NGC and PMG Just Bought the Codes Behind World Coins and Notes
The numismatic world runs on numbers. For U.S. coins, collectors speak in Red Book types, Overton varieties, Sheldon numbers, and VAMs. However, world coin and paper money collectors have long relied on two different languages: KM and Pick.
Now, those two systems have a new owner.
The Certified Collectibles Group, parent company of Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Paper Money Guaranty (PMG), has acquired the KM and Pick catalogs. These reference systems rank among the most important tools ever created for collectors, dealers, researchers, and auction houses that handle world coins and banknotes.
For NGC and PMG, the move adds another major piece to a global collecting infrastructure that already includes grading, population reports, registries, online price guides, and certification labels.
Why KM and Pick Numbers Matter
At first glance, a KM or Pick number looks simple. It may sit quietly in a catalog listing, on an auction lot page, or on a certified holder. Yet that short code often does the heavy lifting.
A KM number can identify a world coin by country, type, denomination, date range, composition, and design. Likewise, a Pick number can identify a world banknote by issuing authority, type, issue period, and major design features.
That matters because world numismatics can get complicated fast.
Countries changed names. Empires collapsed. Colonies became republics. Inflation forced new denominations. Central banks redesigned notes. Mints changed metals. In many cases, two pieces may look similar at a glance but carry very different values.
Therefore, catalog numbers give the market a common language. They help collectors identify what they ownandhelp dealers list material accurately. They help auction houses describe lots clearly. Most importantly, they help buyers know exactly what they are bidding on.
NGC and PMG Add the Catalogs to Their Global Platform
CCG President Max Spiegel described the KM and Pick catalogs as “two of the most famous and widely used reference systems in numismatics.” He said NGC and PMG plan to invest in the databases and make them more comprehensive, accurate, and accessible.
That point deserves attention.
This announcement does not simply mark a change in ownership. It places two landmark catalog systems directly inside the ecosystem used by millions of collectors to research, certify, compare, and track coins and notes.
NGC already makes KM catalog information available through its free World Coin Price Guide at NGCcoin.com. That guide covers world coins from 1600 to date and includes values, images, and coin data.
Meanwhile, PMG uses Pick numbers on world banknote certification labels. It also uses the Pick system in the PMG Population Report and PMG Registry. In addition, PMG offers the World Paper Money Price Guide at PMGnotes.com. That free resource organizes world banknotes by Pick number and includes values, images, and specifications.
As a result, the acquisition strengthens the connection between classic numismatic references and the modern certified-collectibles marketplace.
The Story Behind KM
The KM system takes its name from Chester Krause and Clifford Mishler. Together, they developed the Standard Catalog of World Coins, a reference that changed how collectors identified and valued world coins.
The first edition appeared in 1972. Over time, the work grew so large that it split into multiple century-based volumes. That growth reflected the scale of the challenge. A single reference had to bring order to coinage from hundreds of nations, colonies, territories, and issuing authorities.
Before KM numbers became standard, world coin attribution often required a hunt through scattered references. Collectors needed specialized books, dealer knowledge, and plenty of patience. KM numbers helped compress that process into a usable system.
Soon, the numbers moved beyond the printed page. Auction firms, dealers, collectors, and grading services adopted them because they solved a real market problem. They turned a vast field into something more searchable, more tradable, and more understandable.
The Story Behind Pick
Paper money collectors have a similar reference language: Pick numbers.
The system takes its name from German numismatist Albert Pick. His research helped lead to the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, whose first edition appeared in 1975.
The Pick system gave collectors a way to organize an enormous and often confusing field. World paper money includes national banknotes, colonial issues, emergency notes, private and provincial issues, military currency, and modern central bank notes. It also includes varieties tied to signatures, printers, dates, and design changes.
Without a shared catalog system, the market would struggle to describe many notes with precision. Pick numbers solve that problem. They give collectors and dealers a shorthand that can travel across languages, countries, and sales platforms.
A Digital Future for Two Classic References
For decades, collectors knew KM and Pick through large printed volumes. Many dealers kept them within arm’s reach. Collectors marked pages, compared listings, and used them at shows, shops, and desks.
However, the market has changed.
Collectors now expect fast searches, high-quality images, population data, registry integration, and online pricing. They also expect reference numbers to appear on certified holders and auction listings.
That shift makes the CCG acquisition significant. It brings two legacy catalog systems further into the digital age. It also gives NGC and PMG direct control over reference systems that already support much of the world coin and banknote trade.
Even so, the core purpose remains the same. KM and Pick numbers help collectors answer the first question in numismatics: What is it?
Once collectors know that, they can ask the next questions. How rare is it? What grade is it? What does the market pay for it? How many have been certified? How does this example compare?
For world coins and world paper money, those answers often begin with KM and Pick.
Why Collectors Should Care
This acquisition may sound technical. In reality, it affects the daily mechanics of the hobby.
A collector researching a 19th-century silver crown may start with a KM number. A dealer listing a scarce African note may need the correct Pick number. An auction bidder comparing certified examples may check population data tied to those same references.
Therefore, better-maintained catalog systems can help the entire market. They can reduce confusion, improve listings and they can support better images and specifications. Also, they can help new collectors enter complex collecting areas with more confidence.
NGC and PMG now own two of the hobby’s most important reference tools. That gives both firms a major responsibility.
It also gives collectors a reason to watch what comes next.
