I tell my seminar students that smaller coins are usually harder to grade than larger coins because they are harder to see. Additionally, they are lighter so generally they will not be as severely banged up. While reading a sample copy of The Rosen Numismatic Advisory, I spotted one other thing I do that you should also remember to apply when grading smaller coins. During an interview of John Albanese by Maurice Rosen he said: "Gold Commems are small coins, so a mark, nick, or hairline might be quite tiny. But, I view that mark as if it were in proportion to a larger coin, say a $10 or $20 Liberty, and think how would I judge it? That same flaw might jump out at you on a larger coin." You should learn to think like a pro to grade like one.
Do you think, given the context of the foregoing, the end of the quote should read differently, " . . . jump out at you on a smaller coin"?
Mike, I think he got it right. On a smaller coin that mark, nick or hairline might seem tiny and innocuous. On a larger coin, that same mark, nick or hairline, proportionately sized, might jump out at you. If it were the same size mark, nick or hairline, going from the smaller coin to the larger coin it could possibly 'disappear'.
I get it now . . . slow on the uptake, am I. Multiplying the size of the mark by the ratio of large coin to small coin, and not holding the size of the mark constant must be what he meant.
What's interesting is....that John Albanese has a reputation as being very tough on gold, that being Saint-Gaudens DEs. Which are a big coin with large, visible, fields (maybe it applies to Liberty DEs too, not sure). So...should he be more forgiving when evaluationg Double Eagles given their larger size....and also considering gold is a "soft" metal...as opposed to smaller and harder nickels and dimes ?
You should learn to think like a pro to grade like one. I think a good lesson for many of the TPG's as well...
I think most are more forgiving of large gold coins. They are larger and easier to see any marks. They are heavy and do more damage when they hit another coin of soft gold.
