Just What Grading Standards Are We Supposed To Be Using If Not ANA

My apologies ahead of time for this lengthy post, but there was no way I could make this shorter and explain myself.

Many of you know me by now. I've submitted over 300 Morgan and Peace dollars over at the grading forum and always appreciate the comments and grades whether I agree or not. Just the other day I submitted a common 1921 Morgan dollar and was surprised to have a number of comments leaning AU-58, when clearly to me and in hand it is low MS according to ANA Morgan dollar grading standards. Well that got me wondering about just what standards people are using to grade these coins .......... if they are not the ANA standards, then what?

And before I write anymore, believe me, I'm not complaining about the grades on that last coin I submitted, that coin is irrelevant, it's the bigger picture I'm asking about, all coins. Perhaps on that one my pictures could have been better, but I'm using that Morgan as an example because it's fresh in my mind and fairly new to the grading forum.

So here's how I see this latest Morgan that got me thinking this way. And I'm going to include a couple of pictures of the coin again and a couple of pictures right out of "The Official American Numismatic Grading Standards for United States coins", 7'th edition in the Morgan dollar section.

So the coin does have a few very minor scratches on her cheek, nothing deep along with a few hairlines. Very little in the fields on either side of the coin, and not a hint of wear anywhere on the coin. Full luster and cartwheels both sides. Very nice eye appeal and only photography and magnification reveal anything less than a mid 60's. One mention said "that darker spot on the cheek could be luster rub and would keep it at AU-58", a few mentions that the eagles breast feathers look worn. Somebody pointed out that it might be a worn die and weak strike, they were correct.

So now reading the grading standards, even a MS-62 can have distracting marks in prime or secondary focal areas. May have hairlines even to a noticeable patch. Luster may be original or impaired. And eye appeal can be as low as "acceptable.

So given the fact that this coin has no worse conditions than the description under MS-62, and some aspects of the coin are even better are closer to 63 or even 64, what standards are being used to grade this Morgan anything less than MS? And as I said already, it's not about this coin, I'm curious about what standards are being used to grade any coin if not ANA.









*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***