Making sense of coin grading

[Cold Sea 1]

European coin collectors think that the American system of grading coins is plain crazy. For example:

Perfect Mint State (MS-70)

It is a theoretical perfection. To achieve such a grade, the planchet will have to have been perfectly formed, and have flawless, lint-free surfaces. The dies will have to have been in new condition and raised from unworn masters, and the dies will have had no lint, dust, oil or other contaminants on their surfaces. The coining press will have been perfectly adjusted to give a full strike to the coin, which will then have received no marks upon being ejected from the press, nor in its slide down the chutes and sorting tables/grids and into a receiving bin. Nor will it have been marred by all the other coins following it into the bin, nor from the dumping and counting into bags for distribution. Such a coin is not possible. We are dealing here with an automated process that manufactures "Business Strikes" intended for daily commerce.

 

 

Here's a table of grading terms used including and other than the over the top 70 point scale. Courtesy of fleur-de-coin.

 

 

 

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]Adjectives[/TD]

[TD]Good[/TD]

[TD]Very Good[/TD]

[TD]Fine[/TD]

[TD]Very Fine[/TD]

[TD]Extra Fine[/TD]

[TD]About Uncirculated[/TD]

[TD]Uncirculated[/TD]

[TD]Brilliant Uncirculatd[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Design Remaining[/TD]

[TD]10%[/TD]

[TD]25%[/TD]

[TD]50%[/TD]

[TD]75%[/TD]

[TD]90%[/TD]

[TD]95%+ Some Luster[/TD]

[TD]100%+ Luster[/TD]

[TD]100% Full Luster[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]America Grading[/TD]

[TD]G / 4[/TD]

[TD]VG / 8[/TD]

[TD]F / 12[/TD]

[TD]VF / 20[/TD]

[TD]EF / 40[/TD]

[TD]AU / 50[/TD]

[TD]MS / 60[/TD]

[TD]MS / 63/ 65[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]U.K. Grading[/TD]

[TD]G[/TD]

[TD]VG[/TD]

[TD]F[/TD]

[TD]VF[/TD]

[TD]XF[/TD]

[TD]XF/UNC[/TD]

[TD]UNC[/TD]

[TD]UNC[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]French Grading[/TD]

[TD]TBC Trιs Bien[/TD]

[TD]B Beau[/TD]

[TD]TB Trιs Beau[/TD]

[TD]TTB Trιs Trιs Beau[/TD]

[TD]SUP Superbe[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]SPL[/TD]

[TD]FDC Fleur de Coin[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Spanish Grading[/TD]

[TD]RC[/TD]

[TD]BC[/TD]

[TD]BC+[/TD]

[TD]MBC[/TD]

[TD]EBC[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]SC[/TD]

[TD]FDC[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Italian Grading[/TD]

[TD]M[/TD]

[TD]B Bello[/TD]

[TD]MB Molto Bello[/TD]

[TD]BB Bellissimo[/TD]

[TD]SPL Splendido[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]SPL/FDC[/TD]

[TD]FDC[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]German Grading[/TD]

[TD]GE (VI)[/TD]

[TD]SGE (V)[/TD]

[TD]S (IV)[/TD]

[TD]SS (III)[/TD]

[TD]VZ (II)[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]STGL (I) Stempelglanz[/TD]

[TD]PP[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Scandinavian Grading[/TD]

[TD]2[/TD]

[TD]1 -[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]1+[/TD]

[TD]01[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]0[/TD]

[TD]0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Netherlands Grading[/TD]

[TD]G[/TD]

[TD](Z.g.) Zeer Goed[/TD]

[TD](Fr.) Fraai[/TD]

[TD](Z.f.) Zeer Fraai[/TD]

[TD](Pr.) Prachtig[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]FDC Fleur de Coin[/TD]

[TD]FDC Fleur de Coin +[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Portugal Grading[/TD]

[TD]REG[/TD]

[TD]MREG[/TD]

[TD]BC[/TD]

[TD]MBC[/TD]

[TD]Bela[/TD]

[TD]None[/TD]

[TD]Soberba[/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Edited August 21, 2011 by Cold Sea

[xsiandreas 10]

Here is my opinion regarding how the normal F to UNC scale compares with the F12-MS70 scale used in the USA:

 

[TABLE=class: grid, align: left]

[TR]

[TD]F12[/TD]

[TD]F15[/TD]

[TD]VF20[/TD]

[TD]VF25[/TD]

[TD]VF30[/TD]

[TD]VF35[/TD]

[TD]XF40[/TD]

[TD]XF45[/TD]

[TD]AU50[/TD]

[TD]AU53[/TD]

[TD]AU55[/TD]

[TD]AU58[/TD]

[TD]MS60[/TD]

[TD]MS61/62/63[/TD]

[TD]MS64 and better[/TD]

[TD]USA Scale[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]VG+[/TD]

[TD]F-[/TD]

[TD]F[/TD]

[TD]F+[/TD]

[TD]VF-[/TD]

[TD]VF[/TD]

[TD]VF+[/TD]

[TD]EF-[/TD]

[TD]EF[/TD]

[TD]EF+[/TD]

[TD]EF+[/TD]

[TD]UNC-[/TD]

[TD]UNC-[/TD]

[TD]UNC[/TD]

[TD]UNC+[/TD]

[TD]NORMAL[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

 

 

I use this when I look up values in catalogues.

[dennrein 10]

PP

 

Just one small correction with the German scale: PP means Polierte Platte, which is proof. So PP is not the same as BU. There is no regular expression for BU in the German grading system. All uncirculated coins are Stempelglanz.

 

Regards

dennrein