Is there anything worse to figure out ??????

Fairlaneman

A lightsider just might be upto his arse with alligators when grading is being figured out but this darkside grading puts the alligators over the top of your head.

1. "UNC....No wear present even if viewed with a 30 power microscope". Holy Cow, what happened to 5 power or 10 power.
2. "There are almost no world grading guides". Holy Cow II, room for opinion it looks like.
3 "Inner detail". No Understand Kimosabe
4. "Grade by small design element only" Not really sure how a coin can get graded by just a very small part of the coin.
5. "Strong or weak strikes,partial strikes,damage, tone of any sort and cleaning ". Is it to be understood that all of these adjectives could even apply to a uncirculated coin.
6. "Standards are given for AU coins". AU is not listed in the "Krause Book". Just wing it and hope for the best ?

Confusion runs amuck after the book came in yesterday. How is a person going to get this correct or even close to correct. TPG's ?

End of jovial rant......

Ken

rhound1977

Fairlaneman

Shucks guys it is not a rant. Its a round about PLEA for some help and opinions about the way you grade or what the common practices are.

How is a litesider to learn without help from the best around ? Suck Up, Suck Up, Suck Up...

Ken

GDJMSP

<< <i>
1. "UNC....No wear present even if viewed with a 30 power microscope". Holy Cow, what happened to 5 power or 10 power.
2. "There are almost no world grading guides". Holy Cow II, room for opinion it looks like.
3 "Inner detail". No Understand Kimosabe
4. "Grade by small design element only" Not really sure how a coin can get graded by just a very small part of the coin.
5. "Strong or weak strikes,partial strikes,damage, tone of any sort and cleaning ". Is it to be understood that all of these adjectives could even apply to a uncirculated coin.
6. "Standards are given for AU coins". AU is not listed in the "Krause Book". Just wing it and hope for the best ?

Ken >>



OK - here's a little help. But don't be surprised if this "little help" stimulates a whole lot of difference of opinion

1 - I think 5x would work just fine.

2 - Very true - it harkens back to the old days when there were no grading guides period.

3 - Inner detail is just that - a literal term. It refers to the detail found in the primary areas of the coin's devices.

4 - With many older world coins it is common for some folks to grade them by a small design element. This is because the technology at the time was such that few, if any, of the coins struck were fully struck. Thus detail on the entire coin is not necessarily expected to be present.

5 - The strike of the coin goes hand in hand with #4. Toning is treated much the same as with any coin - it is a plus if attractive a negative if ugly. Yeah - subjectivity at its best. And cleaning - well that's always a no no unless performed to prevent further damage due to contaminants. And yes the terms can apply to an unc coin.

6 - AU is AU - but what must be taken into account is what Unc is. Many world coins, especially the older ones, can rightfully be called Unc. But those unfamiliar with these coins - would never believe it because it does not fit their definition of what Unc is. Of course that is because the majority of the time they are used to looking at and grading coins from an entirely different time period that were struck using entirely different technology.

Bottom line - there is a lot to learn. And it is a whole different world

Askari

Doug is right on. Frankly, though, if you can grade US coins well for a certain era, you can do a reasonable job with world coins. Keep in mind, though, that they're the same for technical grading, not market grading.