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Grading & Certification

Coin Grading and Certification Companies

Coin Grading
The grade of a coin is an essential element of information when it comes to coin collecting. The grade explains what physical condition the coin is in, therefore is important in determining a particular coin's value. Below explains the different coin grades given by most certification companies, from flawless to poor condition.

Mint State (MS-70 through MS-60): a coin with no imperfections after production at a 5x magnification is considered a MS-70 grade. MS-69 to MS-60 advises what level of Mint State a coin might be given the small imperfections; MS-60 is the lowest Mint State grade.

About Uncirculated (AU-58, 55, 53, 50): a coin where light wearing can be seen somewhere on the coin by the naked eye; MS-50 is the lowest About Uncirculated grade.

Extremely Fine (XF-45, 40): a coin that has light wearing throughout; XF-40 is the lowest Extremely Fine grade.

Very Fine (VF-35, 30, 25, 20): a coin that still shows the major details but also shows moderate wear; VF-20 is the lowest Very Fine grade.

Fine (F-15, 12): a coin showing moderate to heavy wear, but the major details are still visible.

Very Good (VG-10, 8): a coin with the design worn down by heavy wear, however the major design is outlined; VG-8 is the lowest Very Good grade.

Good (G-6, 4): a coin with flattened details but the design is still outlined, but some features of the coin are unclear; G-4 is the lowest Good grade.

About Good (AG-3): a coin with flattened details but the design is still outlined, however some of the edge of the coin is lost because of wear.

Fair (FA-2): a coin that is still identifiable in the design and outline, however the edge of the coin is no longer visible.

Poor (PR-1): a coin that is still identifiable in the design or date, but in the most poor quality.

Coin Certification Companies

ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service): This grading and certification service certifies coins as genuine then grades and encapsulates them. ANA is one of the original grading services.

NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation): NGC is one of the three most popular coin grading certification services today. They are considered a third party service, in that they are not directly controlled by any coin dealers.

PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service): PCGS certifies coins as genuine and determines their grades according to a popular coin grading scale (of 1 to 70). They charge a fee for their services and seal the coin in a tamper-resistant protective holder. PCGS is one of the top three independent grading services today.

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