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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1252634, member: 19463&quot;]The way I remember it: Drill an imaginary hole at the top of the obverse and suspend the coin from an imaginary string.&nbsp; Then rotate the coin so you can see the reverse and note the location of the top.&nbsp; If the top is at 4 o&#039;clock, the coin is 4H.&nbsp; Many people use 12H for the way the UK makes their coins and 6H for the way the US makes theirs but I replace those numbers with &#039;upright&#039; and &#039;invert&#039;.&nbsp; Some people prefer to call 12H &#039;medallion&#039; orientation.&nbsp; While we are at it lets point out that some ancients were always made with a particular axis while others were 100% random.&nbsp; This is a tool for telling fakes since an issue that is always, say, 3H becomes suspicious if found 12H while one that is regularly random is not.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>For grading:&nbsp; I consider surface and strike more important than wear but I am in the minority in this regard.&nbsp; I hate rough coins, corroded coins and coins missing legends due to small flans even if they are every bit as detailed as they were when struck.&nbsp; This opinion causes me to buy coins graded more by &#039;eye appeal&#039; than by wear standards and probably pay too much for some and refuse others that most people would love.&nbsp; Collectors of ancients need to develop their own personal standards even if they are exactly in line with the grading company&#039;s.&nbsp; The only important grade for a coin is + (like it) or - (leave it).&nbsp; Buy what you find attractive and leave the others for me.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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