Posted 08/09/2009 3:47 pm
There are so many factors to grading.
No one coin wears the same. Every coin is just a bit different so the 20 or more grades that we have are just not enough. Coin grade and price are all dependent on the collector. Some coins like the S mint Walking halves just have a weak strike. I have seen these coins before where I would grade them XF but they were slabbed as a 63 coin. The diamond on the Indian cent are the same way. Some coins the diamonds wear right off leading some collectors to give it a low grade on the other hand the rest of the coin might still be nice looking and so other graders grade much higher.
Eye appeal is also a very large factor. It is what grading comes down to. The more wear the less eye appeal but also toning and damage add to it. I own a Morgan dollar graded MS-63 by PCGS that looks just as nice to me as a 65 because the damage does not take away from the appeal for me. If I took it out I would grade it a 64 but others might keep it at 63. With toning some collectors dont like it and therefore would give a toned coin a lower grade than one that likes it.
Since every coin tones, wears, and looks different I dont think that we could ever have a computer grade a coin.
Collecting coins is a science whereas grading is an art.
No one coin wears the same. Every coin is just a bit different so the 20 or more grades that we have are just not enough. Coin grade and price are all dependent on the collector. Some coins like the S mint Walking halves just have a weak strike. I have seen these coins before where I would grade them XF but they were slabbed as a 63 coin. The diamond on the Indian cent are the same way. Some coins the diamonds wear right off leading some collectors to give it a low grade on the other hand the rest of the coin might still be nice looking and so other graders grade much higher.
Eye appeal is also a very large factor. It is what grading comes down to. The more wear the less eye appeal but also toning and damage add to it. I own a Morgan dollar graded MS-63 by PCGS that looks just as nice to me as a 65 because the damage does not take away from the appeal for me. If I took it out I would grade it a 64 but others might keep it at 63. With toning some collectors dont like it and therefore would give a toned coin a lower grade than one that likes it.
Since every coin tones, wears, and looks different I dont think that we could ever have a computer grade a coin.
Collecting coins is a science whereas grading is an art.
