Does CAC Make a Difference?

You further illustrate my points with each post Kurt.

It's pretty simple when ya get right down to it. They've screwed up grading so badly that there no longer is any grading. There is only upgrade it and tomorrow we'll upgrade it again. And the sheep will follow us because it's us doing it.

That simple paragraph explains it all.

 

Kurt this discussion has gone on for years. The 1st and 2nd editions of the ANA grading book were the same, and based on technical grading only. And the only MS grades that even existed were MS60, MS65, and MS70.

Then in 1986 everything changed, pure technical grading was done away with and an entirely new grading system was developed. The old technical aspects were combined with several other aspects like quality of luster, quality of strike, and eye appeal to name a few. And, the number of grades changed to what we have today and greatly increased in number.

Now from 1986 on, which is also when the TPGs came into existence, and that was no coincidence, the ANA grading standards for each and every grade remained exactly the same in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the ANA grading books. With 2 minor exceptions, having to do with 1 coin each and in 1 grade only, Lincoln cents and Buffs, in F15 only. The standards for those changed in the 6th edition. Other than that there were absolutely no changes in the standards for any grade for any coin. So 4 editions of the book remained the same for 27 years.

That isn't what I would call changing over time ! Nor would I say it makes those previous editions not worth burning. That's what standards are - unchanging. That is what makes them standards.

Now I haven't compared the 7th edition of the ANA book, published in 2013, line by line for every grade for every coin with the previous editions. But I suspect it hasn't changed either, or at the least not very much, given the history of the previous 4 editions.

But if what they are teaching in classes is what you say, then I would tell people to forget about going to ANA classes for they would be a complete waste of time. Which your own experience seems to bear out.

 

To each is own Kurt, but what you describe is the very definition of standards. If you don't have things like that then there are no standards. And if there are no standards then grades are meaningless.

 

Kurt I've never read it as I don't own the 7th edition. So I don't doubt your word at all. But what I'd be more interested in is what the actual standards say for each grade, as compared to what is in the previous editions which were all the same.

And if those standards have changed, then shame on the ANA.