Does anyone have any information on how to become a professional coin grader? What kind of educational background does it require?
wow, this can be loaded question... Some would say buy a blindfold and a dart board and your there... the ANA in Colorado teaches classes on grading, I would start there... There are some ex graders on the PCGs coin forums, such as Mark Feld, Andy Lustig.. They can give you great advice.. I can only say, study as many graded coins as you can when you are at shows...... Purchase raw coins, grade them and send them in... see how you do... One thing that used to hurt me was I always seemed to see my coins in a better light then the pro-graders did.... Till I discovered what they were looking for in each given grade for my series of choice, the Franklin half... After much study and submitting, I know what they are looking for and armed with this knowledge I am able to make much wiser purchases with the intent of submitting the coins I buy... For Franklins and Winged Libertys anyways, I get beat up pretty good with classic commems... Also PCGs runs a grading contest at the major shows, win some of those and ol Hepdaddy Hall may give you a job. I can grade pretty darn good within my collecting specialties, however I spend some time with the coins, were a Pro grader makes a decision within 10 seconds.... Which baffles me....
The ANA correspondence course would be a great way to start. In addition, I would suggest purchasing the NGC and PCGS guides to grading coins. Here is a link to the ANA site Educational Programs. http://www.money.org/Education.Html
Well, you could start selling coins, that you have graded. That would qualify you as a professional, but I'll assume you mean, "How do I get a job with a TPG?". If that's the case, then you will need to have the right connections. Remember; It's not what you know, it's who you know. You will need a degree in; "How to be a team player".
I agree with Susan part way....I'm thinking about starting the ANA course this year and grading will be first on the list. I like PCGS book on how to grade but NGC is the pits (at least to me) Its more of a Census report than how to grade and even then it only covers modern coins. Speedy
I agree with you that the NGC book is not the greatest, however for someone who is interested in pursuing a career in this area, I strongly suggest reading it for insight on NGC and how they grade.
How to be a grader The following are actual descriptions from eBay- Only the names have been changed to protect us all- If you want to be a grader - You might need the qualifications given at the end by an applicant*** Terms & Conditions If you place a bid -it means that you read & agree with all terms and conditions on this page. If you do not agree, please do not bid .. You will receive an Email notification from us within 24hrs of close of auction which will include all the required information to finalise the transaction, Once full payment has been received. Your order will be shipped within 24 hours.( excluding weekends ). All auctions to be finalised within 7 days .All grading stated in our auctions are to be used as a guide only & does not represent any third party grading service unless stated in item description. It is up to the buyer to decide in their own mind before placing a bid. Terms of Sale All though all of the items are graded to the best of my purchases abilty, care and consideration has been taken to detail the Accuracy of Grading look at the pictures carefully and bid accordingly as I take no responsibility for differentials of grading between myself and another party there are no returns or refunds on the item I have dealt with over $40,000 worth of Coins and banknotes and had never had any problems with grading if you need further pictures or any questions answered please don’t hesitate to contact me 1922/21 Overdate Threepence aVG!! Rare!! Very Rare and a great investment. This coin is graded About Very Good. A great buy at $6500!! As this is a live auction this item is sold as is and is not refundable._ _ _Coins have an excellent worldwide reputation and Ebay rating and if you would like any further information regarding our company or this item please contact us. This coin comes with a Certificate guaranteeing its grade and authenticity by _ _ _ Coins "The Market Leaders". Postage will be P.O.A. NB:All cheques need to be in dollars. PayPal, money orders welcome please add $6us. PayPal is for purchases outside of _ - Please check with us for the US$ Amount before paying. Translation 1922/21 Overdate Threepence I have graded this coin as About Very Good! It is Very Rare to find such a poor grade coin and offer it as a great investment for the princely sum of only $6500!! Buy it now as is with no refund offered because _ _ _ Coins have an excellent worldwide reputation and Ebay rating as no one has heard of us to complain before. If you would like any further information regarding our company or this item please contact us but we won't reply. This coin comes with our "do it yourself style" Certificate guaranteeing its grade and authenticity by _ _ _ Coins "The Market Leaders". Postage is on application. NB: All cheques in dollars. Bidpay money orders welcome but add US$6. PayPal is for purchases outside of __ - Please check with us for the US$ Amount before paying. We will accept anything, just buy it. Wanted Grader Applicant I works at Guide Dogs for the Blind. I has no sight in either eye. I had some of the previous posts translated into braille and would like to know if what is described above is the type of coin we are buying - see descriptions in post above, - AND If we would like to sponser him to open a GRADING SERVICE - he can grade as good as those adds that have appeared in eBay. However he will need to personally handle each and every coin he grades, since it will be done by sense of touch - he apologizes if his hands are a little oily and dirty today. Sorry he was just offered a job by eBay to read all their complaint letters.
