Hey all, The PMG grading scale states the following: [TABLE="class: tableStyle gradingTable"] 70 Seventy Gem Unc The highest grade assigned. Notes have 50/50 margins and registration, and no handling. [TR="class: even, bgcolor: #F0ECC9"] 69 Superb Gem Unc This note may be nearly visually indistinguishable from a 70; however, margins or registration just minutely off. No handling. [/TR] 68 Superb Gem Unc Margins or registration are off slightly to the naked eye. No significant handling. [/TABLE] What is registration?
Registration is the accuracy alignment of each of the printed colors (drums, plates). "perfectly lined up" is good registration. Often there are "registration marks" printed in the margins of printed materials, to help easily see whether the registration is good. Dave
That is not what PMG is referring to when analyzing US notes. In this case it is face/back registration or how well the face printing lines up with the back. As an example, if you held a $1.00 note up to the light so you are looking at the back of the note, how well does the face printing frame the back since the frame on the back of the note is smaller than the frame on the face.
Interesting. Do PMG not grade the alignment of the printing passes on the face of the note? Or are they called something other than "registration" in this case?
Registration is the proper printing term for the alignment of the colors on a multi-color press but US notes are not printed in a way that makes color registration meaningful. Color registration is more important on notes with underprints and multicolor images. Aside from the face/back registration, the only other registration that would be important on a US note is the centering of the Treasury seal.
So hypothetically if you have a Superb Gem Uncirculated note that has perfect alignment face/back registration that would grade a 70 but the Treasury Seal is slightly off center that would knock it down to say a 68 or 69? How about the position of the serial numbers? If a serial number is slightly off alignment whether to high or to lower on its intended position would it determine a lower grade if it was beyond say a 65 or higher?
