When you are looking at PCGS photos (for example) to estimate the grade of a coin, do you need go with the lowest grade that matches best with either the obverse or the reverse? Or is it a middle ground average between the two sides? The goal of course being to get as close to what the professional grade would give it as possible.
LOL, yes, sorry if I wasn't clear. Yes, I am assuming you look at both sides. Just wondering what to go by when they don't match up to the same grades.
Lowest side wins... you could list the obverse and reverse grades, in general go with the grade of the low side.
It is a useless effort and will usually yield disappointment. With MS pieces, there is no use even trying.
On Morgans, I've been told the obverse carries more weight. But the reverse can drag it down if it is considerably lower.
My understanding is that the obverse has more weight in a coin's final grade than the reverse does. If that's the case, then start with a grade for the obverse and adjust that grade downward if the reverse is poorer. Otherwise stick with the obverse grade, i.e., the reverse grade won't often raise the grade you gave the obverse.
So yesterday I had a bit of a duh moment in that at least for PCGS, I could just ask them. I sent in the question to them and this is the response I got back: "A coin with two conflicting grades (one each side) would get the lower of the two grades. The whole coin has to qualify to get the higher grade." This may vary for different grading companies but I figured I would pass on the information for at least PCGS so everyone can take it as they will.
Understood, hence the take it as you will. I guess at least that is one of the more conservative of the options so if you follow it, and they do one of the other options, then you won't be disappointed (from an obverse vs reverse grade perspective).
