Interesting, stamps have a 100 point grading system yet only 96-100 are mint state! That is even les

oreville

Interesting, stamps have a 100 point grading system yet only 96-100 are mint state! That is even less than for coins!

My question is that it appears to be unbalanced. Too many circulated grades and not enough mint state grades.

Discussion?

KentuckyJ

PSE grading guide

I've focused my stamp collections in the gem 98 and 100 area although there are issues in some of my sets where 95 is presently the highest known graded stamp. What I do like is that PSE is only using 95, 98 and 100 #s. Compare this to PCGS coin and currency services with 65, 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70's. I collect in all three hobby areas. Grading in the stamp world seems refreshing in its simplicity.

KJ

Connecticoin

Huh?

I thought Mint NH was mint state. Most Mint NH classic stamps are F-VF off the presses ("75")

messydesk

I took a peek at the PSE online pictoral grading guide, and it is pretty useless. We often say how it's hard to grade coins from pictures, but it seems fairly impossible to grade a stamp by a picture. About the only thing you can assess is the centering.