How many factors should go into the grading equation

Cam40

how many can you think of and which ones are most relevant to you.

coinguy1

Here is my list:

Strike

Color

Luster

Man-made flaws/defects, such as: abrasions, scratches, hairlines, cleaning, wiping, bag-marks (though those are coin-made and not man-made ) etc.

Mint-made flaws/defects, such as: adjustment marks, planchet flaws/flakes/chips, lint marks, grease streaks, die rust, worn dies, etc.

Eye-appeal

To me, eye-appeal is by far the most important, because, whether we are even aware of it or not, the other factors mentioned above, are part of the overall eye appeal anyway.

I don't mean to imply that a coin with great eye-appeal should be over-graded and that other problems/flaws should be ignored or over-looked, only that eye-appeal is THE most important factor.

Edited to add: In the case of circulated coins, WEAR is certainly a major factor to consider!

tjkillian

Coinguy1 got it right, those are the criteria for grading coins. The only difference between collectors is the ORDER of them. Mine are, in order:
1. Strike
2. Man-made defects
3. Luster
4. Eye Appeal
5. Color
6 Mint-made defects.

BillJones

<< <i>To me, eye-appeal is by far the most important, because, whether we are even aware of it or not, the other factors mentioned above, are part of the overall appeal is THE most important factor. >>



Yep, if the coin is not attractive it's a bear to sell it, unless you are selling to investors who only look at the grade on the plastic. I don't deal with those folks so if I don't find a coin to be attractive for its grade, I avoid it.

prooflike

EYE APPEAL
STRIKE
LUSTER
SURFACE MARKS

In that order for me.

Nysoto

Mark,

If you were grading a 1806 half dollar that had XF40 wear and circulation marks consistent with XF grade, but had a very weak strike with worn dies, and adjustment marks, would you grade this coin less than XF40?

mgoodm3

My answer is ....... 4.... no more, no less.

coinguy1

Nysoto, it's hard to answer your question on a sight-unseen basis. But, my guess is no. I would typically (though not always) be much more likely to net/down grade a coin based on man-made, as opposed to mint-made flaws/problems.

Nysoto

Thanks Mark. I posed this question to NGC, they stated their grade on circulated coins would not be affected by weak strikes and/or worn dies. I believe PCGS stated somewhere they will reduce the grade of a circulated coin if it is very weakly struck, this does show in their grades of these coins.

braddick

<< <i>Coinguy1 got it right, those are the criteria for grading coins. The only difference between collectors is the ORDER of them. Mine are, in order: 1. Strike 2. Man-made defects 3. Luster 4. Eye Appeal 5. Color 6 Mint-made defects. >>

I would only change the order slightly:
1- Defects (A coin with "MS60'ish" bagmarks and hits and scrapes can be well struck and lusterous but remain unatractive.)
2- Luster (Flat luster/dull, lifeless luster will kill any coin, no matter the other positive attributes.)
3- Strike (Full strike, full detail rounds out the potential GEM+ grade.)

-Eye Appeal should fall in line when the above criteria is met.
-Color (or "white") is too subjective and not a part of the 'grade'.

cladking

To me the factors which describe the condition of a coin include its present state and
a best guess about its original condition which would include the condition of the die
and the planchet. In order to fully describe a coin then the angle and depth of strike
are key components. Actual depth can not be known so this is apparent depth based
on the amount of detail on the coin at striking determined by it's current look. For a
worn coin less can be said about this but as a coin wears less need be said since the
highest details are worn away in any case. Any hub deficiencies should also be a factor
in describing a coin. The suface characteristics are also important and here it can be
much more difficult to know exactly what causes what look. Most can generally agree
on what an original coin should look like but there are some non-standard coins issued
which can get pretty tricky.

Most aspects of a coin's grade are fully quantifiable and could be used for grading. The
system would not be as unwieldy as it sounds and would give one a good estimate of
a coin's appearance. The largest drawback would be the difficulty in pricing without some
sort of "net grade".

Cam40

Does mintage , desirabilty,and pops play a part in the grading process?

mdwoods

For unc coins,

Luster
Marks
Toning (can be a negative as well as a positive)
Strike
Defects

Eye appeal is a combination of luster and perhaps appealing toning. Though a lot of marks or defects will certainly affect eye appeal.

MrEureka

How many factors should go into the grading equation

42, of course.