eBay is expanding Authenticity Guarantee to collectible coins in the US, with Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) handling authentication for eligible purchases beginning August 18.
Graded US and World coins and raw US coins purchased for $500 or more will be sent to PCGS before delivery to the buyer, at no additional cost to buyers or sellers. PCGS will inspect eligible items and compare them against the listing, but the service does not include grading or regrading.
Authenticity Guarantee now covers eligible U.S. and World Coins priced at $500+, bringing expert authentication to a new collectibles category.
eBay Inc.
eBay introduced new condition requirements for raw coins and began requiring grading company and grade information for professionally graded coins in May. Certification numbers remain optional.
At the time, the company said the standardization would improve listing quality and comparability and increase buyer confidence, but more consistent condition and grading data should also make authentication easier.
eBay says activity in the category is growing, with searches for collectible coins increasing more than 30% in June compared to a year earlier and listings of historic coins up more than 40%.
PCGS President Stephanie Sabin pointed to similar growth on the grading side, saying, “The coin industry is experiencing incredible growth, with PCGS seeing a double-digit increase in collector submissions in 2026.”
Neither side cited actual sales figures in today’s announcement.
CFO Peggy Alford said Coins and Bullion represented a significant percentage of eBay’s GMV growth in both Q3 and Q4 2025, but acknowledged much of that increase was being driven by bullion price volatility that may not be sustainable over the longer term.
eBay’s Q3 2025 earnings showed GMV growth but concerns about long-term trends & weaker than expected Q4 shopping outlook drag share price down.
Value Added ResourceLiz Morton
Earlier this year, eBay also shortened the Money Back Guarantee window for some Coins and Bullion purchases from 30 days to just three days, a change that appeared aimed at reducing exposure to rapidly changing commodity prices and potential return abuse.
Notably, bullion is not included in the new Authenticity Guarantee program.
eBay quietly updating Money Back Guarantee policy for Coins & Bullion, significantly shortening return timeframe to only 3 days.
Value Added ResourceLiz Morton
PCGS is owned by Collectors, which already has extensive ties to eBay’s collectibles business.
In 2024, eBay acquired Goldin Auctions from Collectors while Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) acquired the eBay Vault. The companies also entered into a broader commercial agreement that tied together grading, storage and selling, allowing cards held in the PSA Vault to be listed directly on eBay.
PSA became eBay’s sole authentication provider for both raw and graded trading cards a few months later, replacing CGC for raw card authentication. eBay launched trading card authentication in the UK this year and is lowering the US threshold from $250 to $200, sending more qualifying transactions through PSA.
eBay lowers its trading card authentication threshold to $200 and prepares redesigned packaging aimed at reducing card damage.
Value Added ResourceLiz Morton
eBay recently hired longtime Walmart and Amazon supply chain executive Andres Gonzalez as VP and General Manager of Global Shipping and Authentication, two areas he has called “must-win priorities” for the company.
eBayAuthenticity GuaranteeCollectors Holdings
Liz MortonTwitterFacebookLinkedIn
Liz Morton is founder and editor of Value Added Relaunching VAR. Her reporting focuses on seller experience, marketplace strategy and corporate accountability
