| Author |
 Replies: 30 / Views: 4,189 |
|
|
|
Valued Member
 83 Posts |
Hi jg86,
Yes, I was surprised that more readers didn't venture their opinions - well over 400 reads, and yet only 5 readers offered assignment of grades.
I think this may in part be due to something I wrote about in another post - that some people feel a bit intimidated, or lack confidence in their ability to grade.
I believe that it's important for collectors and buyers of vintage coins to become more practiced in the art / science of being able to grade coins - and essential for the newcomer to be aware of the fact that 3rd party graders are not necessarily correct in their assignment of grades.
As is often shared by the knowledgeable on this forum,
"Buy the coin, not the holder"
Re coins #s 1 & 2 - what is it about these pics that don't lead you to think they are not substantially better than VF20 & VF30 respectively.
I'm making a deal to purchase them and intend on removing them from flips - will upload some more pics of them when I get them.
|
|
Moderator
 Canada
10464 Posts |
I dd not participate because I don't like grading online images, unless it is blatantly obvious. It is too easy to see to much or too little, with a little trickery of the photography, lighting, light angle or flatbed scanning. Here is a perfect example, done a couple of years ago with too much lighting: https://goccf.com/t/105585Here is another example, with a photo designed to hide defects: https://goccf.com/t/128055By the way, what year is the Edward VII half? I have seen some softly struck coins look like yours, grading EF to AU.... "Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert OppenheimerContent of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_USMy eBay store
Edited by SPP-Ottawa
10/28/2013 12:09 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
686 Posts |
Scott - Part of it could be that some people feel intimidated, and don't want to make a big mistake, feeling people will judge them for it. However, the nice thing about grading based on a picture is that you can always blame not having the coin in hand as to why you were off!
SPP raises a point about not grading online because the pictures might look nothing like the coin. I think this is applicable for coins that are UNC or high-end AU. For most circulated grades, I'm comfortable with grading based on a picture. Weak strikes and other defects could be instances where it could be difficult for grading circulated coins, which some series are prone to, but if the coin is problem-free, it shouldn't be hard to grade a circulated coin based on a picture.
As for my opinions on coins 1 and 2...
Coin 1: I'll concede that I don't know Edward VII halves well. I collect quarters, and I'm getting comfortable with Edward VII there. The series seems to be plagued by weak strikes, which can make them difficult to grade based on pictures. I also find they wear funny. Low grades can still show a lot of detail, just based on where the high points are. On yours, the eyebrow is very worn, and the shoulder shows more wear than I would allow on an EF. While the jewels are all visible, they show wear and aren't sharp. I'd call it a VF20 based on what I see, but I'd say it's closer to a VF-30 than a F-15.
Coin 2: This is a series I tend to know well. My knowledge of grades has changed over time from how I've seen ICCS grade coins, but I have had similar looking coins that ICCS has called VF20 or VF30. I think ICCS was a bit harsh on some of them (especially a 1936 bar I still have that's VF20). However, at the end of the day, it just looks like what I've come to expect ICCS to call a VF30.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3234 Posts |
I was hoping to see both sides and the blurry pics sometimes scares me away from guessing.
SPP..Thanks for the links to that great 23 and the important details on it too. A bit before my time here,.. but great to see and view the opinions.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
1) VF
2) EF 40
3) F+ or VF
4)MS 63
5)AU
6)MS 64
I know I did this late.. but haven't even read any other posts... just to see how close I am if at all..
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
WOAH! way off... glad I don't make any big purchases!
|
|
Valued Member
83 Posts |
Hey Silver & Gold,
I thought that you were just bein' tongue 'n cheek with those guesses 
Keep on workin' at it - there's lots of books and online references to help - and then just practice lots.
Do a search on ebay for ICCS coins and separate search into specific grades - scroll through all the VFs, then the EFs, and then the AUs - and you'll soon be able to distinguish the general breakdown between grade assignments.
When you are looking at pictures hold down CTRL key while pressing on the + key and this will enlarge the pics.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3234 Posts |
Thanks for the tip on getting the pics larger. It worked too well. I tried it and the whole screen "stayed".. "gigantic". Hit the ctl - and couldn't read a thing anymore. "too small". Am working on getting my screen back to normal...  |
|
Forum Kid
Canada
1074 Posts |
what is going on with #6 I would not put any VF on that coin F-12/F-15?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
1) VF 20
2) EF 40
3) VF 30
4) EF 45
5) VF 30
6) EF 40
Only guesses on my part...
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
HAHahaha I didn't even realize I posted here earlier... OMG!
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1505 Posts |
Guye, PLEASE all remember this: A TPG offers his opinion only!! for a hefty sum of $. Their grades are never (as far as I know) guaranteed or based on common acceptance of a standard. there simply is no standard or norm. Just look at the difficulties we all often have comparing grades from one TPG to another and then comparing it to our own standard. Never mind trying to matching European grades. |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
It's true different countries grade differently...and I'm okay with that.. but as SPP even said online grading is very subjective as one can manipulate photos to enhance the grade of the coin...
I feel that after reading this thread over ... one of the reasons why people don't offer their opinion on the grade of a coin is perhaps they don't want to be "wrong"... There are a LOT of very knowledgeable people out here and some just don't want to look like a fool... Personally I'm of the other train of thought... I don't mind if I make a mistake and that everyone knows about it either.. I looked at my first round of "guesses" and now my second.. and clearly I'm getting better at this grading thing...
I actually took a bunch of coins into my local LCS this past weekend and was pretty close on MOST of my coins... I keep practicing and eventually I'll get better..
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1505 Posts |
AG, so you compared your grading skills with your LCS people?
That is great, but who says that they are right? Basically, every grader is right, as it is only a opinion.
Even Centsles and Asyn are sometimes right.
I will post a PCGS graded coin soon and let you guys guess...( it is somewhere put away for safe keeping, but I forgot where I put it..getting old(er)LOLOLOLO
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
2495 Posts |
True, ICCS's grading is only their opinion, but because of their expertise, their 'opinion' sets a 'standard'.
|
| |
Replies: 30 / Views: 4,189 |
First Page
Posted 10/28/2013 12:03 pm
