I have yet another newbie question for you seasoned collectors:
How in the Wide World of Sports can the big grading companies give even remotely accurate grades to the seemingly zillions of coins that are put into their slabs?
One look at ebay alone makes me envision a sci-fi flick slave population sitting in filth with a 10watt light bulb and a loupe grading all the coins for evil coin dealers who demand slabs.
The sheer quantity of graded coins, especially modern ones, makes me seriously doubt their accuracy. It's not like we see want-ads for people "... with coin-grading experience...".
Am I looking at this topic the wrong way? What am I missing?
You ask a very good question and the fact that you recognize and question it shows intelligent thought.
I don't know, however IMO, perhaps they not only use eyes but technology scanning based upon programs to assist. My opinion on the 3rd party graders is very similar to asking for grades on this site. There are many experienced collectors here with far more experience than I. You also have to know the coin or currency and their minting processes to understand how they are produced, and where and when they were minted.
I believe there is also some subjectivity. Everyone's eyes, opinions and what pleases each persons' pleasures are different. Some standards have been put forth as to what constitutes each grade. You should be able to find examples of those standards on PCGS, NGC, etc. Or just Google 'coin grading scale'...
In the end what I may like and think should be a MS 65, you may think is MS 63. I read it here frequently, the difference of opinions.
The important thing to remember is to respect opinions and not take things personal as it can quickly get out of hand.
Junior graders get hired to grade the millions of silver eagles graded each year (ok, 100s of 1000s). We've heard stories about people setup in a warehouse with 1000s of monster boxes for grading. 3-6 seconds per side per coin.
A few get tapped for the next level up.
Eventually, if you are good enough, you become a senior grader and those are who grade the expensive coins.
-----Burton
50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973)
Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA
Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club
Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983)
How about a US 3CS? I've handled mint state and proof examples without gloves and never once left a fingerprint. I've also handled 6 and 7 figure coins without gloves, never a fingerprint either.
Quote: it can't be a sweat shop-because sweat on coins is not a good idea!
Good point.
I am not wondering about their accuracy, just the process and how the sheer quantity of coins is (are?) handled. The same could be asked of postage stamp graders. Though I think coin collecting will outlast stamp collecting, so maybe someday there with be a shortage of stamp graders, but not coin graders?
@nells250, all joking aside, I think that if somebody does something 8 hours a day, they are going be able to grade at a glance (almost) because they will (presumably) get quite good. But like anything else mistakes can be made, and there might be as many clerical mistakes as actual grading errors.
You got THAT right! I've always wondered how people who work on assembly lines stay sane...
Though from what I have read on the forum, collectors expect perfection. Perhaps it just SEEMS that way. I am the type of gal who likes to see (or at least have an idea of) how things are made. The processes behind "stuff".
"How Do The Grading Companies Handle So Many Submissions?"
"One order at a time", would be my answer.
I could certainly agree that grading would be monotonous at times, but then when something unusual comes down the pipe, "stop the presses".
I would not be a very efficient grader, more of a variety specialist, since I would be looking for varieties, whether the submitter asked for it or not.
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to CCF Your not missing anything!
Posted 11/16/2020 9:55 pm
