Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > Ancient Coin Forum

Speaking of Grading

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Meepzorp:

--- Quote from: Jay GT4 on December 06, 2021, 01:00:34 am ---I think they are catering to new collectors and modern coin collectors.

--- End quote ---

Hi folks,

I agree. This practice may be helpful to those groups of people. But I can't think of anything positive about it for experienced or long-term ancient coin collectors.

Additionally, as someone mentioned in the other topic that preceded this one, most coins that appear in auctions today have photos along with the text description. It isn't like the past when coins were sold based solely on a text description. In my early years of collecting ancient coins (late 1990s and early 2000s), I didn't have internet access. And about 80-90% of my coins were purchased by me from mail order catalogs based solely on a text description. There were no photos. Since there are a photos today, and just about everyone has internet access, there is no need for that type of grading system.

Meepzorp

Virgil H:
Meepzorp,
I think your points about photos versus mail order catalogs are super good and something I hadn't thought about. I think it is very important, we need grading less than before at a time when grading is becoming more important.

Thanks,
Virgil

77HK77:
Grading is a subjective analysis based on a known die, specific struck materials and known quantities manufactured.  This works for a modern coin where all these parameters are known and recorded.

In an ancient coin we know none of these parameters with any certainty. Recut dies, mixed obverse and reverse dies, little info recorded of specific strikes, material changes, etc.

What does a grader of ancients base his analysis on? Known examples? This makes the grading of ancients relative to the known examples and not what might have actually happen. I suspect they'll argue they extrapolated the perfect coin from the known examples and grade against this idea. I'd argue that with a hand struck coin each and every coin is perfect as struck for that individual coin! A flaw in the metal, a weak strike, clogged die are all unique to that particular coin making it a one of kind.

PeterD:
The traditional grading system using F, VF, EF etc. is based on wear only. (although other factors such as centering and corrosion should be mentioned separately) I would say that's quite objective. What is subjective is deciding what is coin wear and what is die wear or do you just lump the two together. Also an uneven strike could cause a scratching of heads.

The system (with all those letters and numbers) used by slabbers is called the Sheldon Scale. I don't collect modern coins so I am not particularly interested, but apparently it is a scale of 1-70.

As others have said, now we have photos, grading is fairly superfluous.

Bill W4:
For myself, I consider centering first; then, am I able to determine most of the lettering.  After that I can accept a good bit of wear, these things are old after all.  I suppose most of my collection would rate as fair or probably lower but I'm very happy with it.  With ancients, I believe we all have our own personal grading system and it seems to work pretty well, no need for outside grading.

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