Regarding PhotoGrades...

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Reality1000, May 23, 2020.

  1. Reality1000

    Reality1000 Member

    Pertaining to PCGS Photo grading, be honest as maybe I'm totally wrong. Is it just me or does the PEACE DOLLAR XF45 look better than the AU50? You think they placed them in the wrong order maybe? It's great that they provide the service though. It's invaluable and very much appreciated! In this comparison situation though, it's tantamount that the exact same lighting and exact same camera be utilized for all photography. To me it appears this is not always the case and sometimes there is no uniformity. That aside, this is regarding details. The Peace XF45 appears more AU50 than XF45. Please provide YOUR examples that you may have noticed as well and see if others agree. Maybe some more noticeable and maybe more correct than only my perceived lol? Thanks
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2020
    Dima and GoldFinger1969 like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    The thing is - in grades from about XF to Uncirculated, checking the remaining luster comes into play. Due to striking differences, a weakly struck coin may appear to be a lower grade, but then it is noticed that there is too much luster to assign the grade that lack of high point detail might indicate.
    Check photograde again and look for luster as well as detail.
     
    baseball21 and Reality1000 like this.
  4. Reality1000

    Reality1000 Member

    Thanks, This makes sense and I had thought of that but it still looked maybe reversed.
     
  5. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Photograde is a very useful tool - but it has its limitations.

    The peace dollar example you mention is one of them - there is such a wide range of strike variations across the series that it becomes difficult to grade them in circulated grades. For example, the coin that they chose for XF45 has an absolutely *abysmal* strike. Comparing that to the AU-50, the strike is better but as longshot mentioned you also have to look at the remaining luster. It is clear to me that the luster is more dim on the 45.
     
    TypeCoin971793 and Reality1000 like this.
  6. messydesk

    messydesk Well-Known Member

    Another thing to keep in mind is that an XF45 is a choice XF coin, while an AU50 can be a bit of a dog, yet AU. You have to grade these by surface quality and luster remaining, especially on coins like Peace dollars where the design detail is often a bit fuzzy.
     
    baseball21 and Reality1000 like this.
  7. Long Beard

    Long Beard Well-Known Member

    The same thing occurs looking at some AU58 and MS60. Unless the price is too good to let slip by I usually hold out for the higher of the two classifications.
     
    Reality1000 likes this.
  8. Reality1000

    Reality1000 Member

    You ALL will probably like the following thread and it was fun guessing what grade NGC assigned. Read the post and then, BEFORE you scroll all the way to the end, see what grade you would have assigned it:
    Guess the Grade
    Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Mike Thorne,Today at 3:20 PM
    Post number 4525801
    05/24/2020.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2020
  9. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    ? There's really no confusing 58s and 60s, 60s are overwhelmingly and inch away from being details coins (especially today) and 58s are an inch away from being 63ish or better (especially today)
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page