100-Point Coin Grading Scale Created by Ron Guth

Article first appeared on CoinNews.net:

100-Point Coin Grading Scale Created by Ron Guth

Guth asserts, "My goal was to create a new system that could be implemented simply and easily in conjunction with the old,"

Link to the actual grading scale

 

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I dont like it. If people slab roulette praying for 1 point higher to make 1000 more dollars. The point margins decrease even more.

 

The problem is in converting all the currently graded coins. It won't happen.
No one is going to reslab all the coins. And even if there's some "chart" to show you the comparison grade, 99% of all the old timers are still going to use and talk the old point system anyway.
If any thing additional is needed in the current system it would be
quarter points. As I think decimals is too much.
So you would have 63.00 63.25 63.50 63.75.
It might do away with the + symbol, or the green and gold stickers, so people won't like that either. PEOPLE ARE SO FUSSY.

 

What happens in the new scale between 58 and 80? Will we have AU-50 through AU-79?

Or is he trying to say that not only is an MS-60 coin better than an AU-58, it's so much better that there needs to be a huge numeric gap between them?

 

We've talked about this many times and I stand on that it's a dreadful idea. If it gains any momentum it will affect every other type of collectible that uses a numerical system as everybody will want to get on the new band wagon. Kill it before it infects everything.

 

We have 11 MS grades already, using numbers from 60 to 70. If it’s really necessary to split hairs, a plus can be added. Sheldon originally only had THREE MS grades: 60, 65, and 70. I’m glad it’s more broad now, but not too broad.

This will just encourage more hair splitting in MS grades (which we don’t need, because at some point a tiny insignificant imperfection on the coin will determine grade differences).

Having two separate grading systems would be a confusing nightmare for collectors. We’ve used Sheldon since the 1950s, had grading services since the 1970s, and it works fine and has always worked fine. There is no need to change it.

Please, let’s NOT complicate things.

 

That is what I came to my mind as well. It would make buying and selling more complicated and comparing the two systems would be a nightmare.

 

They once made a faster keyboard that was more ergonomical. It didn’t catch on for the same reason we don’t use metric and why this 100 point system won’t catch on: people don’t like change; especially when it means you have to relearn something.

http://www.typematrix.com/support/dvorak.php

 

Actually, we have closer to 20: 60, 60+, 61, 61+ etc.
Some of those are hypothetical as I've never seen a 60+; I'd probably buy it if I did.

 

As for the OP, I've thought long and hard about this and I've come to the conclusion:



Seriously, if they adopt a 100pt. system I'd stop collecting graded coins and I'd crack out the ones that I have currently. The grading services wouldn't get another $0.01 from me, and certainly none of my dollars.

 

Haha that’s a funny picture. I 100% agree.

 

Next up: Logarithmic grading where each grade is 10x the previous grade.
You'll need a slide rule and an Asian buddy to figure out your coin's grade.

 

Anyone think that Ron Guth is doing this for numismatic fame?

 

I think grading is still a tad complex how it is. Such as, when just starting out, I assumed that our 70 point scale, has 70 points. I thought there was VF 32 and VF 33.

 

I've picked up more than one woman at a bar by pretending to be David Hall.

 

Your kidding!

 

There aren't too many numismatists today more famous than Ron Guth. He's pretty near the top. No, I don't think he's doing it for fame.

 

So, I really like the idea of a 100 point scale. It makes far more sense than some 70 point scale that was based the value of some cents 75 years ago, and was outdated before it was even published. Just like the metric scale, reason and sense aren't really what is going to win the day. We can all probably agree that the whole Sheldon scale is just weird.

But, this alternative scale proposed by Guth is just plain dumb. It's not a 100 point scale - if you look closely, it's an 80 point scale.

He's proposing we just skip everything between 60 and 80 - just have a big ole blank hole in the middle. There is literally no difference between his scale and the current one - we already use 20 points for UNC coins, we just call them + instead.

If you want to make a 100 point scale, and it works as a complete replacement, then fine. But you can't cling to the old Sheldon scale and make some bastardized Frankenstein's monster.

 

Well said.