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In celebration of our 40th Anniversary and 25 years of the online PCGS Set Registry, we’re unveiling the most exciting and prestigious Set Registry Awards package yet.
It is always our goal to provide our collectors the best Set Registry experience possible. Over the years, we’ve recognized thousands of collectors and their sets, and we congratulate all who have achieved awards and other honors through this popular, long-running program.
When the PCGS Set Registry went online in 2001, it became the first such collecting platform in numismatics to hit the internet. In those days, the PCGS Set Registry had a little more than 300 sets and bestowed just 15 awards to members.
Fast-forward a quarter century, and collectors have more than 200,000 sets on the Registry — more than any other platform of its kind in the hobby.
Over the last few months, the PCGS Set Registry has seen many positive updates and upgrades, including better display of automatically and manually uploaded PCGS TrueView images in the My Inventory experience. In this jubilee year, we’re raising the bar higher than ever for recognition of outstanding achievement and dedication to the hobby. While details will be announced on June 1, here’s an early look at a special one-year-only awards package available to 2026 Set Registry Award winners.
Elevated Prizes for Set-Building Excellence
Every 2026 PCGS Set Registry Awards winner will receive:
- Personalized Award Plaque: Featuring the PCGS 40th Anniversary logo, the collector’s name, category, and the name of the winning set.
- Submission Vouchers: A choice of either two (2) free Express Submission vouchers or four (4) free Regular Submission vouchers.
- Exclusive 40th Anniversary Label: Coins from winning sets qualify for the exclusive PCGS 40th Anniversary Awards Label. Standard reholder fees apply. This limited-time opportunity is available for 90 days following the announcement of the 2026 winning sets.
- Digital Recognition: A 40th Anniversary badge displayed prominently next to the winner's name within the PCGS Set Registry. It’s yours to keep!
It’s all about giving our collectors the very best — something all PCGS Set Registry members deserve.
New Sets, New Categories, New Rules
In upgrading the PCGS Set Registry Award experience, we’re also updating our award categories and rules to make the PCGS Set Registry contest simpler, more accessible, and more exciting for everyone. During this anniversary year, we are presenting 40 Category Awards and 20 Competitive Sets focusing on specific set composites carefully curated by our team.
For our Category Awards, judges will review all sets within the category, regardless of Set Composite in order to find one set that defines collecting excellence and exemplifies our longtime credo, “The Best Coins Belong in PCGS Holders.”
The set categories are built around popular denominations or series, such as Best Large Cent Set, Best Commemorative Coin Set, or Best Morgan Dollar Set.
PCGS will judge the best set from the following core categories:
- PCGS Set of the Year
- Best U.S. Type Set
- Best Half Cent Set
- Best Large Cent Set
- Best Small Cent Set
- Best Two-Cent, Three-Cent Set
- Best Five-Cent Set
- Best Half Dime or Dime Set (to 1891)
- Best Dime Set (1892 to Present)
- Best Twenty-Cent Set
- Best Early Quarter Set (or) Best Bust Quarter Set
- Best Liberty Seated Quarter Set
- Best Barber Quarter Set
- Best Standing Liberty Quarter Set
- Best Early Half Dollar Set
- Best Liberty Seated Half Dollar Set
- Best Barber Half Dollar Set
- Best Walking Liberty Half Dollar Set
- Best Franklin Half Dollar Set
- Best Kennedy Half Dollar Set
- Best Early Dollar Set
- Best Liberty Seated Dollar Set
- Best Trade Dollar Set
- Best Morgan Dollar Set
- Best Peace Dollar Set
- Best Modern Dollar Set
- Best Gold Dollar Set
- Best Quarter Eagle Set
- Best Half Eagle Set
- Best $3 Gold Set
- Best Pre-1933 Gold Proof Set
- Best Eagle Set
- Best Double Eagle Set
- Best Commemorative Coin Set
- Best Bullion Set
- Best Colonial Coin Set
- Best Territorial Gold Set
- Best U.S. Pattern Set
- Best Vintage World Coin Set
- Best Modern World Coin Set (1965 to Date)
The 20 Competitive Sets honor specific composites, adding heat to already active series. To win in these categories you must secure the best coins before your rivals do. Here’s a rundown of the 20 Competitive Sets:
U.S. Coins
- BUFFALO NICKELS BASIC SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1913-1938)
- COMPLETE U.S. TYPE SET, LOW BALL (1792-1964)
- FRANKLIN HALF DOLLARS BASIC SET, PROOF (1950-1963)
- JEFFERSON NICKELS FS BASIC SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1938-PRESENT)
- MORGAN DOLLARS BASIC SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1878-1921)
- THE MORGAN 50
- SILVER COMMEMORATIVES 50 PIECE TYPE SET, LOW BALL (1892-1954)
- TRADE DOLLARS CHOP MARK SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1873-1878)
- WASHINGTON QUARTERS BASIC SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1932-1964)
World Coins
- AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH SILVER TYPE SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1910-1964)
- AUSTRALIAN TWO DOLLARS C MINTMARK SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (2012-PRESENT)
- BRITISH CROWN BASIC TYPE SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1662-1965)
- BULGARIAN THREE RULERS SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1881-1943)
- JAPANESE NON-GOLD DECIMAL COINAGE DENOMINATION TYPE SET (1870-1948)
- MEXICAN ONZA LIBERTAD SILVER, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1982-PRESENT)
- MEXICAN BRANCH MINT 8 REALES TYPE SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1823-1897)
- REPUBLIC OF CHINA SILVER DOLLARS (YUAN) DESIGN SET, CIRCULATION STRIKES (1912-1934)
Collector Showcases
- 2026 Box of 20
- 2026 U.S. TONED COIN COMPETITION
- 2026 WORLD TONED COIN COMPETITION
It’s All About Celebrating the Best
These upgrades are all about making sure the PCGS Set Registry experience is more exciting, fulfilling, and rewarding than ever before. We’ll unveil all the rules, requirements, and other details on this one-year-only 40th Anniversary PCGS Set Registry Awards platform on June 1, 2026. We will be announcing next year’s PCGS Set Registry Awards program at a later date. So keep your eyes peeled for this big announcement so you’re all ready to roll up your sleeves as we up the ante on the Set Registry Awards during our PCGS’s 40th anniversary year!