In a different topic thread, 'homerecher' asked if there is a grading book or website that illustrates the various grades of each coin in the classic commemorative series. I thought this was an interesting enough discussion to start a new topic.
Before the grading services "took over" the coin hobby, learning how to grade the coins you wished to collect was critical in order to avoid making "mistakes" when purchasing coins. No one wants to pay MS-65 prices for choice AU coins, so understanding how to tell the difference was very important! To help commemorative collectors, several books/booklets/articles were published that either illustrated or described the wear points on each commemorative coin.
One of the first attempts to specifically address the wear points of US commemoratives was an article published in the August 1958 issue of the
ANA's The Numismatist. Authored by Loyd Gettys and Edward Catich,
"AU" or "BU" US Commemorative Half Dollars provided a very good introduction to the primary wear points on each commemorative half-dollar. For each piece, the article presented a photograph of the coin's obverse and reverse and featured one or more arrows that pointed to the coin's high spot(s). It was simple, but it gave collectors a place to start in learning how to check for wear on silver commemorative coins. The article was popular enough to have been reprinted as a separate booklet; though long out of print (OOP), it can still be found via numismatic book dealers or on
ebay. It remains a great visual starting point for someone looking to learn how to grade US commemoratives.
In 1979,
A Comprehensive Guide to United States Commemorative Coins was published, it was written by James S. Iacovo. This book critically evaluates each commemorative issue, pointing out primary points of wear as well as individual strike characteristics. It would serve one well to have a copy with them as they evaluate raw commemoratives for purchase. The book is OOP, but I see it often on
ebay and other online book sites.
In 1986, the
NCI Grading Guide was published; NCI is an acronym for Numismatic Certification Institute, an early grading company. This book discusses the many aspects of coin grading and provides information on most all
US coins. To illustrate the high/wear points on coins, a red overlay is superimposed over a photograph of each coin. The book, authored by noted numismatist James Halperin, includes illustrations of all silver and gold design types in the classic series (minus the two Pan-Pac $50 coins).
Probably the most ambitious study of how to specifically evaluate and grade US commemoratives was undertaken by Ray Mercer in the mid-1980s under the title
A Buyer's Guide. For each coin, Mr. Mercer discussed "Luster," "Strike," "Marks" and "Toning." With extensive use of close-up photography to illustrate his discussions, Mr. Mercer provided a treasure trove of information for each coin. He planned a series of soft-bound booklets covering the complete series, but it was around the time of the publication of the first two volumes that the grading services really took hold. As a result, Mr. Mercer did not see the need to continue with the series and so his published work ends with the 1924 Huguenot-Walloon issue (the coins were being discussed in alphabetical order). Too bad!
More recent books covering the series typically include brief discussions of the characteristics of each coin and indicate which areas are prone to show wear first. Q. David Bowers'
Commemorative Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia and Anthony Swiateks's
Commemorative Coins of the United States: Identification and Price Guide are two examples.
No book or website that I'm familiar with visually presents each commemorative in various states of preservation from circulated through mint state grades (like the Photograde book does for regular circulation coins) -- but maybe another CCF'er can point us to such a volume or website. (Does the PCGS CoinFacts site contain grading images?) So, it has been my experience that one has to learn what to look for from one or more of the books mentioned above and then spend time examining lots of coins to experience what was discussed. Not a simple task, but a rewarding one!
One potential way of becoming familiar with the "look" of commemoratives in various grades is to visit an auction house website that provides an online archive of past sales (www.ha.com, for example). You can search for an issue of interest, read the description of each located coin and then examine the images of coins across multiple grades. Most of the commemoratives found will be mint state, but there will likely also be at least one or two AU coins found for each design type.
What grading references have others found useful?
A sample page from "AU" or "BU"
A sample page from NCI Grading Guide
Posted 07/30/2012 5:44 pm
