WikiCoins:Basics You Need to Know About the Coin Grading Scale



One of the basics of selling gold coins is knowing how to determine the value of the coins. There are many factors which contribute to coin grading and ultimately determining the market value of the coins. The more you know about coin grading, the more confident you can be as you buy and sell gold coins. Of course, you can also do a better job of avoiding being taken advantage of regarding the value or lack thereof of certain gold coins.

Some of the factors which enter into a coin’s market value are:

How well or poorly the coin was originally struck, How well or poorly the metal has been preserved, and How much damage and wear the coin has undergone, if any, since being minted.

For beginners, the most practical place to begin with learning the coin grading scale is in the area of how much wear the coin has been subjected to. There is a 70-point grading scale which ranges from P-1 or Poor, the lowest wear rating, to MS-70, Perfect Mint State.

Among the most common points on the grading scale used by gold coin collectors are:

P-1 or Poor, which means the coin is just barely identifiable. It must have a discernible mintmark and date but is otherwise in thoroughly battered condition.

FR-2 or Fair, which indicates that the coin is practically worn smooth yet lacks the level of damage that poor coins have.

G-4 or Good, which means that details are practically imperceptible and the coin is so heavily worn that, in places, inscriptions merge into the rims.

VG-8 or Very Good, which means that, while the coin is worn, all major design elements are well-defined and there is not much, if any, central detail.

F-12 or Fine, which means the coin is very worn but overall design elements stand out boldly, wear is even, and there are almost fully-separated rims.

VF-20 or Very Fine, which means the coin is moderately worn with at least some remaining finer details, the rims are full and clean, and all letters of “Liberty” are readable, if included on the coin.

EF-40 or Extremely Fine, which means the coin is only slightly worn, all devices are clear, and major devices are bold.

AU-50 or About Uncirculated, which indicates that there are only slight traces of wear on the coin’s high points, there may be contact marks, and there is minor eye appeal.

AU-58 or Very Choice About Uncirculated, which is an indication that there are only the slightest hints of wear marks, no major contact marks are present, the coin has practically full luster, and it has positive eye appeal.

MS-60 or Mint State Basal, which means that the coin is strictly uncirculated but that's the only high mark – it’s an ugly coin with obvious contact marks and it lacks luster.

MS-63 or Mint State Acceptable which means it’s an uncirculated coin but with some impaired luster and nicks and has a basically overall appealing appearance. Strike is average to weak.

MS-65 Mint State Choice which is an uncirculated coin with strong luster, minimal contact marks, and excellent eye appeal. Strike is above average.

MS-68 or Mint State Premium Quality, which indicates it’s uncirculated with perfect luster, has contact marks that are visible to the naked eye, and exceptional eye appeal. Strike is sharp and attractive.

MS-69 or Mint State All-But-Perfect, which is an uncirculated coin with perfect luster, sharp, attractive strike and has highly exceptional eye appeal. The coin would be perfect except for flaws detected only to 8x magnification under a microscope in strike, planchet, or contact marks.

MS-70 Mint State Perfect which means it’s the perfect coin. The coin is perfectly centered, has no microscopic flaws visible to 8x, the strike is sharp, and is on a flawless planchet. The perfect coin has full, bright, original luster and outstanding eye appeal.

This information, while helpful, is just a brief guideline about coin grading. One of the more interesting aspects of gold coin selling is that there is a lot that you can learn about it. The more knowledge you have, the more successful you’ll likely be at buying and selling gold coins. Atlanta Gold and Coin Buyers Gold Coin Dealers