i would like to see some of you guys how would you grade some of world coins since im a member with ANA , PCGS & NGC - i see many coins are being low graded & descriminate by PCGS for the world coins , from my personal opinion NGC is the best for world coins , View attachment 285505
From experience the rubles from 1921 and 1924 are not impossible to find in higher uncirculated grades as I collect them myself. But the bronze coins are another story entirely - and I disagree with the grade given the 2 kopek coin - it looks better than it was graded. Your bronze looks better than mine, I went a bit cheap when it came to buying the bronze coins and settled for higher circulated grades. I have to think that for the most part the 1924 dated rubles never circulated and just sat in vaults in Moscow and Leningrad for most of their lives. But the bronze coins did see circulation - usually heavy circulation: I am going to post these on odnoklassniki.ru later.
Based on the pictures posted, I'd say those are fair grades. The 5 kopek coin has just about all of the high surfaces knocked off - I'd say a XF45 is very fair, if not a bit on the high side. The 2 kopek has virtually no luster and has clearly seen circulation - AU58 is about as high as you could expect a circulated coin to pop. And the two silver-toned coins are great examples of lusterous uncirculated coins. I see rim nicks on both, which would bring down the grade into a mid-MS range. I think PCGS was right on the money for all four.
Nice coins ! thanks for sharing , and thanks for your opinions on gradings Good Luck & Happy Collecting ! CHEERS !!
I agree completely. I was going to write the exact smae thing, but you beat me to it. I thought the grades were all fair except the XF45 being too high for that coin. At best I would give it a 40. One of the problems when comparing with US coins is so many more US coins have been graded. Of course US coins will have more way overgraded coins in holders than other series, so it will be very easy to find a way overgraded US coin if that is what you are comparing it to.
Thanks for posting the nice coins. IMO the grades are correct. I got this raw Russian gold coin a few months back. The coin is very sharply struck & looks nicer in-hand than my lame photo depicts. View attachment 285565
I hate to say but back in the late 1980s and early 1990s you could get Russian gold for melt value only - I remember when the 5 rublei coins were selling for the equivalent of $40 or so, but in Russia they were worth a little bit more because demand was higher in the black market.
The gold coin I depicted was purchased as a bullion coin. I picked what I thought was the nicest strike in the batch.
That is a beautiful Gold 5 Coin, very crisp, your photo does not look all that bad. I would highly rate that one / and Prize. I think my best Russian coin for condition is likely this 1913 15 Kopek. I do have a few East Europe coins I have not inventoried completely, Rainy day toys.
