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More collectors get beat by ebay sellers because they don’t know how to grade coins; ebay is littered with poor pictures and low tier grading services that just want your hard earned cash. Just because a coin is in a holder, doesn’t mean it will make the grade on the label.

Also, poor pictures are no excuse with modern day technology, and bidders should realize this fact. Even the cheapest cameras can take better pictures then some of the coin pictures at ebay, and if the coin dealers on ebay can’t learn to take pics, or is not willing to, then it’s obvious that the seller is possibly hiding something. And obviously doesn’t care to reveal the true nature of the coin, and that translate into not having the best interests of the buyer in mind.

How do collectors thinks that a lower tier, and least respected service will guarantee the grade? It’s simple, they don’t. A collector should not bid on these auctions, because the deal is bad from the start. I get too many emails from disgruntled ebay buyers, that bought the coins in low tier holders, and realized the coin wasn’t even close to the grade

Some have even cracked them out and sent them to PCGS and NGC, and these top two services either body-bagged the coins, because they where cleaned, or graded them several points lower.

Take it from me, I get emails everyday, and these emails are of stories from ebay buyers who bid on supposedly high grade coins in holders, but the coins obviously didn’t make the grade. I have also, myself, been scammed by ebay over graders, and thats the reason I made this grading website, so collectors could learn about grading, and what certain grades look like in online pictures.

Please use my guides to better prepare yourself for buying coins. It will save you money guaranteed.

Buffalo Nickel

Mercury Dime

Walking Liberty Halves

Morgan Dollars

Lincoln Cent

Barber Coinage

Seated Coinage

Draped Bust Coinage

Draped Bust Large Cent

Indian Cent Grades

Braided Head Large Cent

Flowing Hair Large Cent

Liberty Cap Large Cent

Flowing Hair Coinage

Capped Bust/Reeded Edge

Standing Liberty Quarters

Indian Head Gold

Liberty Head Gold

Saint Gaudens

Walking Liberty Half Dollars, commonly referred to as “Walkers” are a very popular coin series for coin collectors. The U.S. Mint begin the series in 1916 and ended in 1947, and the key dates of the series include 1921 and 1921-D. Also, the only coin of it’s time to have dates (1916 and 1917) featured with mint mark on the obverse and the reverse, as two separate types.

However, Walking Halves demand a high premium in the higher grades, making it very important for collectors to learn how to grade this series properly. That’s why CoinHELP! offers a picture grade comparison chart for Half Dollar collectors. Many of our members use our photo picture guides, to compare to ebay coin auction pictures, to gain a more reliable method to help determine the grade of the coin they are bidding on.

We encourage all collectors to visit our grade comparison charts here Walking Liberty Grading Charts

Some collectors will never learn. I try my best to inform all collectors that just because a coin is in a holder and graded, doesn’t mean the coin will be the graded listed on the holder. Don’t be a fool for this trick. Pictures can be manipulated with lighting, angles and photo editor software, and you can’t know the exact grade of a coin via pictures.

Precision Coin Grading

This coin picture is obviously angled so the coin cheek appears smooth, but I would bet my paycheck this coin does not grade MS68. However, a collector bought this coin for $468.84, thinking they where getting a great deal on a rare grade coin. They are in for an unpleasant surprise when this coin arrives. If you need help grading coins look no further than our grade comparison charts.

MGC

I don’t know what MGC stands for, but I do know how difficult and rare it is to find a PR70 Deep Cameo Lincoln Cent, and this coin does not meet this criteria.

I encourage coin collectors to do some research on these grading services, visit our coin grading service page

A buyer can’t afford to take a chance at maybe getting a rare grade coin for a lower premuim. Coin collecting is not a lottery, and it’s not only prudent, but wise to carefully and patiently purchase coins for your collection.

United States Pattern coins are varied and diverse, with mismatched designs and denominations, but display more of the artistic side of the U.S. engravers and mint officials. One cent patterns abound in different designs, like the Annular cent (left), but never made it to circulation status nor lofty mintages.

The Annular Cent is but one example, of the many different proposed designs for a new one cent coin. Furthermore, this created a rare and valuable market, and an alternative market for coin collectors that are not much inspired by the standard designs adopted for American Coinage.

The list of One Cent Patterns doesn’t stop at the Annular Cents, but also includes more familiar alterations of the Indian Cent, Flying Eagle Cent, and Braided Hair types, but also includes other unconventional, and not widely known types like the Shield One Cent, One Cent with the Three Cent Nickel Obverse, and the 1942 Centavo plastic planchet cent, to just name a few.

If you want to know more of these rare patterns, and see pictures, mintages and more information, visit our One Cent Patterns Guides. You will be surprised!

It’s amazing the stories I read, and the emails I receive, from people who find mint errors and varieties in their pocket change or just by obtaining and searching rolls from the bank. Most of these errors don’t have a lot of value, but some do.

However, three members of my forum just discoverd three knew varieties this week, a 2009 Quarter error, and two 2009 Lincoln Cent double dies, read about them here 2009 Lincoln Cent DDO and 2009 State Quarter.

It’s a great past time, and you can even include family members, searching through bank rolls that cost face value. If you don’t find anything, you don’t lose anything. If you think you found something, you can post a pic on our forum and we will help you with identification.

Warning: I don’t recommend buying rolls, bags or collections at ebay or any other auction site. Just drop by your local bank and asked for rolls of coins in any denomination you want, or buy rolls from the U.S. Mint.

Here’s a list of Lincoln Cent Varieties to help you learn what to look for, and the most exciting part is that you can start this for just a few dollars, but it doesn’t cost you anything!

Cherry Picker's List:

Varieties-Errors-Key and Semi-Key Dates:
1909-S VDB                       
1909-S                                
1909-S Over horizontal S  
1911-S
1911-D Over D (RPM)                               
1914-D                              
1914-S                                
1917-P Doubled Die Obverse       
1922 No D                                                  
1931-S
1936 Double Die Obverse                                
1944 D/S Variety 1             
1944 D/S Variety 2             
1946 S/D                             
1955 Double die                
1970-S Doubled die
1936 Double die obverse, the date, LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST has some doubling.
1941 Double die reverse: Doubling of the date and LIBERTY.
1943-D  The D is stamped over another D (RPM).
1943-P  Should be a steel cent but there are reports of some struck using copper.
1944-D  D over S the mint mark D is stamped over the S.
1946-S  S Mint mark stamped over a D mint mark.
1955-D Stamped over a horizontal D.
1955-P  No VDB.
1955-P  Lincoln Wheat Cent Double Die cent.
1956-D D Stamped over a D mint mark.
1958-P  Double die obverse.
1959-D First year for Memorial reverse, check for wheat reverse.
1960-D D over D RPM
1960-P  Look for Small Date variety, the 6 has a shorter stem than normal.
1963-D Check to see if the 3 in the date is struck over another 3.
1968-D D mint mark stamped over another D.
1968-D Double die reverse, strong doubling in the word AMERICA.
1969-S  Lincoln Memorial double die, all design features strongly doubled.
1970-S  Small date Lincoln Cent with a doubled die reverse, strong doubling of TRUST & LIBERTY.
1970-S  Small Date high 7.
1970-S  Level 7. The 7 is level with rest of date.
1971-P  Double die obverse, strong doubling on LIBERTY & IN GOD WE TRUST.
1972-P  Lincoln Memorial Cent with a doubled date.
1973-P  No V.D.B.
1980-D A shadow of an S mint mark struck above the D.
1982-P  Doubling of IN GOD WE TRUST.
1983-P  Doubled die reverse doubled, IN GOD WE TRUST doubled.
1984-P  Doubled ear, look at the ear lobe.
1984-D  Doubled Date.
1989-P  No VDB.
1994-P  Doubling of the last three columns on reverse.
1995-P  Double die, LIBERTY doubled.
1995-D Double die obverse, strong doubling of the date and LIBERTY.
1997-P  Double Die, look at the ear lobe like the 1984.
1998-P Wide AM reverse Lincoln Memorial Cent.
1999-P Wide AM reverse Lincoln Memorial Cent.
1999-P There may be double dies varieties.
2000-P Wide AM in America.
2003-P May be doubling of the steps, experts say “yes”, mint says “no”.
2006-P Double Die Obverse
2009   Look for doubling of the thumb

 One of our members (Chuck) posted a question, and a picture, on our forum (view thread) about a possible 2009 Rail Splitter Lincoln Cent “defect”. I informed Chuck that it appears to be a doubling error, and other members expressed interest in this find. He sent the coin to Ken Potter , famous variety and mint error authenticator, and he verified this cent as a new variety. It appears to be an “extra digit” mint error, not see before.

I congratulate Chuck on his great find and gaining a little piece of his own numismatic history! He is a fine gentleman and fully deserves the kudos. If you think you have discovered a new variety or mint error, post it here on our forum. CoinHELP! forum

Compare and learn Draped Bust and Flowing Hair U.S. Coinage grades with our full color pictures for each grade. We add new grading charts each week and will eventually have all coin type respresented. To check them out CLICK HERE