Coin Grading

[tab1962]

Is it just me or are a lot of coins that would have be graded say MS-64 just 10 to 15 years ago are now being graded MS-65 or even MS-66? Where the standards harder back then or are they getting softer so dealers can make more money? Just food for thought... Tom

[Daniel]

It depends on what coin type and denomination you're referring to as well as the date and mint mark of the coin in question.

[Paul]

EXCELLENT TOPIC :thumbsup:

i'm hoping that post viewers use their keyboards here....?

jmo....YES! "BIGTIME"
i will need to put together some 'softball PC answer' for this one....
because today....you can not come right out & 'BOMB' the masses with the "truth" :s

[PetesPockets55]

This is a great post to add some information that was shared at a local coin club meeting last week. It was provided by an individual who has attended ANACS grading class(?) a number of times and who's son is a grader for NGC.
.1)He referenced a book called "Making the Grade" that gives the target areas for where nicks and marks will have the most negative impact on a grade.
.2)As far as Lincoln wheat cents go, as I recall, the standards have been loosened a little.
.3)There are four graders and one "finisher" for each coin.
.4)Each coin has about 4 seconds to be graded by each person.
......a)Color first (Red, Red/brown, Brown)
......b)Whether there is an issue with a coin (cleaned, whizzed, recolored, enviromental, etc.)
A coin with "toning" is on its way to being a red/brown (because the toning is an indication of oxidation it will usually grade lower). The coin I showed him had beautiful lemon yellow over red on Lincoln's face.
......c)If it is not "Details" then give it a grade: 1-70
.5)Graders need to consistently fall within the consensus of the other graders on a coin. Otherwise the graders shortcomings and erroneous grades within the group will be pointed out to the individual and produce a warning.
.6)IMPORTANT- when submitting coins for grading- DO NOT put your better coins first or last! The graders attention is diminished a little by having to bring the invoice/order information up and then having to close out the invoice/order. (I just realized it might be good to look at coins where the invoice number is 001. It might be slightly under graded.)

I hope I got all the information right.
This may be old news to most of you out there but there are enough people here submitting coins that might find this helpful.
We had a fun and interesting grading "exercise" at the meeting. He provided 23 graded coins with white tape over the grade. there were 23 of us and we had to grade the coins. 7 had issues ranging from "cleaned" to "recolored" etc. We had the four second (yea right) time limit. At one point I had five coins piled up waiting on me (Lighting issues is my story and I'm sticking to it). Aye yi yi. I got 5 or 6 right with another 5 or 6 within a point. I got three of the issue coins right. Dismal performance but I enjoyed the exercise.

[Daniel]

No P, I want the truth! I don't care who read this and comes at me, they've tried it before. I do not care what is posted here as long as it can be backed by facts and evidence.

[mhonzell]

I am usually not miffed when I submit raw coins and get grades above or below my expectations, but...

When I send graded coins in from one company to have a variety verified by another company and the second refuses to assign a grade to it because it is deemed a lower grade than currently slabbed for EVERY coin submitted. That's a failure to hold a standard. Especially after hearing PetesPockets55 comment that four people grade the same coin.

This has happened to me numerous times, no matter whether I send the coins from NGC or PCGS to ANACS, or PCGS or ANACS to NGC. I don't bother with PCGS as it was just too expensive to join their club.

The best part is that they still charge you the grading fee and assign you a certification number for the variety that I had already determined, but not the grade that was determined by their competitor.

I finally decided that I am identifying the varieties correctly and don't need to send them in anymore unless it is to be encapsulated only. As PALH1 states, I can put a sticker on it myself to declare the variety. It's the photos that pass that information on anyway, not the sticker.

[Paul]

No P, I want the truth! I don't care who read this and comes at me, they've tried it before. I do not care what is posted here as long as it can be backed by facts and evidence.

i'm still think'n d....
made a few notes....
so i have to find some time.
right now,..... i'm having a MONSTER ISSUE with a TPG CONSERVATION "completely trashed coin job"! :trophy: :s

[tab1962]

Posted a good image of the particular coin in question on a new string- please judge it and grade it. Take more than four seconds to grade it if you like lol!

Thanks

Tom

[Paul]

Posted a good image of the particular coin in question on a new string- please judge it and grade it. Take more than four seconds to grade it if you like lol!

Thanks

Tom

hey tom,
may i ask "how long" you have been buying coins?....
or "collecting", if you do that?....
do you have a 'raw' or 'slabbed' preference?....
do you always use a 'price guide figure' for the 'slabbed & graded coin value' when you buy them?
just curious that's all?

[tab1962]

Hi Palh1,

I have to have raw coins since the photo studio (Stock business) cannot shot them correctly for marketing. I've been purchasing coins for the studio for about four years now. Never know a thing about coins thus self educated myself via books and sites like this one. One thing I've learn is not to pay MS prices unless they have been graded by one of the professional services for the majority of collectors- exception for pro's like Daniel. I use the grey sheets for pricing since it is current and takes into consideration the colors (i.e., Red, Red/brown, brown).

Here are some of the studio images that we have shot-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-2892834 ... loFD3w-1-0

Notice the details- perfect isolation and lighting. Love to watch the pros during the photo session- they have unreal equipment and materials to pull of shots like these!

T

[Daniel]

Cool, here's some of my images on Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?g ... id=1092875