Understanding the Grading Scale: How Certification Impacts Coin Value
Ensuring both the seller and the buyer have the same idea about the coin's condition, not depending on where they are
A higher grade means more people want the coin and the price is higher, making the grade the most important part of the price
Professional certification, given by special companies, confirms that the coin is real and its condition is described correctly without mistakes
70 points is an absolutely perfect coin
1 point is a coin that is so worn down, you can barely tell it is a coin, showing extreme damage
How well the original, mirror-like factory shine of the coin's surface has been kept, needing to be even and bright
How hard the press hit the coin and how clearly all the small details of the design were printed, ensuring sharpness
The number, size, and position of tiny scratches, spots, and marks from hitting other coins that appeared while the coin was stored in a bag, affecting the final grade
MS-60, MS-61, MS-62 coins are never used as money but have big storage problems. They may have many marks from hitting other coins (bag marks) or strong spots, making the original shine dull or broken. The price of these coins is often not much higher than AU coins.
MS-63, MS-64 are the most common conditions for old, unused coins, showing shine but having visible scratches or noticeable spots that lower the score.
MS-65 has a full, bright shine, showing only a very small number of tiny scratches or small contact marks that are hard to see without a special glass. Moving from MS-64 to MS-65 often makes the coin's price several times higher, proving the importance of perfection.
MS-66, MS-67 look almost perfect, having full and even shine. Problems are so small and few that you can find them only with strong magnification, representing a very high quality of keeping.
MS-68, MS-69 coins are practically impossible to tell from perfect, showing no visible problems without special tools. All details of the making are as clear as possible, setting a very high standard.
MS-70, having no scratch, spot, or mark from hitting anything on the surface, even under magnification. This is the highest possible score and the most expensive one, marking the ultimate condition.
They also get scores from PR-60 to PR-70
PR-70 is a perfect mirror surface without one single problem, showing zero defects
PCGS
NGC
G-4: Price $50
VF-30: Price $500
XF-45: Price $2,500
MS-63: Price $10,000
MS-65: Price $50,000
MS-67: Price $250,000
Grade is the main thing that determines the collector's coin value.
Two coins issued in the same year may look the same, but their prices may vary greatly; one coin may cost $10 and the other $100, indicating a large difference caused by how long the coin has been used as money.
This difference in price is explained by the fact that one coin was badly worn and damaged, while the other was preserved in almost perfect condition, retaining its original appearance.
Main reasons for grading:
The Sheldon Scale
In the year 1949, a coin expert named William Sheldon created a scale, becoming the world standard for coin condition. The Sheldon Scale is a system of scoring from 1 to 70, explaining the exact state of the coin.
Condition | Code | Scores | |
Poor | PO | 1-2 | The coin is very worn down, barely showing the main shapes and large parts, making it hard to see the design |
Good | G | 3-6 | All main writing, the date, and the shapes are visible, but the design details are rubbed away, lacking sharpness |
Fine | F | 12-19 | Smaller details start to be visible, but the coin has clear signs of being used for a long time, showing heavy use |
Very Fine | VF | 20-35 | Most of the small details are visible, but the parts of the design sticking out the most have light wear, looking almost new |
Extremely Fine | XF | 40-45 | The coin looks almost new, having only small signs of use when you look very closely |
About Uncirculated | AU | 50-58 | The coin was not used for a long time as money, showing only very small wear or small scratches from hitting other coins in a bag |
Mint State | MS | 60-70 | The coin was never used as money, staying in the same condition as right after it was made |
Details of MS Condition
The MS condition is the most important one, containing the most expensive collector coins. These coins were never in the money system, so their condition is not checked by wear from rubbing, but by how well the surface is kept and the quality of the making, focusing on original appearance.
Breakdown of MS Scores:
PR Grading
Coins with the Proof grade are not for using as money, being made specially for collectors with a better technique. They are hit many times by special polished tools to get a very clear picture and a mirror surface on the coin's field, creating a high-quality product.
Slab Process
To avoid personal feelings in the grading process, collectors use the services of professional certification companies, giving an independent and trusted opinion.
Or try a faster option in the form of a coin scanner app, where you can determine the primary state of the token in less than a minute.
The Certification Steps
The collector sends the coin to the chosen company, starting the process.
Several experts, working without talking to each other, look at the coin, checking the quality of the making, how well the shine is kept, and if there are any problems.
The experts agree on a final score (for example, MS-65), assigning the official grade.
The coin is put into a special, sealed plastic slab.
The slab shows the coin's name, the year, the place it was made, including the final score given and a special number. This number can be used to check if the coin and its grade are real on the company's website, giving extra safety.
The slab and the certificate are a promise of quality. When a collector buys a coin in a slab, they are sure that its condition is confirmed by independent, worldwide experts, removing arguments about the condition and making the purchase more safe.
Things That Permanently Lower the Grade and Price
Some things done by the coin's owner can immediately and strongly lower its collectible value, even if the coin looks clean or bright, causing damage that cannot be fixed.
Cleaning the Coin
This is the biggest and most common mistake, thinking that a dirty old coin will look better if it is cleaned. This action is completely forbidden in serious collecting, ruining the coin's original state.
Why this is bad:
Patina protects the coin and shows that it is real and old, acting as a historical marker. Removing the patina with chemicals or things that rub completely destroys this important, old layer, damaging the surface.
Any cleaning, except very careful and professional cleaning, leaves thousands of tiny scratches on the coin's surface. These scratches cannot be seen without special equipment, but experts see them right away under magnification, destroying the original factory shine.
Coins with signs of cleaning cannot get high MS scores. Instead, the experts put a mark “Cleaned” on the certificate and give a very low score, making the coin lose most of its price because its condition is seen as broken by a person.
Physical Damage
Besides normal wear from use as money, a coin can get damage that will not let it get a high score, including different types of marks.
Clear, strong lines that appeared not from rubbing in a bag, but from contact with a sharp thing, leaving noticeable marks.
Strong dents on the edge or on the flat part of the coin that break its shape, showing deformation.
If someone scratched letters, symbols, or signs on the coin, this is seen as damage that cannot be fixed, reducing its collectible value to zero.
Trying to cover the coin with a clear coating or other material to "save" it completely kills its collectible price, seeing this as a fake human change.
The Impact of Grading on Price
The coin's grade does not just add price; it works as a multiplier, meaning a small increase in the score in the high range can lead to a huge increase in the coin's price.
As you can see in the example, raising the grade by only 2 points can make the price 5 times higher, proving that collectors are ready to pay very big money for coins in MS-65 condition and above.
The difference between a coin that is MS-60 and a coin that is MS-70 is a very big difference in price, showing the value of high grades.