NGC to Take Over Coin of the Year Awards Starting in 2027

NGC will take over management of the annual Coin of the Year awards beginning in 2027, adding one of numismatics’ best-known international honors to the company’s growing role in the coin-collecting world. The move follows NGC’s acquisition earlier this year of the Krause and Pick catalogs of world coins and banknotes. As part of that acquisition, NGC will now oversee the Coin of the Year program, commonly known as COTY, which recognizes craftsmanship, innovation and artistic achievement in modern coin design.

The awards date back to 1984, when six categories were presented and the United States’ 1982 George Washington Silver Half Dollar Commemorative took the top honor. The program has since expanded, with the most recent awards covering 10 categories and being presented at the World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh. The latest overall winner was the 2025 Chinese Dragon Silver 10 Yuan, which was named Coin of the Year.

NGC says the program has become one of the highest-profile honors in modern numismatics, giving winning coins additional recognition among collectors while also highlighting the work of the mints that produced them.

“The Coin of the Year award is one of the highest honors in numismatics globally, and we are excited and grateful that NGC will be able to build upon its legacy,” says Max Spiegel, president of the Certified Collectibles Group, which includes NGC. “We are in a new renaissance of numismatics, with so much innovation and design excellence, and we want to ensure that the extraordinary coins being made today receive the attention they deserve.”

The company is already conducting a comprehensive review of how the awards operate. NGC says it is examining the program’s award categories, submission process, judging committee and other elements, with an eye toward making improvements before it begins managing the awards in 2027.

NGC says transparency and fairness will remain central to the program as those changes are developed. Collectors and members of the numismatic community are also being invited to submit suggestions or feedback directly to NGC at COTY@NGCcoin.com.

A new book tied to the awards is also arriving before NGC formally takes over. Whitman Publishing will release Coin of the Year: 2nd Edition on December 1, 2026. The book will look back at past winners while adding coins recognized since the original edition was published more than a decade ago. NGC says the updated edition will also explore technological advances taking place at modern mints.

The transition adds another major numismatic program to NGC’s portfolio. Founded in 1987, NGC says it has certified more than 75 million coins, tokens and medals, including a 1787 Brasher Doubloon that later sold for a record $9.36 million.

NGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, which also includes CGC, PMG and ASG. Across those four brands, the company says more than 110 million collectibles have been certified. More details on the updated Coin of the Year program are expected to be announced ahead of the 2027 awards, including any changes to categories, submissions and judging.