Is it true that the reverse of a coin can only drag down but not improve the overall grade?

robbylu52

I have a 1945 Walker in ms 65. The obverse is solid 65 but the reverse is 67+. Does that mean it cannot grade better than 65 at the grading services.

MFeld

I try to avoid using words like “always”, “never” and “cannot”. But only very rarely, does the reverse of a coin help the grade. And even then, I think it would be on a liner coin, that is extremely close to a particular grade, anyway.

YQQ

i do not believe that.
if the obv is worse than the rev? the grade should be based on the obv

MFeld

@YQQ said:
i do not believe that.
if the obv is worse than the rev? the grade should be based on the obv

You don’t believe what? The grade IS based far more heavily on the obverse and the reverse hardly ever helps.

YQQ

if the obv is 50 and the rev is 60...how can it drag it down?

MFeld

@YQQ said:
if the obv is 50 and the rev is 60...how can it drag it down?

In that case, it wouldn’t “drag it down”. No one said the reverse always lowers the grade. The point was that it rarely helps the grade.

robbylu52

@MFeld said:

@YQQ said:
if the obv is 50 and the rev is 60...how can it drag it down?

In that case, it wouldn’t “drag it down”. No one said the reverse always lowers the grade. The point was that it rarely helps the grade.

If a coin has a 65 obverse and a 64 reverse will it mostly grade 65 or 64?

MFeld

@robbylu52 said:

@MFeld said:

@YQQ said:
if the obv is 50 and the rev is 60...how can it drag it down?

In that case, it wouldn’t “drag it down”. No one said the reverse always lowers the grade. The point was that it rarely helps the grade.

If a coin has a 65 obverse and a 64 reverse will it mostly grade 65 or 64?

I think more times than not, 65, but by no means, a given.

robbylu52

@MFeld said:

@robbylu52 said:

@MFeld said:

@YQQ said:
if the obv is 50 and the rev is 60...how can it drag it down?

In that case, it wouldn’t “drag it down”. No one said the reverse always lowers the grade. The point was that it rarely helps the grade.

If a coin has a 65 obverse and a 64 reverse will it mostly grade 65 or 64?

I think more times than not, 65, but by no means, a given.

Thanks for the information