Thought of this, and was wondering, which one do you use for the term Extra Fine? EF or XF? I normally use XF, but sometimes use EF, depends sometimes for me I guess. Phoenix
According to the ANA Grading Standards, the term is Extremely Fine, not Extra Fine, and is abbreviated EF.
Ooops, my mistake. I've seen it both ways, and just assumed they were the same thing. So technically the correct term is EF? Phoenix
When I'm carding up my VG coins for Ebay I go with XF. Seriously, either works but I always find myself saying or writing XF.
Either one is good... AzJack is right - XF rolls of the tongue, but ANA Standards shoudl rule. Printed word - EF. Spoken word - XF.
Key phrase: "According to the ANA Grading Standards" There are a number of "standards" that have been used over the years. Not even the TPGs firmly follow the ANA "official standards". It's at a point with the ANA now that they do not even publish them as an official "standard", but as simply a "guideline", which is completely different. Yeoman is considered by many to be more than just a little well versed in the market and grading. There are many who even utilize the Red Book as a grading guide, much as those who utilize the ANA "Standard" as a guide. But "extra fine" is very much a true and valid term for E(x)F or XF. As far back as pre-dating the ANA "Standard" by two decades, Yeoman's Blue book defines the grading terminology as "Extra (or Extremely) Fine". Pre-dating the ANA "Standard" by over a decade, the Brown and Dunn grading guide attributed the grade of Extremely Fine with "XF". Within a decade after the introduction of the ANA "Standard", the use of the term Extremely Fine along with the notation "ExF" or "EF" became a standard in the varied grading guides. Personally, I believe the "standardization" of "EF" was possible because the ANA published its grading as an industry standard rather than simply guidelines. With the advent of a plethora of grading standards ala the TPGs, et al., "EF" may very well soon become just as much equivalent to what we determine today as a VF or AU. Without a common standard, or at least the publication and dissemination of standards used by the various TPGs and sellers, it doesn't matter if we use EF, XF, or even EF*, it'll mean something completely different depending on who you are dealing with. Anyway...now that I've had my joyride and returned the thread... ...I use both XF and EF freely.
Yeoman is inconsistent in his use of these terms. In my Fourth Edition (1955) Blue Book he uses the term "Extra (or Extremely) Fine", which seems to indicate a preference for "Extra Fine". In my 1959 Red Book he uses the term "Ex. Fine or Extremely Fine" with no mention of the word "Extra". (The First Edition Red Book does not mention grading standards and only includes prices for coins in Good, Fine, Unc. and Proof.) The 1977 Official ANA Grading Standards for US Coins uses the term "Extremely Fine" and the abbreviation EF. In his article What to Collect in the March 1948 issue of The Numismatist Stuart Mosher (Editor of The Numismatist at the time) uses the term EXTREMELY FINE (EX. F.). I'll see if I can find my old Photograde and Brown & Dunn and see what terms they use. EDIT My 1972 Photograde uses the term "EXTREMELY FINE (EF or sometimes XF)".
I use either one. Lately I've been writing EF on 2x2s and I voted that way. I think both XF and EF are fully ingrained in the hobby's vernacular and will be used interchangeably. Bruce
I found my Brown & Dunn (A Guide To The Grading Of United States Coins Fourth Edition - 1964). They use the term EXTREMELY FINE and the abbreviation 'XF'.
