Posted 12/06/2015 11:14 am
gtcrafter- grading is like most other things, it takes hours of dedicated practice to master (something I still haven't accomplished myself) but the more coins you look at and the more you read about it, the easier it becomes.
For all coins, there are higher spots which begin to wear first. In the case of my coin, that is the braid on the obverse and the tips of the leaves on the reverse. For your coin, it is the earlobe, eyebrows and hair. A Mint State (MS) coin will show no wear in those areas but may show miniscule marks (bag marks) throughout the coin. This is from production at the mint or handling thereafter. Other factors including damage(in any form) greatly affect the grade of the coin and may (in some instances) make your coin un-gradable or severely affect the grade. In the case of my coin, there is a scratch on the queen's neck which will definitely come into play in the grade.
A good start would be http://www.coinsandcanada.com/coins-grading.php.
This website will give you examples of certain grades and a small description of what led to that grading.
Books such as the Charlton Standard Catalogue have great information in them with respect to grading and both of these resources have helped me immensely.
This website is also a great tool, look at the submissions in the grading section and test yourself that way. Don't be afraid to give your grade and opinions on why you arrived at that conclusion. This is a great environment for learning and people will only help you learn from your mistakes. It's fun and it's great practice!
If you are looking for a grade on your coin, I suggest uploading clear pictures of both sides of the coin using the tools provided within this website.
Hope some of this advice helps, it's a large topic that cannot completely be covered by me but some of these tips will help you on your way.
Happy Collecting!
For all coins, there are higher spots which begin to wear first. In the case of my coin, that is the braid on the obverse and the tips of the leaves on the reverse. For your coin, it is the earlobe, eyebrows and hair. A Mint State (MS) coin will show no wear in those areas but may show miniscule marks (bag marks) throughout the coin. This is from production at the mint or handling thereafter. Other factors including damage(in any form) greatly affect the grade of the coin and may (in some instances) make your coin un-gradable or severely affect the grade. In the case of my coin, there is a scratch on the queen's neck which will definitely come into play in the grade.
A good start would be http://www.coinsandcanada.com/coins-grading.php.
This website will give you examples of certain grades and a small description of what led to that grading.
Books such as the Charlton Standard Catalogue have great information in them with respect to grading and both of these resources have helped me immensely.
This website is also a great tool, look at the submissions in the grading section and test yourself that way. Don't be afraid to give your grade and opinions on why you arrived at that conclusion. This is a great environment for learning and people will only help you learn from your mistakes. It's fun and it's great practice!
If you are looking for a grade on your coin, I suggest uploading clear pictures of both sides of the coin using the tools provided within this website.
Hope some of this advice helps, it's a large topic that cannot completely be covered by me but some of these tips will help you on your way.
Happy Collecting!
