Being able to grade coins is an art that usually takes a number of years to
master.
Your main British coin grading tiers are:
FINE
VERY FINE
EXTREMELY FINE
UNCIRCULATED
You will sometimes hear a coin being given a grade of "GOOD", "FAIR" or
"POOR", these grades are below FINE with most coin collectors only
collecting coins which are fine or above. Anything below fine and the detail
is really quite worn.
Other grading terminology you may come across:
BU - BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED: a coin that as well as being uncirculated
still maintains much of its original mint lustre (colour).
FDC or FLEUR DE COIN: is French and is usually only used when
describing a proof or pattern coin. It means a perfect coin, one that is in a
condition as if it had just left the mint. One of the best examples.
PROOF: a specially struck coin using specially prepared dies. This gives a
more clear and greater definition to the design compared with a normal
(business) strike.
VERDIGRIS: although verdigris isn't a grade you may see it on some coins
or hear a seller describing it on a coin they are selling. It is the common
name for the chemical Cu (CH 3 COO) 2. It is a disease of copper, brass or
bronze that has been exposed to dampness or something corrosive. If a
coin has it and you keep it amongst other coins the chances are it will
spread, therefore, it is a good idea to wear white cotton gloves when
handling coins, especially expensive ones, as verdigris will seriously affect
the value of a coin.
Also cleaning coins will affect the value of a coin with a badly cleaned coin
losing much of its value. The best advise would be DO NOT CLEAN a coin.
Most coins develop what is called a patina, this is a darkening or tone.
Usually a toned coin becomes more desirable and an experienced collector
can tell the difference between a cleaned coin and one which is in mint
state.
Back to grading - the trouble is most coins don't wear evenly on both sides,
so you may hear a coin as being described as VF/F or VERY FINE obverse
(heads side) and FINE condition reverse (tails side).
You may even see a + after some grades. For example VF+ which means
the coin is in a better than VERY FINE condition, but not quite EXTRA FINE,
or you may see a coin being described with an A before the grade like AVF
- this means ALMOST VERY FINE.
Grading In the USA: the grading system is different. These coins come in
plastic containers which are often referred to as slabs, and the coins are
often called slabbed coins.
Coins are graded using a scale system from 1 to 70 with abbreviations
used before the numbers, for example, F 12 means FINE 12 or VF 35
means VERY FINE 35. EF 45 would be EXTREMELY FINE 45, AU 58
ALMOST UNCIRCULATED 58, and MS 62 would be MINT STATE
(uncirculated) 62.
A word of warning though, many British collectors and dealers would argue
that the US grading is too lenient and the graded coins wouldn't be graded
as highly in the UK. The best advice would be to learn how to grade and
buy the coin and not the slab.
Recently a coin grading company ( CGS-UK ) started operations in Britain
and uses a 100 point scale.
Some coin collectors and some less reputable coin dealers have a
tendency to over grade their coins. This is false economy because when
and if the time comes to sell the coin you will be disappointed.
It is a good idea to buy coins from reputable dealers.
master.
Your main British coin grading tiers are:
FINE
VERY FINE
EXTREMELY FINE
UNCIRCULATED
You will sometimes hear a coin being given a grade of "GOOD", "FAIR" or
"POOR", these grades are below FINE with most coin collectors only
collecting coins which are fine or above. Anything below fine and the detail
is really quite worn.
Other grading terminology you may come across:
BU - BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED: a coin that as well as being uncirculated
still maintains much of its original mint lustre (colour).
FDC or FLEUR DE COIN: is French and is usually only used when
describing a proof or pattern coin. It means a perfect coin, one that is in a
condition as if it had just left the mint. One of the best examples.
PROOF: a specially struck coin using specially prepared dies. This gives a
more clear and greater definition to the design compared with a normal
(business) strike.
VERDIGRIS: although verdigris isn't a grade you may see it on some coins
or hear a seller describing it on a coin they are selling. It is the common
name for the chemical Cu (CH 3 COO) 2. It is a disease of copper, brass or
bronze that has been exposed to dampness or something corrosive. If a
coin has it and you keep it amongst other coins the chances are it will
spread, therefore, it is a good idea to wear white cotton gloves when
handling coins, especially expensive ones, as verdigris will seriously affect
the value of a coin.
Also cleaning coins will affect the value of a coin with a badly cleaned coin
losing much of its value. The best advise would be DO NOT CLEAN a coin.
Most coins develop what is called a patina, this is a darkening or tone.
Usually a toned coin becomes more desirable and an experienced collector
can tell the difference between a cleaned coin and one which is in mint
state.
Back to grading - the trouble is most coins don't wear evenly on both sides,
so you may hear a coin as being described as VF/F or VERY FINE obverse
(heads side) and FINE condition reverse (tails side).
You may even see a + after some grades. For example VF+ which means
the coin is in a better than VERY FINE condition, but not quite EXTRA FINE,
or you may see a coin being described with an A before the grade like AVF
- this means ALMOST VERY FINE.
Grading In the USA: the grading system is different. These coins come in
plastic containers which are often referred to as slabs, and the coins are
often called slabbed coins.
Coins are graded using a scale system from 1 to 70 with abbreviations
used before the numbers, for example, F 12 means FINE 12 or VF 35
means VERY FINE 35. EF 45 would be EXTREMELY FINE 45, AU 58
ALMOST UNCIRCULATED 58, and MS 62 would be MINT STATE
(uncirculated) 62.
A word of warning though, many British collectors and dealers would argue
that the US grading is too lenient and the graded coins wouldn't be graded
as highly in the UK. The best advice would be to learn how to grade and
buy the coin and not the slab.
Recently a coin grading company ( CGS-UK ) started operations in Britain
and uses a 100 point scale.
Some coin collectors and some less reputable coin dealers have a
tendency to over grade their coins. This is false economy because when
and if the time comes to sell the coin you will be disappointed.
It is a good idea to buy coins from reputable dealers.
EXAMPLES OF GRADES
| GRADING COINS |
Below you will find examples of grades
using Queen Victoria bun head farthings.
using Queen Victoria bun head farthings.
FINE
A coin that shows quite a bit of wear, but all the main features, most of its
design, its date and lettering is still clearly readable.
design, its date and lettering is still clearly readable.
VERY FINE
A coin that shows some wear, really only to its higher points. Its main designs
are visible, it has only really seen little circulation.
are visible, it has only really seen little circulation.
| Image courtesy of Colin Goode www.aboutfarthings.co.uk |
EXTREMELY FINE
A coin that shows very little wear, only faint wear to its higher points. This wear
can only be seen upon close inspection.
can only be seen upon close inspection.
UNCIRCULATED
A coin that shows no wear at all, looks as it did when it left the mint with all
the details intact. It may still display very slight "bag marks" or scuffs due to mass
production and storage by the mint.
the details intact. It may still display very slight "bag marks" or scuffs due to mass
production and storage by the mint.
| Image courtesy of Colin Goode www.aboutfarthings.co.uk |
| Image courtesy of Colin Goode www.aboutfarthings.co.uk |
| Image courtesy of Colin Goode www.aboutfarthings.co.uk |
Courtesy of MacCrimmon
BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED
Same as uncirculated however the coin still displays its original mint lustre (shine
& colour).
& colour).
BRITISH MICRO GRADING
As well as the main grades some coins can be graded even more subjectively and may
not fall into the one of the main grading tiers as displayed above.
Below we have three examples of a William III first issue shilling.
Graded from left to right:
VF+ (Good Very Fine), aEF (Almost Extremely Fine) and EF+ (Good Extremely Fine)
not fall into the one of the main grading tiers as displayed above.
Below we have three examples of a William III first issue shilling.
Graded from left to right:
VF+ (Good Very Fine), aEF (Almost Extremely Fine) and EF+ (Good Extremely Fine)
| Courtesy of Rob Pearce www.rpcoins.co.uk |
