The purpose of this thread is to serve as a resource for anyone concerned about the authenticity of a graded card. Each section will cover the variations of holders from each of the three major grading companies over the years. Here’s a quick outline:
- 1.0 – PSA
- 2.0 - BGS
- 3.0 - CGC
- 4.0 - Notable counterfeits and other scams involving graded cards
The focus will be on PTCG, however there is some relevant information from graded sports cards that will be included here. Additionally, the terms “slab”, “case”, and “holder” are used interchangeably when discussing graded cards. PSA and CGC tend to use the term “holder” while “PSA” refers to the front and back pieces of a holder as “slabs”.
Lastly, there are many previous threads on E4 that do a great job of identifying counterfeits, noting details to look out for, so the last section will be brief.
1.0 - PSA
Figure 1: Overview of PSA Holders
1.1 – Gen. I, Pre-pokemon (1991 - 1992):
The initial generation of PSA labels is quite distinctive, particularly the retro-style font with slashes on the zeros. This label was used in the first couple of years that PSA was around and before pokemon.
Figures 2 - 4
Some notable features include:
- A long barcode
- The PSA logo is present on the bottom right corner of the front slab. Note: this logo has the letter “S” lower than the “P” and “A”.
- A hologram sticker is present on the back of the label, with a PSA logo.
1.2 – Gen. II (1992 - 1999):
The second generation of labels contains several changes to the front, while the back remains the same. The connection between front and rear slabs is also revised.
Figures 5 - 7
- Font change
- Shorter barcode
- The PSA logo at the bottom right corner of the slab is now present on the rear slab. On some occasions for this generation, for sports cards at least, it is not present on the rear, only the front.
- Revised design for connecting front and rear slabs: at each “slot” a sonic weld combines the male and female components of the slabs together.
1.3 – Gen. III (early 2000’s):
The third generation has one change which is the hologram sticker on the back of the label.
Figures 8 - 10
- The PSA logo is replaced with “Collectors Universe” followed by “The Collectors Company TM”.
1.4 – Gen. IV (early 2000’s):
The fourth generation received some revisions to the front of the label, the back remains the same as the third.
*While searching through sold items on PWCC for hours on end, I was unable to find pokemon cards encased in generation IV or V holders (perhaps I missed them).
Figures 11 - 13
- Font change, more similar to gen. I rather than the thicker font from II & III.
- The grade is shifted to the left (1 or 2 characters)
- The barcode is left aligned now. This will remain the same in future generations.
- A backwards “1” is now present at the bottom left corner of both the front and rear slabs for sports cards (this actually started in gen. III but I wanted to use a Charizard rather than MJ). This feature will remain in future generations but will differ depending on the collectible graded (different sized holders).
1.5 – Gen. V (early 2000’s):
Starting with this generation, the font on the front will remain mostly the same. The back of the label is slightly revised.
Figures 14 - 16
- Font is revised once again and is now similar to the font currently used. Even the “PSA” on the top red line is revised with a unique font.
- The back of the label is now a lighter shade of blue.
- The hologram sticker is replaced by holographic letters.
1.6 – Gen. VI (??? - 2008):
This generation sees another revision to the back. For PTCG, this generation is rather rare to see (here’s a Nidoking and Hitmonchan). 2008 is also the year PSA introduced half grades, with the exception of 9.5.
Figures 17 - 19
- The back of the label is a darker blue again.
- "A Collectors Universe Company” is replaced by “A Division of Collectors Universe”.
1.7 – Gen. VII (2008 - 2015):
This generation receives a significant update, which is moving the grade number to the line below the grade designation. This update occurred shortly after introducing half grades.
Figures 20 - 22
- Grade number moved to third line.
- A backwards “21” is now present at the bottom left corner of both the front and rear slabs for PTCG. The “21” will remain present through future generations (holder for most TCGs).
1.7.1 – Gen. “7.5” (2013 - 2015):
Sometime during the seventh generation, PSA began to use a new holder more similar to the current generation. The front slab now envelops the rear slab, providing a clean edge. There are also small/faint notches spaced uniformly throughout the holder. Additionally, the holders are slightly thicker.
Figures 23 - 25
1.8 – Gen. VIII (2015):
At this point, PSA is increasing their efforts against counterfeits. This generation features a new embedded hologram on the front label. PSA announced this feature in April 2015.
Figures 26 - 28
- New PSA logo with “Embedded Hologram Enhancement”.
- Lettering on the back of label also features “Embedded Hologram Enhancement”.
1.9 – Gen. IX (2016 - 2017):
This generation sees the addition of a second barcode and certification number to the back of the label to further enhance label security. PSA released an article in December 2015.
Figures 29 - 31
- Certification number and barcode added to the back of the label.
1.10 – Gen. X (2017 - present):
This is the current generation and by far the most common for PTCG. In early 2023 (late 6xxxxxxx certs), PSA began to display high res. scans of all graded cards, which was previously offered for certain service levels in recent years prior. This update now allows the opportunity to cross check between PSA’s scan and a seller’s listing. PSA summarizes all the current features of their label on this page and in this article.
Figures 32 - 36
- Revised PSA logo hologram with propriety “Lighthouse” technology (creates an “on/off” effect under different lighting conditions).
- Fugitive ink background pattern (will dissolve when exposed to cleaning chemicals).
- Complete rehaul of the back, security features include logos that appear under UV light, PSA logo with Lighthouse technology, and fugitive ink background pattern.
- A QR code that takes you to PSA’s page for that specific cert. which displays relevant information of the card, population, and the previously mentioned high res. scans.
- The PSA logo on bottom right corner of both front and rear slabs was revised. The letter “S” is now aligned with the “P” and “A” (See Figure 39).
1.10.1 – This generation also saw some minor tweaks to the front and back of the label.
Figures 37 - 38
- The PSA logo can be seen across the top of the label, varying in size and orientation.
- Minor change to front hologram (NASDAQ: CLCT > PSA logo)
- Minor change to back hologram (NASDAQ: CLCT > PSA logo)
*Note change (1) occurred prior to (2) and (3), making for three label variants (initial label, label with PSA logos across the top, and label with revised holograms).
1.10.2 - This generation also appears to use 3 variants of holders (for TCGs) which can be identified by the backwards “21” at the lower left corners of the front and rear slabs. Outside of TCGs, a backwards “81” is typical for graded packs, “25” for phone cards, and “1T”, “1LR”, & “1LR+” for sports cards (not shown).
Figure 39
- Backwards “.21” (See Figures 32 – 34)
- Standard backwards “21” (See Figure 35)
- Larger backwards “21” (See Figure 36)
1.10.3 - Updated Holder
Starting May 2024, PSA upgraded their holder. The plastic material used for the slabs was revised with the following features:
- Medical-grade plastic composition—an industry first.
- 20% heavier with identical exterior dimensions.
- Ultra impermeable to heat, humidity, water, and UV light.
- Extra protective against micro-scratches and surface scuffs.
- No mylar, no movement, no unwanted Newton Ring illusions.
Additional Notes on PSA:
Sometime during generation 6, PSA experimented with a slightly different holder. The card was placed within a sleeve and the edges of the holder were much larger than the card size. It seems PSA abandoned this style of holders shortly after or that this was only prompted by a shortage of standard TCG holders at the time.
Are there known cutoffs of certs for each generation? This is difficult to estimate since PSA has offered a “Reholder” service since the early 2000’s. As the name implies, a card graded during an older generation would be removed and re-encapsulated in a newer generation holder. Regardless, here is my guess:
- Gen. 1, 4, and 5: unknown certs
- Gen. 2 and 3: 0xxxxxxx through 1xxxxxxx cert
- Gen. 6 through 9: 2xxxxxxx through 4xxxxxxx cert?
- Gen 10: 4xxxxxxx cert through present
2.0 - BGS
Figure 40: Overview of BGS Holders
2.1 – Gen. I (1999 - 2005ish)
The first generation of BGS contained basic info such as the grade, set name, and card name on the front. The back of the label contained the subgrades, cert, and barcode. This holder was used until the mid 2000s.
Figures 41 - 42
2.2 – Gen. II (2005ish - 2015?)
The second generation moved the subgrades and cert number to the front of the label. The bottom of the slab now contains a patent number.
Figures 43 - 44
BGS did temporarily use a label with the barcode on the front.
2.3 – Gen. III (Current)
One minor change from the previous generation is that the laurels on the logo are now connected by a thin line.
Figures 45 – 46
Additional Notes on BGS:
- BGS labels have some inconsistencies with font size and alignment.
- BGS labels unfortunately do not offer security features such as holograms.
3.0 - CGC
Figure 47: Overview of CGC Holders
3.1 – Gen. I (2020 – 2022):
The front of the label features a hologram strip across the top of the label with a pattern of their logo. The back of the label includes a QR code, cert, and barcode. Additionally, the rear slab features a hologram on the top left corner, a feature that remains in the current generation.
Figures 48 – 49
3.2 – Gen. II (2022 – 2023):
The grade designation is now centered within its box. A small CGC logo was added to the bottom right corner, front label. The holder itself was also updated: the insert for the label was lowered and the edges of the holder around the card were revised.
Figures 50 – 51
3.3. – Gen. III (2023 – present):
The label received a major rehaul in 2023, shifting away from the blue color and matching CSG labels. A hologram is present at the top left corner on the front label. Subgrades were removed and the barcode was moved to the front.
Figures 52 – 53
4. 0- Notable counterfeits and other scams involving graded cards
4.1 - Typical counterfeit:
The most common counterfeit is likely 1st edition-base set Charizard. Here is a recent example of a “PSA 9” counterfeit. In this case, we have our usual trifecta: fake card, fake label, and fake holder. Let’s focus on the holder/label.
Figure 54
- The label resembles that of gen. 6, however the slab has that revised PSA logo corresponding to the gen. 10 holder.
- Wrong font (demonstrated by the incorrect 5’s and 9’s).
- The “holder” is the “1T” type which is for sports cards not TCGs (note the gap between the top “flow line” and the top of the card).
4.2 - Less common counterfeit:
This E4 thread showcases fake raw / “graded” Japanese promos. It’s a great example of how to scrutinize photos from the “seller”. The labels on the graded cards may seem convincing at first.
Figure 55
The gif above compares the fake Espeon label (marked with an “X”) to PSA’s high res scan. The longer you stare at it, the worse it gets (if you’re bored, see if you can find at least 10 differences between the two).
4.3 - Card swap scam:
One example that shows how far scammers are willing to take is the Xiao scandal (previous E4 thread). The scheme goes as follows:
Figure 56
- Acquire raw card and identical PSA 10 copy
- Crack authentic PSA holder in order to use the authentic label with the raw card inside of a counterfeit holder.
- The previously graded copy is then presumably resent to grading and the process may be repeated.
By noting discrepancies with the counterfeit holders and the holo patterns that can be crossed checked with PSA’s high res. scans, the scam was ultimately brought to light.
4.4 - Fake BGS Holders:
In 2020, there was a number of fake BGS slabs that were noted with real basketball cards. BGS acknowledged the fake slabs and discussed ways to identify them in one of their Live Presents video. The most notable one was the patent number at the bottom:
Figure 57
The counterfeit lacked a dot and space between the “PAT” and the number. Additionally, the font was much more defined over a dark background compared to the genuine slab.
4.5 - Tampered CGC Holders:
The first generation of CGC holders came with a rare but noteworthy defect that allowed the front and back slabs to be separated without obvious signs of tampering such as frosting (E4 thread). The issue seemed to be resolved with the second generation holder.
Closing Remarks:
Hopefully the thread isn’t too long and doesn’t cause needless anxiety. Buy from reputable sellers, check the certs, etc. and you’ll be fine! If you’ve come across any inaccuracies or have additional information to share, do reach out. Thanks!
