PMG Celebrates 20 Years of Serving Collectors, Offers Complimentary Special Label

Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and we're excited for what the future holds, including more on-site grading events that make our services even more accessible to collectors around the world. We're also offering a free label to celebrate this special milestone in paper money grading.

As the world's largest third-party grading service, PMG is proud of its legacy of certifying more than 10 million banknotes. Each of these is backed by the PMG Guarantee of authenticity and grade, which gives buyers and sellers confidence in the marketplace, making it easier to trade paper money. And it's why many of the greatest rarities in numismatics have been certified by PMG.

Banknotes Selling for More Than $1 Million

These include an 1891 $1,000 Silver Certificate showing Secretary of State William L. Marcy that is unique in private hands. It was sold for $2.6 million in a transaction facilitated by Stack's Bowers Galleries in 2013. PMG has certified more than 1 million notes from the United States.

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Meanwhile, the robust marketplace for Chinese banknotes and strong demand for independent, third-party certification has resulted in PMG grading more than 6 million notes from China. These include Yuan and Ming Dynasty notes dating to the 13th to 14th century, among the earliest paper money collectibles. They also include some of the most expensive Chinese notes, such as this China / People's Republic 1951 10,000 Yuan graded PMG 53 About Uncirculated EPQ, which realized more than $2 million at auction in 2022.

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The PMG Population Report includes more than 240 countries and other issuing authorities, showing PMG's wide range of expertise in world paper money. In 2024, this Czechoslovakia Republic 1919 5,000 Korun graded PMG 30 Very Fine became the first PMG-certified note from Europe to pass the $1 million mark at auction. (Learn more about this note here.)

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PMG Special Labels

PMG offers a wide variety of special labels that can accentuate notes, including lunar series notes. To celebrate our milestone this year, we're offering the PMG 20th Anniversary label (shown below) for free for any US or world banknotes submitted before the end of 2025. Learn more about how to select this label here.

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Looking Forward

PMG will continue to offer its industry-leading authentication, grading and encapsulation services that help the paper money collecting community flourish. For added convenience, we're bringing our services to collectors around the world, including on-site grading events this spring in Europe and Asia, and we’re expanding to the United Arab Emirates. You can also save one way on shipping by bringing your submissions to shows; find ones we'll be attending here.

In addition, PMG will continue to offer resources that help inform and grow the paper money collecting community. These include:

• the PMG Registry, where collectors can build sets to compete for recognition and prizes, or simply enjoy the hard work of others
• the PMG Population Report, which provides collectors a wealth of insight about notes certified by catalog number and grade
• the World Paper Money Price Guide, which gives collectors an idea about the value of notes they own or may wish to own
• News and Announcements, including PMG's award-winning Collection Inspiration column, informative articles dealing with Counterfeit Detection and other news about amazing notes that PMG has certified

If you'd like to learn more about PMG, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact us. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X!