I'm trying to learn to grade Mercs. I've been looking at pics and looking them up in the ANA grading book and Photograde. I think experience is the best way to learn though. So give me some advice, post some pics (Possibly with grades) or even post some pictures of your graded ones. While I'm waiting for some replies I'll be looking at pictures on the Heritage site. Thanks.
The ANA grading guide 6th edition is the best there is for grading , the pictures are pretty useless but help to get you in the right area , start at the lowest grade you think it is and read the description , if it has all those defining marks move up to the next , keep going till you find the description that suit your coin , always work from lower grade to higher grade , the descriptions are what matters not the pictures . Sorry I don't have a camera yet capable of taking decent pics or I would post some for you good luck . rzage
Thanks. I really do wish those books had better pictures though. And by the way, I know there was a really great thread on this subject a few days ago. I guess I'm just trying to keep that conversation going, because thats what I'm trying to learn. I'm finding the small size of the dime to be a little more difficult than the halves and silver dollars that I've been grading.
I will give you the same answer I put on the other thread. Look at Heritage (ha.com). They have descent pics for every series and probably every coin where you need specific info (i.e. strike quality, detail , etc.) for a date.
Mercury Dime Book I had the same issue when I began collecting Barbar Dimes. To me, the grading guide pictures were not always "crystal" clear, especially for the higher grade circulared coins. What really helped me was purchasing the "Guide to Barber Dimes" book by Lawrence. It described each grade in a little more detail plus it gave information regarding each date and mintmark. This was helpful in finding out what dates & mintmarks were common, had weak strikes, had strong strikes, etc. I know there is a similar book out there for Mercury Dimes but I cannot remember who is the author (Fivatz?). When beginning to collect, I heard the phrase "buy the book before the coin" and that is so true. Also the book will not set you back any great sum of money (around $20) and it will end up being some of the best money you have ever spent.
One thing you need to keep in mind when grading dimes, small tiny marks count a lot more, against the grade, on a dime than they do on a larger coin. For example, if a Morgan dollar was really clean with only 3 or 4 tiny marks it might grade as high as 67. But those same marks on a dime might drop the grade to 64.
Yes. That is one of the things I'm trying to get used to. A big bagmark on the cheek of a Morgan is not a serious as the same type of mark on a dime.
Dimes can come nice & they often do come nice. They are small coins so when they contact each other, they leave small marks. By contrast, dollars are large coins & when they contact each other, they can leave large marks. Like GDJMSP said, 3 or 4 tiny marks on a dime can knock it down to a 64. I was told once that if I was not familiar with grading a certain coin, that I should "Morph it" into a different coin of which I was comfortable & knowledgeable. For instance, if you are comfortable grading Morgan Dollars then take that small dime & morph it into the size of the Morgan dollar. Then grade it like a Morgan dollar seeing those small ticks as huge contact marks & scuffs. After you morph the coin, look at the strike again & remember to include your designations like FB. Very best regards, collect89
