFC technology provides assurance that the coin and label pairing within the holder is authentic and graded by PCGS; collectors, dealers, and others can quickly scan the NFC-enabled PCGS holders with their smartphones and view the coin’s cert verification page online in a matter of seconds.

The Ancients Era

In August 2025, PCGS began grading ancient coins. PCGS’s long-anticipated entry into grading ancient coins began with authentication of the widely collected Qing Dynasty cash coins. PCGS became the first third-party coin grader to offer a comprehensive guarantee on ancient coins that covers both the grade and authenticity and grades these pieces on a 10-point grading scale.

Visit the PCGS Museum of Holders

If you would like to take a journey through PCGS holder history, be sure to explore the PCGS Museum of Coin Holders (https://www.pcgs.com/holdermuseum), where you will find a generation-by-generation rundown of all the changes our holders have seen since 1986. This visual online reference is widely used by coin collectors and dealers, numismatic historians, and many others, and is the ultimate guide to the industry-leading transformations PCGS holders have experienced over the last four decades.