How come most of the MS66+ coins on the online photo grade are heavily toned? I feel like it's impossible to see the defects on the coin that would justify the grade. Does this mean PCGS will only give toned coins a high grade?
Frankly it is impossible to compare apples with apples there except levels of wear, strike, luster, eye appeal, etc., like snow flakes, no two are alike.
I have seen several XF45s Seated Dollars look better than some AU50s in my opinion. Only because I am still looking for a nice that I can afford.
Maybe technically a coin peaks out in certain series at 65/66 and then PCGS Eye Appeal policy kicks in and those with outstanding eye appeal/toning bump up a full point beyond the others?
Um, I think the OP's question was more about why they use toners for a "Grading Guide." It's a major distraction from learning about grading. At least to my mind, the reason toners are so prevalent in high grades with Classics is that original-surface coins tend to be toned after 150 years of care in a collection. How you keeping a silver coin blast white for that long? Not unpossible, but in that day and age of coal-burning industry and ridiculous atmospheric sulfur levels, coins that stay in the city are not staying white. For may issues I'm guessing they don't have appropriate untoned candidates. That said, those images are far too small to be of any use above MS65.
To answer the original question of this thread, the high grade toned coins are examples of market grading. This practice essentially sets the price of the coin rather than judge it based on its technical grade. I truly despise this practice, but so long as people will pay huge premiums on toning (aka surface corrosion) this will continue to happen. Don't get me wrong, I find some toned coins very beautiful, but should they really be worth a grade point or two more than a coin that has been properly preserved over the years? I'm not talking about this coins that have been dipped to death here, but maybe a blast white Morgan that spent its life stored in a bank bag until somewhat recently for example.
Exactly. It makes it look like they only give toned coins grades above 65, and it is completely useless for the purpose of the photograde. Maybe, like a previous poster said, the only examples they have in those grades are toned coins. But it doesn't help when you're trying to figure out if your white Franklin is worth sending in when 65 won't cover the grading fee but 66 will get you a night out on the town. It's almost encouraging the coin doctors to fry their coins. Not that I don't like toned coins, I think they're beautiful. But just like someone said "how many of those white coins haven't been dipped", how many of those toned coins haven't been "enhanced" in some way?
Let's see that Franklin, we have some expert graders right here that can give you some pretty sound advice on whether or not it's worth sending in.
This one's probably a bad example, it's a 1955 bugs bunny, but it would be helpful to get some opinions. Mind you, I take bad photos: More specifically, this Kennedy goes from like 30 bucks to 300 65 to 66:
