Grading of Lincolns

lincolnSence

Point blank, why does it seem so hard to cross or upgrade coins in this series? Has the grading been that consistent since the start?

homerunhall

I believe Lincoln cent grading has been one of the more consistent areas of PCGS grading over the years. However, there are obviously more 34 to date Lincolns getting into high grade holders now than there were 10 years ago. I don't know whether it's because the coins are worth so much more today so we get a lot more submissions...or whether the graders are more inclined to "use the whole grading scale" when grading these coins. I suspect it's a little of both.

I personally feel the PCGS Lincoln standards (and this is a series I've sold and specialized in before Stewart Blay was born...just kidding, Stewart) are very resonable and right where they should be. If they were looser, it just wouldn't be right. If they were tighter, nobody would ever make any coins. I look at a lot of Lincolns in auctions, and I like most of what I see.