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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 700577, member: 112&quot;]tex it&#039;s kinda like Ben (bhp) says. But to understand it you have to first understand the history of grades.</p><p><br /></p><p>Grades have been around since the late 1800&#039;s. Back then they used adjectival grades like G, F, VF XF and Unc. That was good enough for a long time.</p><p><br /></p><p>But as time passed collectors began to realize that sometimes saying VF just wasn&#039;t really accurate when trying to describe the condition of their coins. So they began adding more adjectives to mark the differences. Very Fine became Almost very Fine, Very Fine, Good very Fine, Choice Very Fine. The same thing happened with the other grades. Along the way AU entered the scene.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then in 1948 along comes a guy named Shelton who was something of an authority on large cents. he decided to come up with a numerical system for coin grades with each assigned number indicating a value or price for the coin. This idea caught on and numbers began to be used instead of adjectives.</p><p><br /></p><p>Again over time, collectors began to think that even more numbers were needed to correctly describe the condition of the coins. And as time passed additional numbers were added to the system until we got to where we are today.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now let&#039;s go back a bit and look at VF again. They were using 4 different variations of the adjectival grade so About VF became VF20, VF became VF25, Good VF became VF30 and Choice VF became VF35. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, to get to your question. Say you have a coin that you think is VF. But it&#039;s nicer than a lot of other VF&#039;s. So you say to yourself, the coin is nicer than VF20 but it&#039;s no way an XF. Then you ask is it nice enough to be VF25. You decide it is. Then you have to ask is it nice enough to be a VF30, again you decide it is. Then you move up one more notch - you always have to start at the bottom and work up, never from the top down. Because before a coin can move up a grade, it has to meet all of the standards of the lower grade first. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now when you are asking yourself if it is a VF35 you&#039;re getting close to XF territory, and you have already decided it&#039;s no way an XF. But if the coin is almost nice enough to be XF but not quite, then it&#039;s a VF35. If it isn&#039;t that close, then it stays a VF30.</p><p><br /></p><p>It works the same way with all the grades. That help any ?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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