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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ed Zak, post: 13099, member: 824&quot;]With the advent of&nbsp; CAD-CAM technology and laser/digital image processing, I wonder why this hasn&#039;t taken hold in the coin industry.</p><p><br /></p><p>I can see it now.&nbsp; Coin graders will use a base of MS69/70 and PR70coins and they are scanned for their mint strike, color, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp; Laser technology can analyse within 20 microns and it is far better than the human eye for <b>objectively</b> analysing surfaces and objects.&nbsp; Average in a number of MS70 struck and PR70DCAM coins (without mint marks and year) for a partiular coin and this will be your &quot;given&quot; database for coin A.</p><p><br /></p><p>Each part of the coin (with the exception of the mint mark and year) will have ts own 20 square microns storing data for height, depth, markings, etc.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Now comes a coin for grading...it too is scanned and this scan becomes &quot;Y&quot;.&nbsp; In other words, the difference between X and Y would determine the grade of the coin.&nbsp; The larger the difference, the lower the grade.&nbsp; The laser (picture <b><span style="color: red">Dr. Evil</span>&nbsp; </b> using quotations) can scan worn surfaces against normal surfaces as well as &quot;see&quot; nicks and marks not seen be the human eye.&nbsp; Too picky?...well adjust the settings to that of a human eye using a 7X magnifier.&nbsp; In other words, if the eye can&#039;t see it under normal grading conditions, then it should not be important.</p><p><br /></p><p>What about color, luster and all of that eye appeal stuff? Well, working for a color measurement company...(ever been to Home Depot to match paints with a sample you bring in?)...there is technology already out there that measures color for industries that demand accurate color measurement (auto, paint, print ads in publications, etc.).&nbsp; Using basic algebra, they are able to formulize colors so that x equals x...and the color is perfect.</p><p><br /></p><p>Color is measured in a controled area with a calibrated light source so that everything is equal.&nbsp; Even rainbow toned coins could be measured as the computer can easily pick up changes in RGB levels (red, green blue).</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, the data base of the graded coin can have its own fingerprint so that it can be indentified later against the stored data for this&nbsp; particular coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>I saw a patent for this type of grading in the early 90&#039;s, but the project of doing it versus the idea seems to be the issue.</p><p><br /></p><p>But then again, we will probably be arguing against the machine if we aren&#039;t satisfied with the grade our submitted coins received![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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