Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) holders have for years been the preferred choice for storing and preserving numismatic coins, but a troubling trend has emerged in recent years: nearly every NGC holder on the market appears to be scratched and worn. This has caused confusion and concern about the overall quality of NGC holders, and has pushed collectors and dealers alike to look for better, more reliable storage options.
The quality problems of NGC holders are a serious concern for collectors and dealers devoted to preserving and selling high-quality numismatic items. One of the biggest issues is the scratching of the plastic, which appears to result from even ordinary use. Simply placing an NGC holder in a zip-lock bag is enough to leave scratches on it. The problem is that the plastic of a zip-lock bag is coarser, and friction between the two leaves scratches on the holder.
One might assume that the main danger to an NGC holder comes from sharp objects encountered in transport or handling, but the greatest threat is in fact the perfectly ordinary LDPE plastic in which the holders are stored, and which scratches them. Scratches appear almost immediately when two plastics rub together. Tests conducted by Numismaatika.com confirm that the quality of the NGC holder is mediocre: scratches appear as soon as a coin is slid into or out of a zip-top bag. The testing used various zip-top bags from Büroomaailm and Pakendikeskus, bubble wrap, and various Guardhouse flips from the Safe online store.
The winner of the test was the Guardhouse graded coin bags top-sealing bags offered by the Safe online store, which gave coins the best protection against scratches. Although a single coin in a sleeve picks up no scratches, it may still be an insufficient choice, especially if the coin comes into contact with other sharp objects, such as keys. The best way to store larger quantities of coins, up to 20 coins, is the NGC’s own plastic holder.
In the course of this test we confirmed that the safest way to store or transport a single coin is a Guardhouse resealable bag, as its higher-quality plastic offers the best protection. While avoiding scratches entirely is difficult, Guardhouse offers solutions that help collectors keep their numismatic treasures safer, without major damage. Despite the challenges, solutions exist to ensure that collections of valuable coins remain intact and beautiful into the future.