what are my coins worth
Grading Your Coins
This is a nice MS-66 Mercury dime
One aspect of coin collecting that can take years to get a knack for is grading. Every coin has many focus areas you must look for to assign the proper grade to a coin. The difference between a coin being Mint State and about uncirculated can be impossible at first to spot but with time you will learn to grade like a pro. The value of a coin not only lies with its relative rarity but it also has a great deal to do with the grade or condition a coin can be in. Coins are graded on a scale from 1 to 70 and they have designations from about good (AG 3) gem uncirculated (MS 70). The difference in one grade point can be in some cases thousands of dollars. Coins can be very common in one grade but virtually unseen in higher grades.
The best was to stat is to know the breakdown of the grading. Coins grade as follows:
- AG-3 About Good
- G-4 Good
- VG-8 Very Good
- F-12 Fine
- VF-20 Very Fine
- EF-40 Extremely Fine
- AU-50 About Uncirculated
- MS-60 Uncirculated
- MS-63 Choice Uncirculated
- MS-65 Gem Uncirculated
- MS-70
Each coin has many various middle grades between those major listed about. Each coins also has their own set of standards for each coin.
Here are my tips to learn to grade:
- Get your hands on an auction catalouge. Cover up the grades of the coins then guess what you think it is. After you have your guess look at the actual grade and figure out why you are off.
- Get a copy of The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards of United States Coins (Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins)
- Look at dealer inventories of coins you collect. The guess what they are and ask the dealer how you did.
- Pick a coin like the mercury dime and obtain examples from all ranges of grades so you know what to look for in that coin.
- Always look first with you naked eye, then once with magnification. Scan the coin for wear or scratches, always check for rim chips, think about color and tone. Ask yourself if you think the coin is original.
- Always think what did this coin look like when it was first struck then work backwards from that point.
- Look for strike detail and compare this to wear. Do not mistake a weak strike for a worn coin.
It is very hard to learn how to grade every coin out there so pick a few at first and learn them inside and out then slowly expand. When you are grading a coin do not forget to think if the coins is authentic and if the coin has been cleaned.
The coin pictured is a nice MS 66 Mercury dime. The coin shows a nice as minted luster, the coin has good color, but the strike is a bit weak leaving the coin at MS 66 rather than MS 67 or higher. This is a good example of a gem uncirculated coin.
Good luck and happy collecting. Get out and grade.
