I'm looking for someone to point me in the right direction so I can learn this stuff... I'm new to this "certified" thing and have seen numerous book and online references to basic grade acronyms and definitions. I understand this part PR65... On the back of my slabs are stickers with more acronyms I need to decipher in more detail. For instance, my PCGS 1885 PR65 Liberty nickel is also: BRMAEM; PQ; FAZNN; OTC My PRGC 1880 PR65CAM Shield nickel is also: BRLEM Where can I find the meanings to these abbreviations? And for now what do these mean? These coins arrived this week are are my first foray into the Certified arena and I want to go slowly as I learn. On an associated topic, I strive to "buy the book before the coin". These books have arrived over recent weeks to help me understand all this better as I move forward. Whitman Guide Books to: US Commemorative; Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels; Franklin and Kennedy Half dollars; Washington and State Quarters; Lincoln Cents; Peace Dollars; Shield and Liberty Head Nickels; US Type Coins. 2013 Red Book; Cherrypickers Guide Vol 1 &2; ANA Grading Standards for US Coins; Collecting Rare Coins for fun and profit; Experts Guide to Collecting and investing in Rare Coins. I'll be adding to this over time but it's a start. I like books better than 'net resources and figure on spending lots of research and reading time in the comfy cozy overstuffed chair before making careful coin selections. Thanks for all your help.
Those seem like a dealers notes and not necessarily have anything to do with the grade of the coin. Many dealers use a letter system to remind them of what they originally paid for the coin. I use the word chamberpot as my key because it has ten letters. C=0, H=1, A=2 and so on.
No, that's nasty. I was just trying to give a possible explanation of the labels on your slabs. As far as the numeric scale, just go to the PCGS website for a good explanation.
CHAMBERPOT 0123456789 BRMAEM B = 4 R = 6 M = 3 A = 2 E = 5 M = 3 BRMAEM = 463253 or $4,632.53 I think. Too complex for my old brain though. PQ = Premium Quality but those stickers are usually on the front. Most dealers I've bought from try to buy below greysheet and sell at greysheet so all they do is look it up on greysheet.
