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How Are U.S. Rare Coins Graded?
Official coin grading standards for U.S. rare coins were originally established by Dr. William Sheldon in 1948, and later adopted by the American Numismatic Association.  The
grading system runs from 70 to 1. The ideal coin is defined as a Perfect
Mint State MS-70 and the scale runs down to a 1 which is the basal state
of a barely recognizable coin.Our largest volume of business at RareCoins.com is done in Pre-1933 gold coins which commonly grade in 45 through 64. United States Gold coins minted before 1900 grading MS-64 and MS-65 are few and far between. You may find either dates that are more common or rarer dates that trade at extremely high prices. Naturally, the harder it is to obtain a high grade specimen of a particular date, the more collectors are willing to bid up prices to acquire the finest examples. Every coin's value is determined by both its rarity and its state of preservation known as its grade. The higher the grade, the fewer coins are known to have survived in that condition. Hence their value to serious collectors and investors soars in higher grades. In fact, only a tiny handful of the creme' de la creme' of rare coins grades above MS-65 and they command the highest prices. Here are the characteristics described in a recent Coin Dealer Newsletter: MS-60 Uncirculated - Coin may not have full mint luster; may be dull toned or spotted; may be the worst possible example, but will show no wear or damage from circulation. Most look ok, but all will exhibit bag marks. MS-63 Choice Brilliant Uncirculated - Coin should be brilliant and uncirculated; may exhibit some toning but should not be dark enough to hide any problems; will have minor bag marks and may show weakness of strike, but is still an “Above Average” coin. MS-64 Distinct Brilliant Uncirculated - Coin will be far nicer than MS-63, yet not quite an MS-65; will have a few contact marks in the field and only minor marks on the main devices; fully struck, with eye appeal; attractive toning permissible. MS-65 Gem Brilliant Uncirculated - Coin will be sharp, have no major distractions in the fields or on the main devices; attractive toning is permissible; a very small percentage of available BU coins make this “No-Questions” grade. For a more detailed look at all grades, we've also provided tables at the end of this article cover coins from a Perfect 70 to an almost unrecognizable one grade. Preserve Your Coins Carefully It's important to preserve your coin collection very carefully. Never attempt to clean a coin or to wipe a coin. Cleaned coins cannot be certified and graded. Never touch a coin's surface with your fingers. Keep you coins in specially designed holders that will keep them safe and free of scratches- especially your newest coins. Remember this, every valuable coin worth hundreds of thousands of dollars today started out as a perfectly minted coin that someone had the forethought to put it away when it was new. Coins that were handled, cleaned, scratched, or worn in circulation will always be worth less to the serious coin collector in the years to come. For that reason, it's important to put away the best coins you can comfortably afford. Today's investment grade coins like we trade at RareCoins.com are certified authentic and graded by one of the major grading services. Each coin is then sealed inside a specially designed clear plastic holder to protect your investment from the harmful effects of cleaning, handling, and scratches. You can learn more about the grading services at the links below.
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