mikenoodle

I know we have been over this bridge a million times, but recent comments by someone here have made me think about this whole market grading vs. technical grading thing and although I have tried to explain my point of view in the past, I don't think that I have done so well enough to make the point clearly as it is in my mind.


My point of view is that there are 2 schools of thought developing in numismatics lately. I am going to focus on the technical graders, because that is the side I think I fall to.

To a collector, there is less of a difference in opinions when a coin is technically graded (either detail is there or not) than any other way. There are STILL going to be differing opinions!!! It is a matter of opinion whether or not a coin is attractive (part of the technical grade) for example, but for the most part whether detail is on the coin or not is more of (but not completely!) a black-and-white issue, and one that I personally feel some comfort with. It was how I was originally taught to grade coins.

When a technical grader looks at a coin that for market reasons receives a higher grade than it's technical grade or receives lenience in grading due to market factors it doesn't make sense to us. I can understand it's value being high, but it's grade is more of a black-and-white thing to me. I personally don't think that the value of a coin should indeed influence it's grade. I think that is the cart leading the horse.

In the case of coins like the 1926-S Buffalo nickel, a coin with a full-horn is almost non-existant, and therefore if the coin is not uncirculated, it becomes a debate as to grade above VF because of the horn. I am NOT getting into the horn or no horn debate, except to say that technically graded, many would not receive the grade that they have because of the horn. If you were to say, for example, "Well, if you grade by the detail in (insert your favorite other buffalo detail here) you can see that the coin is only worn to (insert wear point here), but that is not how it is explained to us, we have been told that because there are none with full horn, that ones with 3/4 horn are now acceptable for XF grades. I think it is THIS issue that divides us.

So before all of the market graders tell me I just don't understand the world of numismatics, let me say that I work in the coin business in a VERY successful shop and I assess the value of coins every day. I understand market grading and that it IS a definate part of the way the coins are graded today. I can use the system, even if I disagree with it. I just tend to fall to the side of technical grading in this debate and think that what I espouse makes sense.

I think as we go into the future and as things always do, standards will change and grading will evolve again and many may look at the market graders much the same way that they look at technical graders now.

just my 2¢, I don't want to start a fight, (SERIOUSLY!) I just want to make a point for a group of individuals here that may have not clearly enough made their point...

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