Unusual ways to grade a coin?
Insider2
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Do you have any "special" or unusual ways you examine a coin?
If seen very experienced professional graders hold a coin upside down to examine it. I've seen them grade a box of coins from the last coin to the first because many collectors put their best coins at the end hoping to get a higher grade.
What have you seen or done?
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Before sending a coin in, I determine the grade I think it is. I then put the coin aside for a day and pick it back up with a fresh set of eyes. Amazing how many times it drops a grade. If it does not drop, I usually have a winner. I then chose the right service level, which is equally important.
Nothing special but certainly takes me longer then 6 seconds to determine authenticity, details and grade. I do also tend to be stricter then the "experts", my grades consistently come in lower then the TPG. Again probably because not much can be determined during the 6 second turbo grade.
I find I usually will look at the reverse of AU/MS Walking Liberty halves and Buffalo nickels before I examine the obverse when grading. Perhaps not all that unusual.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
You need to get over the six second thing! Often it takes only FOUR seconds. Hold a magnifying glass in one hand an put a dollar in the other. Now count off six seconds. Much longer time span than you thought, right?
That's what I do for some series. I look at the detail in the wheat, or wreath to get in the ball park. Always remembering that the reverse is the less important side.
Took 4 seconds just to determine improperly cleaned. Now I still need to determine artificial colour, if the coin is a fake and then the grade. I'm going to need 60 seconds and that's on a series I'm familiar with.
Can you elaborate a little on this?
We have the luxury of sitting around at home playing with our coins for hours. Graders don't.
If I see something interesting on a coin, one thing I do is view it from different angles. Like the OP said........even upside down.
Funny how the reflection of light changes what is seen on a coins surface.
Pete
Keep your day job. I'm going to guess that an experienced TPG can determine if the surface of a coin is not market acceptable in less than a half second. I've had a few of my students recognize that a coin was cleaned by its appearance from a foot away. Female students are especially good at it. All that is needed is to learn what original coins (graded 65 and higher) should look like. Toning takes a closer look. Coins with some evidence of cleaning do get straight graded.
Fair enough, I don't expect to become a professional coin grader in this lifetime. But I wish you would concede that 6 seconds is not enough time to properly grade a coin. Maybe you personally have some super ability to do this but I have slab after slab of over graded junk, improperly cleaned, rim dinged coins in MS holders etc. No doubt graded on this 6 second rule.
You mention holding a coin upside-down in the first post and that is exactly how I look at coins when grading them. Not only for grading, but for evidence of surface manipulation, as well.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I actually keep the coin right side up, but do a headstand
Turning coin different directions is more so for pre-grading evaluation. We tend to get accustomed to the design straight on and there's often issue overlooked as they blend into the elements. Mid first cup of coffee here so I'm not sure if that makes sense? For example actress Jessica Biel at a glance is a she's a very beautiful woman. If you look a bit longer you'll notice she has a lot of funky features that just sort of blend well together. That being said rotating allows your brain to quickly rip the coin apart without being enamored by it's design.
For many coins, six seconds is plenty of time for an experienced collector or professional. While it may not seem possible, talk to those who grade coins every day and it will seem more possible. When I teach grading, the average collector will take minutes to grade a coin. When given a "10-second challenge," they are often dumbfounded with how someone could grade a coin so quickly. By the end of the class, many students improve the speed of their grading because they learn how to systematically evaluate a coin.
I remind them that grading is a learned skill and not a divine talent. The more you grade, the better (and faster) you get. I also recommend they read Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink," which discusses how the "average" person becomes an "expert" and appears to have skills that are "superhuman."
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
I have never timed myself when evaluating a coin.... no need to do that. I am not, nor will I ever be a professional coin grader. I can, however, reach a reasonable conclusion in a short period of evaluation... Grading is an art, not yet a science. One cannot have true science without standards. Cheers, RickO
Thank you - thats funny stuff.
Taking the PCGS timed grading contest challenges is very worthwhile beyond winning any prize. The first 10 coins are a breeze, the last 10 a bit tougher. As when up against the same series coins in the last batch you can't mentally pause to reevaluate the previously graded coins.
@Broadstruck.... I am sure you are correct about the challenge... However, I restrict my challenges to a couple of my other interests (spelunking, shooting)... I am a collector and my interests are in acquiring coins I like...I will leave speed grading to others... Cheers, RickO
I tape my coin to the middle of a dart board. I have replace the numbers 1-20 with grades from 1-70. I throw a dart at the board and grade the coin according to where it lands. If I hit the coin, I grade it Details: damaged.
spelunking
I had to Goggle that... Since I was like wowzers a bit too early for ricko to be drunk
@Broadstruck ...Yep.... I have not had my breakfast Cabernet yet....
Cheers, RickO
Well drink up so your coins will turn by themselves
Chug-a-lug.....reminds me of an old song...next lines were 'Grape wine in a mason jar, home made and brung to school... chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug.....Cannot remember who did it ....it was popular for a while..... No chance today...Cheers, RickO
@blitzdude said: "...I have slab after slab of over graded junk, improperly cleaned, rim dinged coins in MS holders etc."
As a self professed non-grader, I cannot accept your opinion posted above. Show us the "junk" you have in major TPGS slabs. Fly-By-Night services don't count. I'll give you just "SIX SECONDS" to post your reply!
Twirl obverse and reverse first. Usually this shows uncirculated versus circulated.
Ken
Just for completeness, the artist was Roger Miller, around 1964
Edit - as for coin grading, remember to look at the edge!
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
@carabonnair.... Thank you... Cheers, RickO
Roger Miller. Same guy that sang "King of the Road."
"Make me wanna holler hi-de-ho, burns your tummy dontcha know, chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug"!
Is my age showing?
Oops ... just noticed @carabonnair beat me to it.
Kind regards,
George
@giorgio11....Thanks George..... it was a good song....Cheers, RickO
Interesting subject!
,
As a college professor, I sometimes grade coins by throwing a whole pile of them down a staircase, just like I would with students' term papers. It actually works well on coins, because the ones that make it to the bottom usually end up in low grade.
Still wondering why PCGS hasn't gotten back to me about my internship application.