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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 878236, member: 112&quot;]To a point, I would disagree with the above quote as I edited it. If one knows the grading standards of the various TPGs then any given grade does provide a pretty good idea of what a coin looks like. At the least, you have an either - or situation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Say a Morgan is graded MS63 by PCGS and has the CAC sticker. Without ever seeing the coin I know a few things. The coin likely has many many bag marks, some of them major and in prime focal areas. It will typically have subdued luster. It may or may not be toned, that you don&#039;t know, but more than likely it has been dipped and is untoned. Or - if the coin is attractively toned then it will have even more serious bag marks and less luster. It will typically be of average strike. It will have many frost breaks and probably even have some light wear on the the high points. </p><p><br /></p><p>The above descrition will probably fit 90% of all Morgans graded MS63 by PCGS.</p><p><br /></p><p>You can do the same thing with any grade. Of course you are making an assumption that is correctly graded, but the CAC sticker helps there. And if it does not have a CAC sticker then you know that it either never been submitted to them or that they rejected it. In either case, you have the either or situation again - it will be this or it will be that.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is the entire purpose of grading. A grade does describe a coin and it describes it fairly accurately most of the time. But to know what that description is you have to know the grading standards for each TPG. So when people say that they don&#039;t know what a coin looks like based on the numerical grade assigned, then I would have to say that that person does not know the grading standards.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now of course every coin must actually be seen by you in the end, and it is then that you decide if it was graded accurately or not and either keep the coin or return it.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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