Is The Obverse More Inportant Than The Reverse When Grading

Over the past 15 years, I've done quite well buying raw coins and sending them to ICCS and receiving the grades I think they should be.

Whether I spend 10 seconds or 10 minutes looking over the raw coin, I can tell you this.....

I spend 90% of my grading time on the obverse and 10% of my time on the reverse.

Actually, I only grade the obverse and I look quickly at the reverse only to see there's no major anomoly as compared to the obverse.

After quickly looking at the reverse, I would only have to adjust my 'obverse grade' if the reverse was TWO grades lower than the obverse. Put another way, I feel ICCS would only change the grade of the coin (initially determined by the obv condition) if the reverse was two or more grades LOWER.

If the reverse was one grade lower than the obverse or ANY grade higher than the obverse, I'd feel confident ICCS would grade the coin based on the obverse and not make an adjustment based on the previously mentioned difference in the reverse grade.

Hope that's not too confusing.

I actually wish a coin was graded with two grades - one for the obverse and one for the reverse.

But I can absolutely guarantee one thing....

A coin that was graded ms65/ms64 (obv./rev.) would sell for more than the same date coin graded ms64/ms65 (obv./rev.)

This might help explain a thing or two.

john517...my knowledge of world coin grading is extremely limited so perhaps both sides are equally judged.

I would say with ALL Canadian coins, the obverse is judged as the important side.

Most likely with all US coins too, although I can think of many series that the grading I suspect would be 50/50.

Examples of 50/50 split (obv/rev) would be Seated Liberty coinage (half-dimes through to Seated dollars)

Examples where the obverse is weighted more (especially in MS grades) would be the Morgan dollars.

Perhaps some of the more serious US collectors can pipe in and express their opinion.

I know when we grade U.S. Lincoln cents, we take into consideration Lincolns head on the obverse and, the wheat stalks on the reverse to come to an actual grade.

I hope it's clear to everyone that with Canadian coins and ICCS and CCCS grading philosophies, the obverse is much more important than the reverse.

How can I completely prove this to the 'non-believers'?

Simple....time and time again, go out and lay down $500 on a raw coin and send it to ICCS and see how you do.

When it's your money on the line you quickly realize that with ICCS only the obverse counts (within reason of course).

i dont think anyone is saying that it isn't happening, the question is why? or how did this come to be?

there doesn't really seem to be a good reason why one side of a 2 sided coin would be more important than the other.

I think grading standards with respect to obverse, reverse and the edge (who can forget about the third die) are different with respect to circulated coins versus mint state coins, and specially struck coins (specimen or proof), especially as a grade approaches perfection. For circulated coins, the obverse is indeed the face that matters most.

However, on mint state coins, typically above MS-64 grades, even if the obverse strike is perfect, you will not even get a MS-66 grade coin that has a bad mark on the reverse, or a ding on the rim. Marks are not weighted equally on both sides of the coin, the obverse still takes precedence, but blemishes are accounted for in the total grade. doubleeagle59's comment about ICCS grading his coins supports this.

Other factors also should be noted, especially if you are sending business strike coins to PCGS. Quality, or fullness, of the strike also is taken into account at higher grades - a fact I know from trying to get a decent 1970 nickel dollar certified as MS-65 (they are almost all weakly struck). ICCS will ignore planchet flaws, like minor laminations or strike-throughs (they might even comment on them) - PCGS will not. ICCS coins can get away with small carbon spots, PCGS coins will not. Eye appeal can also sway a single grade point in either direction. For MS-67 and higher grades, the coin has to be fully struck and have a very desirable eye-appeal.

What?

Maybe....

Obverse=Grade, Reverse=Secondary Grade, but the edge will go to the collector who realizes this!