How do you grade ?

ANACS 6th Edition is how I was grading , Now PCGS grades one way and NGC another , niether grades like the ANACS book , so How are we supposed to grade ?
rzage

 

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What grade levels and series are we looking at?

 

Thats a toughie Rusty. Standards this and standards that. I gues if you stick to the rules (who made them) the ANA book. I am sure GDJMSP will chime in here.

Personally? I use my own.

 

I guess in general . All grade levels but especially MS .
rzage

 

That's what I have been using of late...but I haven't had it very long. I think it's a good guide to use especially when learning to grade accurately.

 

What about photograde GD? I don't have it, but I have heard both good things and bad things. What are your thoughts?

 

agreed. i am grading some modern indian coins now and its a pain three bags down 33 more to go. no ubstitute for looking a coins

 

Harvey sympathises with you Dr......

 

I have always leaned HEAVILY to the ANA book but knowing the coin you are grading is just as important.
ANA is great for pointing out that certain coins are weakly struck etc. but until you see quite a few of that particular coin it's really difficult to grasp.

An easy example for me is the 23-S Lincoln Cent. I don't collect Lincolns actively yet I have a fairly complete collection. I have learned from ANA and local dealers that they (23-S) are often weakly struck.
Well, I've seen hundreds of them by now and guess what? It's true.

I certainly do not claim to be a professional grader as I am NOT. I have learned a few things over the years though and knowing the coin is beyond helpful.
The more one sees the more one knows IMHO. Good doses of reading is quite helpful as well.

 

I have been using the ANA Grading Standards, 6th edition.

You guys are really getting at the basis of my other post "Elements of Grading Part 2". I guess I really didn't realize until joining this forum how the TPGs are not necessarily playing by the same rules that I have been. I really try to grade my coins, and any I am looking to buy, by the ANA standards. I then look to the various pricing vehicles to determine a fair market price at that grade. Now I am finding out that the TPGs price is based, at least in part, on rarity and market value rather than grade. Although somewhat disillusioned by this , I want to figure out how to judge this and make it work in my favor.
John

 

Meant to say the TPG's grade, not price.

 

Yeah, what Dan said........

 

tell him i miss him

 

Doug ,Thanks a lot , I was just going to order it .

 

"How do you grade ? "

I look at the coin, grade it myself (i.e. to my own standard), then apply a "translation factor" which translates my grade into the grading standard I'm interested in.

For instance, I might grade a coin AU, but I know that TPGs grade coins I call AU as MS 63, someone who grades to ANA standards would call it an XF, and the EAC might call the same coin a VF -- that's the "translation factor".

But that's just me, and YMMV.

 

p.s. grading books, to me, are worthless. I think it is because I'm a visual kind of guy, and written explanations don't translate into grades for me. I fully realize that this is not normal, and others do things quite differently than I -- and there's nothing wrong with that!