I've been reading some different things, and have come across two differing opinions on grading. One says you grade a coin by it's worst side, but the other says you grade a coin by both it's sides. Like say a coin has a MS-65 obverse, but a 63 reverse, it'll probably grade a 64, or even a MS-65, as the "obverse is what carries the coin". Which one is correct? Or, like grading in general, is it subjective? Phoenix
From my experience, there isn't one correct answer. It depends on several factors, including how wide the spread is between obverse and reverse grade, whether the obverse or reverse is higher, series, etc. The obverse is more important than the reverse for grading purposes on some series, not so much on others.
I'd say over 70% of the grade goes to the obverse , so unless the reverse is way different than the obverse , I'd say grade the obverse & you pretty much have the coins grade . JMO The times the reverse is important is in seriies like Merc. dimes with FSB , & Franklins with FBL . rzage My mistake the obverse does count a little more but not 70% like I said , 50% front 45% reverse , 5% rim is closer to reality . Sorry for false info .
i completely agree w/ Doug's opinion. it should always be viewed as a whole...regardless of what i have read regarding the weighting of a grade (even in grading courses), the reverse should be just as important as the obverse. after all...isn't it the coin design as well? a coin is always worth x amt to x collector. try to err and work on the conservative side. only my humble opinion. best wishes.....steve
The obverse carries more weight for the grade. A MS-65 obverse and a MS-63 reverse still is a MS-63 coin. If the coin is a key or in a hot series like early Lincoln cents, you might get MS-64 money out of it.
Some local guys I've talked to typically do the average grade between the two sides ONLY if the difference in grade is due to bag marks. If there is environmental damage, then the worst side becomes the primary (net grade) and the the average becomes the "details grade". I.E. VF-30 / EF Details
from what I have been told, you grade the high points first. and then the rest of the coin if you need to go further. stainless
That's a misleading statement stainless. The reason a person would look at the high points first is because the is the most likely place to find wear from circulation. But it is not always true. What you should do first when grading a coin is hold it under a light and slowly tilt and turn the coin looking for breaks in the luster, imperfections, contact marks and wear if any. But you should look at the coin as a whole and try to get an overall feel for the coin. Then focus on specific spots and areas on the coin that you saw while turning it in the light that you feel require additional attention.
GDJMSP - That is an excellent way to identify wear! Unfortunately it only works for coins that retain a good portion of their luster. For those chocolate browns, it's not always so easy to tell the difference between wear and incomplete striking. Especially when someone went through the trouble of darkening the slightly lighter colored areas which are worn. Still, as a general rule, your method is one that every collector should learn about. Thanks for sharing! :eating:
Before one can run, one needs to learn how to walk But I do agree with your comment, it's not always easy. But with experience the same method still works. You just have to learn to differentiate wear from a light strike, with and without luster. It seems to me that in today's world all too many people tend to overgrade a coin because they tend to attribute wear as a weak strike. This is a mistake that once it becomes a habit is very, very hard to break. And unfortunately it is one of those apsects of grading that is extremely hard to learn by using pictures and books. You have to examine the coins in hand and have someone who knows show you the difference. Believe me, I have tried explaining it countless times by using pics and the message just doesn't get across.
I know exactly what you mean. I see so many people selling over-graded coins, and that gets them in trouble as far as bad feedback and having to deal with returns. I also notice that people tend to apply grading guidelines for coins that they should not be applied to. For example German Federal and Weimar period coins cannot be accurately graded by the same guidelines, but people still seem to do it. Those high value 1950's 1 mark coins that typically have noticeable wear only under a loupe - I constantly see people describe them in high grade even when the acorn detail is obliterated. When I sell coins on eBay, I do my best to stay away from assigning a strict grade. I just give close up, sharp pictures and a designation of low, mid, high or superb for the condition. (Superb being AU or better with luster). Too bad you can't educate the unwilling! :computer:
Back when there was sanity in the hobby, I sent a 1909 S VDB Lincoln to the ANA for authentication. That was when they were issuing the photo certs. They also graded the coin AU50/55. 50 for the obverse and 55 for the reverse.
SSHHHHHHHH. Don't give him any ideas. I write down what he says and will publish it as a book of my own.
