To what degree do bag marks have on a coins grade? I would assume that if they do exsist on a coin, it would be better that they are in the field as opposed to on the device, such as on the cheek of the profile.
Marks can be especially significant when it comes to grading a coin. Not only in the number of marks - but also in the severity and the location of the marks. But it is different with every denomination. Each different coin denomination has different focal areas. The focal area for one coin may be on the devices like the cheek, while for others it may be in the field. For some - both places are equally important. And marks in these areas count more towards downgrading the coin than marks in other areas do. And large, heavy coins such as Morgan dollars and WL halves are expected to have more marks than say dimes or cents. Thus fewer points are subtracted for marks on the large coins. I cannot stress enough how important it is for those wishing to learn to grade to get themsleves books on the subject and study. This is the beginning point for learning how to grade properly. The ANA Grading Guide lists all this information and then some. The focal areas for every coin is described in detail as well as what makes 1 coin this grade and another coin that grade. Ya gotta buy the books
I have Photograde, is the ANA Grading Guide better? Is ANA Grading Guide the title of the book? Ebay search turns up nothing and Amazon.com turns about a search of over 4000 items.
In my opinion - yes it is much better. Photograde only helps for circulated coins - it doesn't even deal with MS coins. The complete title is - " Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins ". The book is out of print - but they can usually be found rather easily. Amazon has lots of 'em ANA Standards
