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How do I talk to a slab person about ancient coin grading?
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<p>[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 3446402, member: 19463"]I have absolutely no problem with the concept of grading but with ancients the main gradable features are not wear based as covered by the Sheldon scale 1-59 but such things as striking variations and surface quality as seen in the Sheldon 60-70 mint state separations. In 1997, I posted my grading pages</p><p><a href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/grade.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/grade.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/grade.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>calling the 'added' considerations "Conditions of Manufacture" and "Conditions of Preservation". At the time I considered suggesting a ten step numeric rating for those two areas but decided it was just too hard to balance positive things like patina against negatives like scrapes or centering against uneven striking. I ended up just posting a group of photos defining things seen on ancient coins other than wear which might affect eye appeal which is, after all, the only matter that makes any difference to my way of thinking. I am a strong believer in the fact that all ancient coins are cleaned but some are handled better in the process than others. Absolutely perfect ancient coins are rare and many coins are seen given grades appended by "for these" acknowledging that there are problems that have to be expected with some types.</p><p><br /></p><p>The problem I have with grading is the constantly expanding value scale between super grades (MS 66 and up) and what used to be just Uncirculated and the market prices that make microscopic differences sell for large multiples. I was fine with the concept when I started collecting that a VF was half the price of a perfect coin but I can not see paying ten times the MS 64 price for a MS 66.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 3446402, member: 19463"]I have absolutely no problem with the concept of grading but with ancients the main gradable features are not wear based as covered by the Sheldon scale 1-59 but such things as striking variations and surface quality as seen in the Sheldon 60-70 mint state separations. In 1997, I posted my grading pages [url]http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/grade.html[/url] calling the 'added' considerations "Conditions of Manufacture" and "Conditions of Preservation". At the time I considered suggesting a ten step numeric rating for those two areas but decided it was just too hard to balance positive things like patina against negatives like scrapes or centering against uneven striking. I ended up just posting a group of photos defining things seen on ancient coins other than wear which might affect eye appeal which is, after all, the only matter that makes any difference to my way of thinking. I am a strong believer in the fact that all ancient coins are cleaned but some are handled better in the process than others. Absolutely perfect ancient coins are rare and many coins are seen given grades appended by "for these" acknowledging that there are problems that have to be expected with some types. The problem I have with grading is the constantly expanding value scale between super grades (MS 66 and up) and what used to be just Uncirculated and the market prices that make microscopic differences sell for large multiples. I was fine with the concept when I started collecting that a VF was half the price of a perfect coin but I can not see paying ten times the MS 64 price for a MS 66.[/QUOTE]
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