World Coin Grading My Rule Of Thumb

In Denmark and Norway serious coin collectors and dealers in generel grade coins much more conservative than in the US and most of the rest of the world. In Sweden sometimes the grading here is even more conservative than in the rest of Scandinavia.

In Denmark and Norway an AU coin is often about VF. A coin graded MS62 is often EF. A MS 63-65 is normally not our truly UNC, this needs a MS66 coin. Sometimes I also see coins graded up to EF which are F or even worse. It goes for ebay all the time if a serious grader compare.

In the US a thing like a scratch or a stain will be considered to be a part of the grading. Here we put the grading solely set in the light of the amount of wear on a coin - then, after, we comment on all other things - this means with the serious graders with many years of experience and THE WILLING to grade correct. (for some unserious dealers here there are many money in speculating in grading as they do in the US!)

However, in 2019 many people here outside the US are starting to grade like Americans as they are new collectors using the net to get knowledge on coins and grading. They tend to fail because it is two different worlds in how to grade coins.

I believe this subject is very relevant in 2019.

Great thread.

I don't see it much here in Canada. I am thankful for that, too. In general, TPG is not nearly as extensive in Canada as it is in the US.

Since CCF is a mainly U.S. Forum, I often give British grading to other than U.S. coins, and give what I think is the Sheldon equivalent.
I DO have a significant collection of U.S. coins, mainly due to the influence of the CCF.

Within my own collection, I grade my U.S. coins with a British grading only, because my collection includes the whole of numismatics, and to me, U.S. coins are World coins,
That means an extensive ancients collection as well, and THEY have entirely different grading standards to the British system, where MANY more grading factors have to be taken into account, that you just don't have to consider with World coins.

Could one imply from this fact that 'slabbed' Australian-minted coins do not flourish in Australia since a preponderance of counterfeiting has not yet established itself as that great of a problem %agewise w/r/t comparatively valued US-minted ones?

Great thread this -

There are a lot of things to think about, I mean "World coins" is such a broad category!

Anyway speaking only for myself, I'd feel reasonably confident using the Sheldon scale on large, say "crown" sized silver coins - well understood I think for US Morgan and Peace dollars (as noted in the OP) and applicable to silver world coins of similar size and weight, notwithstanding that it may not really be reasonable to consistently grade non-US stuff like this above MS64.

Still, in terms of accurately and reliably communicating the condition of whatever coin it is, I'd say that a lot of people default to the Sheldon scale initially, or have some idea of how their own grading corresponds to a "Sheldon equivalent".

My own experience is primarily with Australian pre-decimal coins and I think the Australian adjectival system works well but you need to translate Australian Extremely Fine (and aEF, nEF, EF+, etc) for a larger audience. In my early days I bought an AU55 coin on the understanding (my misunderstanding) that it was aUnc only to find I had overpaid and learned a lesson as a result!

Naturally the key issue is wear from circulation with presence or absence of mint lustre a secondary, but vital consideration.

I find that Australian Crowns fit into the Sheldon scheme and that makes it easier to communicate the grade to a wider audience, however the smaller Australian coins present more of a moving target. PCGS seems to lose the plot as the coins get smaller so that I have seen slabbed Australian threepence coins which in my opinion have been overgraded significantly, but it may simply be due to inexperience even within a professional organisation like PCGS.

I like the emphasis on wear within the Sheldon scale and it seems to me that in the absence of anything more comprehensive it's the way to go if you want to promote what you've got to all and sundry...it at least provides a starting point from which you can then get into discussions regarding the particular coin...

WA