Grading learning curve

nwcs

How long did it take you to go from a beginner grader to where you are now? What are some of the tricks you've learned as you gained knowledge/experience?

For me, one of the things I've learned is to do is look at the coin in different light sources (when possible) and if in fluorescents always grade one less than what I think it is. I've also learned to bring my loupe with me and always give a coin a twice-over before considering it.

shirohniichan

I focus more on eye-appeal than grades. If the coin has the eye-appeal I want and is priced reasonably, I buy the coin. It's really that simple. It doesn't matter if it's a stunning MS-63 with a Gray Sheet value of $150 when MS-64's are $300, if it looks nice enough I'll pay close to MS-64 price for it. If it's an ugly MS-64, I may not even be willing to spend MS-63 money for it.

My goal is to assemble nice looking sets of coins regardless of grade, so maybe I'll never become an expert grader.

nwcs

That's a very good approach. In the end, it really is only about eye appeal.

KlectorKid

i would still consider myself a beginner grader because my grading horizions are not very large i can grade the older stuff like Bust coins, seated coins, mercs, walkers, flowing hair, morgans, trade dollars, barbers, ect. but i cant grade anything newer I.E. lincons, buffs, franklins, JFK's, Sac.'s, washingtons, .ect

MrKelso

I began 35 years ago and today 35 years later i am still a beginner. Never could get the hang of it other then the whole eye appeal thing and eye appeal is what i think it is all about.

Lakesammman

I've been specializing in IHC's for 7 years, work at it hard and still consider myself a beginner - I still get fooled by AT, counterfeits, doctored coins, etc. But, I am better than PCGS - I keep sending them 66R coins that come back in 65 holders!

kranky

The tips that helped me might not help anyone else, but...

I had a tendency to focus too much on surface marks. I had to discipline myself to make an effort to put luster, strike, and eye appeal into the equation appropriately.

I frequently overlook hairlines. Even though I know it's a weak area for me, and I carefully rotate the coin around (then turn it 90 degrees and do it again), it's just something I don't always see. Hairlines count a lot, so be careful if you don't pick them up well.

Your first look at the coin should be without your loupe. If you use the loupe right off the bat, you might downgrade too much for surface marks which aren't as bad as they appear under magnification. Then when you take the loupe away, it's too late because you subconsciously have registered them as worse than they really are.

And someday I hope to be able to distinguish the difference between "friction" and "wear". Since I can't do that reliably, I can't buy raw Uncs which might actually be sliders (really nice Unc-looking coins which are really AU) if it would cost a lot of money to be wrong. (I guess that's not much of a tip.)

Remember to look at the edge.

Learn to recognize the look of dipped gold if you buy gold coins.

Of course, these are really mint state coin grading tips; grading circs is much easier.

Thanks to Mark Feld, Ken Krah and Disco Billy who taught us so diligently in the ANA grading class this summer.

darktone

I guess my tip would be to not overlook the obvious such as cleaning and whizzing while looking at a coin with high magnafication counting surface marks. mike

its4real

I went from idiot to beginner in only 3 months

ARCO

Ditto with Shiro. I took a few months to feel somewhat confident grading my collecting series of Barber halves. They are easy enough to grade, but with big price differences from grade to grade, it helps to know. I still have trouble with AU and Unc graded coins.

Like Shiro said, if the coin looks hot, I buy it and don't worry too much if I paid a few bucks too much for it.

Tyler

BlueCole

eye appeal. If you don't like it in the first 5 seconds, don't buy it. You 'll like it even less 3, 4 years down the road.

B.

Russ

The only thing I can grade with any consistency are proof Kennedys, and that took a bunch of time and money in submissions before I got it down.

I do a "first impression" grade by looking at the strike and eye appeal for a few seconds on each side. If it doesn't jump out as "69", the coin automatically goes in the roll (unless it's a cameo or Accented Hair). If it passes the first impression, than I check it under the loop. Any hairlines, any dings in the portrait or - on the reverse - the feathers or shield, it goes in the roll. Any field occlusions, it goes in the roll.

In other words, I rarely submit any non CAM or non Accented Hairs anymore. I do have one in right now, though, that if it doesn't score a 69, I'll know for sure PCGS is full of crap.

Russ, NCNE

Fairlaneman

Kranky hit on a very important part of the coin that is over looked much of the time. Look at the Rim of the Coin. If no luster is present the coin has been in circulation. It took a long time to learn this.

Copper gives me fits. Never will get it correct with them.

Ken

FrattLaw

I've now gone to a somewhat local shop where the owner is a former PCGS grader and I've discuss various grades/techniques with him. I also tried practicing on a coin or two and had him give me his grade. If I was off I would ask him why and what should I be looking at. It's improved my ability 100%. It's costly since I usually drop some decent money when I'm in his store, but I consider minimal compared to the education that I'm getting basically for free.

I also look at as many coins as possible via the internet and at shows. Since most of my buying is done via Ebay ect, you really have to study those scans to get a good idea. I might then copy the pic to a image editing program and then increase the size and look at the fine points while comparing the pic to a previously graded coin.

I'm still a beginner and concentrate on one series at a time, but from my interactions with my PCGS guy, I'm getting better!

Michael

MW Fattorosi Collection

Cam40

Russ-You are amazing with those Kennedys.Your skill of grading them is definetly on par with the best graders in the business.And with that skill ,It wouldnt be too much a stretch to translate that knowledge to other series.You might make it as a PCGS grader yet.Have you considered applying for that job?
I,m serious.

All the comments thus far are tremendous.Great thread.

On lighting: I think the best way to assurtain the actual grade is from `proper lighting` ie; the average white
lightbulb.These `normal` bulbs give off all the colors in the light spectrum more equally,where as a flourescent bulb is usually too `blue` or too `red`.
Summary: Flourescent bulbs suck for grading coins.

Trime

Kranky reiterated what he and I learned at the ANA advanced grading course. I agree with everything he said . I would also agree with those that say humility, experience and effort is what makes a good grader. I disagree that eye appeal is everything. Toning is in vogue and I too love beautifully toned coins but.... it can also mask important defects particularly lots of hairlines. I have purchased coins that I said Ahh..... but when at home under good light and careful inspection , I said nah... Use all your skills and concentrate on as many things as possible in a systematic fashion, in my humble opinion you will end up with the true gems.

Russ

Cam40,

I'm flattered, but I would be completely and utterly lost trying to grade any other series. Frankly, late-date proof coinage is probably the easiest thing to learn to grade because it is subject to far fewer variables than earlier coins and business strikes. Right now, I'm having a hard enough time just trying to learn Walkers. They are much tougher than proof JFKs.

Russ, NCNE

kranky

Russ, your comment reminded me of something that was said in the grading seminar - the easiest coins to grade have "Big heads and big fields."