Criteria For G-6 Grade Lincoln Cent

I'm not sure I fully understand your question.

I thought I spelled out my opinion already. The G grade Lincoln has a flattened portrait. Most of the details are obliterated. The wheat tips are smooth, sometimes there's a trace of a line or two. For me, those are the two main criteria. IMO, those are the absolute technical indicators. As we've already discussed, other factors come into play, but they don't effect the grade nearly as much as the main technical indicators.

A coin that exhibts those main two technical features must grade G. I have yet to see a TPG Lincoln with those features and a grade higher than G.

The examples I've shown above both have those main technical indicators for a G grade. Although the G-6 coin is definately sharper, but it still meets the G criteria. However, it's defintately a more pleasing coin than the G-4.

I don't know that you can necessarily assign a "value" to the distractions at this grade. For me the eye appeal is more more important than anything else at the G level. The technical merits get the coin there and then the distractions have to be looked at overall.

Let's use the example you posted above:

The coin meets the G technical criteria. However, the surface color is very uneven and there's excessive hits. I'd also down grade it due to the reverse UNITED STATES OF AMERICA being so weak/worn, it's poor even by the G standard. I would actually net grade that coin to AG-3 due to these reasons.

HEHEHEHE...hey, this is fun! I wish more people would join in. I'm looking foward to VG-MS! Thanks for doing this Metalman.

Thad I was not talking about a money value , but when a coin is net graded each distraction should have a value if none can be applied in a consistent way then why grade coins at all .

That is my problem with net grading , the arbitrary nature of the practice is a problem and I think is one of the reasons why there is so much variation in grade from person to the next .

By the way , both of your coins technically grade G-4 .

I have hundreds of very nice even colored G-6 Lincoln cents , you don't seriously think I chose this one at random do you ?

I voiced my opinion before about a coin being net graded below the details grade , it just makes no sense if it can happen at this level then it surely must happen at all levels including MS .

grade and appeal do not always come together , this coin I posted does not appeal to me and I would not buy it , but technically its still a G-6 1920 LWC just an ugly one .

I knew you meant a point scale bro. It's just almost impossible to do a mathmatical grade on a coin with so many marks. At least I'm not will to count all those marks. ROFL We're also talking about a very low grade coin, the values would have to be 0.1 and less (depending on severity). I totally understand your point, but that's also why computer grading never worked. LOL




When I saw the coin I knew it was a trick question. You sneaky devil!




Of course a coin will be net graded below the details. That's something that won't ever change in collecting because there's a human side to grading.....appeal.

Pretend for a moment that your coin is a 1914D. You have cash in your hand, the dealer wants G-6 money ($200). He tells you, look at the details! You laugh and offer him AG money ($100) because of the low appeal factor. Like you said, you wouldn't buy that coin. Regardless of the detail level, that coin would probably only fetch AG money; so in many ways, that is also the appropriate grade. At least that's one way of looking at it.

Metalman, this is one of the coolest ideas ever posted on CC (grading scale evaluations). I'm loving this! Thanks my friend!

Hi decoinboy

welcome to the thread !

Thad, thanks for the information on how to post the pictures directly in the post. I am really looking forward to this series of posts, it will be a great chance to gain more experience at grading, great idea metalman.

Where's the VG thread!?