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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,229 |
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Valued Member
United States
165 Posts |
While I'm not new to casual coin collecting, I've recently been thrust into the varied worlds of Exonumia. Hard. Could someone explain to me, hopefully simply, why this item is listed as XF/Almost Uncirculated? http://www.ebay.com/itm/390605185167I know that the seller doesn't provide good photo's, but I have a stack of fourteen of these... It looks pretty cruddy to me. Am I just supposed to be focusing on the physicalness, the definition of the images, of it, not the coloring? Thanks so much! Edited by GABatGH
06/10/2013 11:25 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
Judging from the picture given, it looks to be an F. Wear to the head and bust. Maybe it's better, but you'll never tell from that shot. My opinion is that it's over graded.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
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Valued Member
 United States
165 Posts |
Thanks to you both for your take on the auctioned token, but the important question was overlooked. Is there a guide on HOW to grade coins and tokens? I have many hundred to grade and the sooner I learn the correct way to do it, the better...
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Valued Member
United States
395 Posts |
PCGS grading scale and descriptions: http://www.pcgs.com/grades.htmlThey also have a "Photo Grade" on their page where you can do a visual comparison. They also have an iPhone/iPad app called PCGS Photograde. |
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Valued Member
United States
165 Posts |
I'd not seen that page with the grades list. I know it'll come in handy.
All the details mentioned refer to wear and friction and marks/hairlines.
Does that mean that coloring (not rust) really does not factor in to grading?
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Valued Member
United States
395 Posts |
As far as color, ill let someone more experienced answer as I am fairly new myself. I personally have yet to run into a situation where I have to consider color into my grading... For example, the raw coins that I possess that I think would merit an MS66 and up all seem to be full of luster and bright as you'd expect. I have yet to find a higher grade coin that wasn't the color I was expecting it to be.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1143 Posts |
Color is subjective at best when grading. There is also a difference between technical grading and market grading to take into account. The simple answer on the difference is that a technical focus relies soley on condition of the coins surface including wear. A photograde book is a good example of technical grading as you see. Now overlap that with eye appeal where toning is attractive or a coin is quite lusterous and you get market grading. While a coin may be technically a MS 65, if it has eye appeal beyond those of similar graded coins, you might see it considered a MS66 by some. My post is an oversimplification but you can start to see how subjective grading is. The coin you listed in your first post is hard to grade as the photo is quite small so I will not render my opinion on it's grade. But keep in mind a 100+ year old coin is likely to have some form of toning/tarnish especially if it is made of reactive medals such as copper or silver. Additionally many early coins were not well struck and have weakness not to be confused as wear. Some also have muted luster as struck depending on the condition of the dies when struck. But back to color which should not affect a grade but does affect the value overall. It also can hide surface problems and that is why so many who start in the hobby prefer "white" coins. There is an old saying, "The easiest way to learn to grade is to look at about 10,000 coins." There is a lot of truth in that saying.
Edited by cointagous
06/11/2013 3:36 pm
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,229 |
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Posted 06/11/2013 11:09 am
