There are four major professional grading services: PCGS, NGC, ICG, and ANACS. While collectors are certainly welcome – and encouraged – to grade their own coins, these four services are typically used to grade high-end examples of older or rarer coins.
How do I submit a coin for grading?
PCGS offers two different ways to submit coins either by (1) joining the Collectors Club or (2) going through a PCGS Authorized Dealer. Both will get your coins graded. Below are overviews of each method so you can decide which is best for your situation.
How do you price old coins?
The 70-Point Coin Grading Scale. When numismatists grade coins, they are assigned a numeric value on the Sheldon Scale. The Sheldon Scale ranges from a grade of Poor (P-1) to Perfect Mint State (MS-70). Originally coins were graded using adjectives to describe the condition of the coin (Good, Fair, Excellent, Etc.).
What is AU58 coin grade?
Indeed, AU58 is the highest whole grade awarded by the major TPGs to circulated coins, with AU58+ bestowed upon especially nice AU58s that are but a light rub away from receiving a technical Mint State grade. Many folks will pay heavy premiums over AU58 prices to obtain an AU58+.
How much does it cost to Grade A coin?
Grading a common coin worth $150 costs $20. Grading a rare coin worth $50,000 costs $125. It is a much better value to get expensive coins graded than it is to get common coins graded.
Where does Ugly coin go on the grading scale?
So it is put in the AU “category”as the bottom grade for that category (AU-50) if it is ugly and AU-58 if it is really nice, or somewhere in between. This is really an oversimplification, but it is meant to explain to you why the grading scale seems to jump from “pretty” coin to “ugly” coin and back to “pretty” coin again.
Which is the easiest coin to grade for beginners?
Most beginners looking for grading help have circulated coins, and fortunately, circulated coins are the easiest for the novice to grade. It helps to have a Mint State (a.k.a. uncirculated) specimen of the coin type under consideration to make comparisons to, but this isn’t a requirement.
How long does it take to ship a grading coin?
Shipping times can be up to one week each way and the grading service will probably have the coin in their possession for at least a couple of weeks. So while sometimes grading can be a great decision, you still want to make sure the time and money involved is going to pay off.
