Hi all, I've got a question I hope someone can answer. The lowest I have seen a price guide go is G-4 Condition for coins. What if you have a fairly rare coin but it's in less than G-4 condition, say AG or AG-3 condition. Is there any kind of rough formula on deciding what the value would be? Like Take 15% off the G-4 price or something? Is there any kind of guidelines for that? For example, say I have a Lincoln 1914-D which books in G-4 Grading for $165, and I just wanted to complete a set so I buy an AG coin because I'm like many people I'm poor...lol...but I want to complete my collection, what would the approximate value be, $100 or maybe $75? Just wondering if there's a guideline? And as a kind of a side note, if I'm guessing at a grade like that, is it better to have a coin in such a condition professionally graded? Maybe it's actually G-4 or maybe it's actually less than AG. Is it worth grading coins that are pretty worn? Thanks for any help or comments.
Generally about 2/3 of the value for G, but can be much lower for coins that are common in AG but much less common in G. The 1892-O and 1892-S half dollars being a glaring example of this, I think.
It would be somewhat series dependent. It would be somewhat series dependent but a good rule would be if it is damaged or not. In that low a grade so many coins will have damage so I would go by any and all damage there may or may not be first then just use common sense. Formula: G-4 sells for $100 and about AG with problems might lower it to $30 but without problems $65 - so any premium would be for the coin with no problems first. A very important thing to keep in mind on coins like these - except for a few Lincoln's, Barbers, etc. if buying from a dealer he may well not have anything in this grade coin. Either it was part of a group or collection and he happened to get lucky or something but this type low grade coin he may very well have $0 in it - that would give the picky buyer a little bargaining power to begin with. One more thing then I will shut up - it's very possible that as many as half the 14-D Lincolns in that grade that are raw are counterfeit because in that grade you cannot find any die markers so be careful.