How many coins dose a PCGS grader do in a day
Vetter
Posts: 884 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just wondering how much time is spent looking at a coin for grading and how many dose a grader do in a day. Anyone have an idea?
Members I have done business with:
Silverman68, jfoot13, GAB, ricman, Smittys, scrapman1077, RyGuy, Connecticoin, Meltdown, VikingDude, Peaceman, Patches and more.
Silverman68, jfoot13, GAB, ricman, Smittys, scrapman1077, RyGuy, Connecticoin, Meltdown, VikingDude, Peaceman, Patches and more.
0
Comments
You can assume it's generally around 100-150 coins an hour when you factor everything in.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
265,126 graded in 30 days.
https://www.pcgs.com/statistics
Wait, what? That for one person or the whole team?
Per person.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
62 per day. if you consider a 5 day work week it is 93!!!! more than 10 per hour for an 8 hour day.
Imagine what it must be like having to grade large shipments of modern proof coins. I wonder what the turnover rate for graders is?
Per person. But you gotta remember, coins are graded and finalized. So each one is looked at twice, at a minimum. Awesome stuff gets passed around and all the graders will ogle it a bit. High end stuff gets more looks, or may pass by particular team members for the final OK.
Bulk graders will do far, far more than 100-150 an hour. Depending on the type, 2-3x that usually. But they're usually doing 100+ of the same type at a minimum, and just sorting into stacks, so its a lot faster, especially stuff like NGC pre-screen where most dealers have the graders kicking out anything less than 63.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Any PCGS graders on the fourm to confirm any of this?
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
I had understood from years ago, that 2 graders graded each coin and a third stepped in if a disagreement regarding the grade occurred. Don't know that this is currently the procedure, but would like to know. It would really be nice to have a video of the procedure of grading a coin with variety attribution with all the actual grading and attributing steps. I think that would be most interesting.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Ive heard 7 seconds per coin believe it or not
Wow…. I guess I can see that with modern ASEs, etc….but can you imagine the type coin graders? I wouldn’t think you can determine if many coins are even genuine in 7 seconds, no less arrive at a sound grade decision.
You can usually tell by looking into a graders eyes at the end of their shift.
Not my 30 days.
Received 01/27/2022
No grades yet.
The name is LEE!
You need to wait for another month. I have four orders received in 1/15 are still in grading.
It depends on what is being graded. Morgan dollars, Saints, and ASE's are fairly quick while early colonials, off metal error coins, or early mint issues take longer. In some cases a coin may be sent to a specialist for consultation which could take a few weeks.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
265,126 graded in 30 days seems like a lot... would equal about 18 per minute.... However, that does not include how many graders are working. If we assume teams of three (two graders one finalizer), that could mean for three teams, six coins per minute. Various possibilities, and I have heard they employ a 'lot' of graders. Cheers, RickO
I had 2 orders received 12/27. One was a regular (5 x peace$) , one was modern value with ASE/New peaceMorgan (18coins).
My regular order went to QA Thursday and the grades popped friday, my modern value order went into encapsulation yesterday.
and then wait some more, regular service order received in 12/1/2021 - still in grading.
more than 3 months!
Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
Damn I just submitted a coin and I thought it would be fast. I guess I’ll check back in 3 months.
I would definitely like to hear from a grader on the number of coins that they grade in a day.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
I have many coins I need to grade but I guess I will wait until next year to send.
The video 'PCGS Founder's Roundtable' on youtube is very interesting. Watch it!
Matt Snebold
Way back when, David Hall used to pop in for Q/A once a week. I asked him how long it took to grade a coin and, as I recall, his answer was about 12 seconds. This was back circa 2001 when, I expect, PCGS did not have as many ASEs, etc submitted. So assuming these sorts of coins are graded a bit faster, maybe the average time is a touch lower today?
dec 15 regular 10 coin still in grading??
PCGS does 265,126 coins in 30 days.
22 working days, 15 regular graders 8 hrs day, 7 guest graders 8-10 hrs day. various consultants.
I figure 550-600 a day considering lunch, breaks, problem coins etc. Modern prescreen graders will do 2000-4000 a day.
At ANACS I average 600 a day, 8 hours, but that is no breaks but restroom, no lunch, (my choice), but this includes ancient coins, world coins, conservation and answering questions from other graders.
A solid no problem coin dollar day 1200, Ancient coin research day, as few as 50, but with 40
years practice. J.P. Martin
I worked as a grader 35 years ago and probably averaged 60 coins an hour, although it probably ranged from 40 to 150++ depending on what the coins were. I was one of the slower graders, so I’d guess that the other graders averaged more like 75-80 an hour. Also, this was before they were grading moderns and bullion coins. Otherwise, the numbers would have been significantly higher.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I would require a particularly comfy chair to perform this job. I'm impressed with the statistics. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW
I guess the most important point is that the amount of time spent grading each coin is however long it takes to get it right. Could be a few seconds, could be a few minutes or even longer.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
How many coins can a coin grader grade if a coin grader could grade coins?
I wish I never opened this thread. I just don't understand on any classic gold or silver coin how you can look at bag marks on the field and the devices, degree of luster and most importantly, look at the smallest details to identify counterfeits, and do this on both the obverse and reverse. I would think a classic coin would take a minute to perform a complete "physical". A 2021 eagle I get, but not a classic.
Thanks for your response.
I would not have thought that coins could be graded so fast, especially the older style / type coins.
I learn something new every day.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
I have to believe there are exceptions; I would think authenticating a possible deceptive counterfeit would be cause for a longer review.
How many coins are graded without the grader ever using his magnifier/loupe?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
LIke this?
https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-09-2016/Ki45kh.gif
A professional grader has graded so many coins that they can spot issues faster than most simply because they have honed their skills to that end. Makes sense, too, if you think about it.
Everything I have ever read and heard is that’ll take the time necessary and if it takes a bit longer for some reason they’ll takes that time.
You try grading 20 raw saints or morgans. You'll find its not so quick and easy.
graders have a tremendous amount of concentration. your eyes at some point will play tricks on you
Counterfeits usually have different luster and color, so you don't necessarily have to go digging around for repeaters/flaws/gouges/etc. Graders will have a feel for what a coin of that date/mint should look like, and any deviation from that standard will pique interest and get further critique. Otherwise, review, loupe if necessary, and assign a grade.
"It's like God, Family, Country, except Sticker, Plastic, Coin."
Cudos to the PCGS graders. I have tremendous trust in their work. It's just mind blowing how quickly they can assign a grade to a 100plus year old coin.
I think it would depend on what coin is being graded. Mint state Morgans probably could mostly be done in 20 seconds but a Chain cent would need authentication, rule-out significant problems such as tooling, and would likely be examined by an expert such as Gordy Wrubel.
I'll keep the "different luster and color" in mind reviewing suspicious examples going forward...
Another consideration is the lighting. In the grading room, where there are no windows and no overhead lighting, it's much easier to read the surfaces of a coin. Which probably knocks an average of (WAG) 30% off the time required to "accurately" grade coins. If you doubt that, try it at home.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Then again, it's not always that easy. There were many more than a few times when I took 5+ minutes to try to figure out a piece that I considered suspicious, and that was long before the expert Chinese counterfeits came to market. But for every time consuming suspect coin, there would be 100 straight-from-the-bag 81-S Morgans or 1908 Saints that could be graded in 15 seconds or less. It all averaged out.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
After reading all the comments, I think it’s safe to say that with the number of coins that a grader looks at in a day. The 1938 D Buffalo that is submitted will not be talked about during coffee break. It must be nice to have the chance to grade unique coins in between all the “common” same old coins that make up the majority of the day. I don’t think I could do that day in and day out.
Silverman68, jfoot13, GAB, ricman, Smittys, scrapman1077, RyGuy, Connecticoin, Meltdown, VikingDude, Peaceman, Patches and more.
I typically graded 1000-1200 coins/day during most of my time at PCGS. Depending upon the mixture of coins I would have worked anywhere from 6-12 hours during those days.
During the peak years of the Members Only events and larger shows on site grading events I typically had to grade 1500-1800 coins per day.
There was an event where we were so extremely busy that myself & another grader did over 2000 coins per day on at least 3 of the days. That was the most brutal show I had ever graded at during my 19+ years of grading.
John Butler
David Lawrence Rare Coins
Dang! That's enough to make you want to take up stamp collecting.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Welcome to the forum!
About your post, anything more than 8 hours a day sounds reckless to me. Did PCGS ever try to figure out if graders became less accurate after a certain number of hours at the desk? Seems easy enough for them to figure it out. Then again, maybe they didn't want to know the answer?
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I do wonder how many significant mistakes are made; we are all human and even trained professionals can make an occasional error.
I thought there were fewer and fewer classic US coins and more moderns and foreign issues getting graded. Does anyone have a percentage breakdown of the coins that are being graded?
I can understand why so many people resubmit coins for upgrades at the rates of coins graded by an individual in a day.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...