Grading
What Is a CAC Sticker (and CACG)? A Plain-English Guide
A CAC sticker can add real value to a PCGS or NGC coin. What green and gold CAC stickers mean, how CACG differs, and how to price CAC coins.
You’ve seen them: small green or gold oval stickers on PCGS and NGC slabs, and coins with them often selling for more. Here’s what they mean.
What CAC does
CAC was founded in 2007 by veteran dealer John Albanese. It doesn’t regrade a coin or change its holder. Instead, it reviews coins already graded by PCGS or NGC and asks one question: is this coin solid for the grade on the label?
If the answer is yes, CAC puts its sticker on the slab. If not, the coin goes back without one. Many coins submitted don’t get a sticker.
Green vs gold
Green sticker: the coin is solid for its grade. Think of it as a quality check that says the grade is fair or better.
Gold sticker: the coin is exceptional for its grade, and CAC believes it could merit a higher grade.
Gold stickers are much rarer than green ones and carry a larger premium.
Why collectors pay more for CAC coins
Within every grade there’s a range: some MS65 coins are barely 65, others are nearly 66. The sticker helps a buyer, especially an online buyer who can’t hold the coin, know they’re getting a nice example. That confidence shows up in price, and it can be meaningful on higher-value classic U.S. coins.
What is CACG?
CACG (CAC Grading) is a separate grading service launched by CAC in 2023. Unlike the sticker, CACG grades coins itself and puts them in its own holders. So:
CAC sticker = a PCGS or NGC coin that passed CAC’s review. The grading service is still PCGS or NGC.
CACG = a coin graded by CAC Grading, in a CACG holder.
When you catalog or list a coin, get this right. “PCGS MS65 CAC” and “CACG MS65” are different things and sell differently.
Pricing a CAC coin
Compare CAC to CAC. A stickered coin isn’t a fair comp for the same coin without a sticker, and green isn’t a comp for gold. If you can’t find a recent stickered sale, use non-CAC sales as a floor and label your value as an estimate.
Is it worth sending coins to CAC?
It depends on value. For lower-value coins, the fee can outweigh the premium. For higher-value classic U.S. coins you believe are solid for the grade, a sticker can pay for itself. Check CAC’s current fees and eligible series before you submit.
Track your CAC coins
Kilito spots CAC stickers in your photos, records green or gold, adds CAC to the title, and keeps CAC and CACG separate so your comps stay accurate. Join the free beta.
