Home page - WorldSeriesofCoinGrading.com
   Sponsored by Premium Quality Coin, Minneapolis MN, http://www.pqcoin.com


Home
 Take the Quiz

Scoreboard
 Grading Standards

Premium Quality Coin, Professional Buyer, Seller and Appraiser of Rare Coins since 1985
For a professional appraisal, call or visit our downtown showroom.

110 South 7th Street #222W
Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 371-4739
E-mail: bill@PQCoin.com

Premium Quality Coin, Your one-stop coin shop for coins, precious metals, and coin collecting supplies.
Bill Himmelwright, ANA#R208173

Showroom Hours
Monday - Friday
9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
or by appointment

 Visit our web site www.PQCoin.com


A.N.A. Coin Grading Standards

Circulated Coins

Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United States Coins, © American Numismatic Association

Once a coin enters circulation it begins to show signs of wear. As time goes on the coin becomes more and more worn until, after a period of many decades, only a few features may be left.

Dr. William H. Sheldon devised a numerical scale to indicate degrees of wear. According to this scale, a coin in condition 1 or "Basal State" is barely recognizable. At the opposite end, a coin touched by even the slightest trace of wear (below MS-60) cannot be called Uncirculated.

While numbers from 1 through 59 are continuous, it has been found practical to designate specific intermediate numbers to define grades. Hence, this text uses the following descriptions and their numerical equivalents:

    Choice About Uncirculated-55. Abbreviations: AU-55. Only a small trace of wear is visible on the highest points of the coin. As is the case with the other grades here, specific information is listed in the following text under the various types, for wear often occurs in different spots on different designs.

    About Uncirculated-50. Abbreviation: AU-50. With traces of wear on nearly all of the highest areas. At least half of the original mint luster is present.

    Choice Extremely Fine-45. Abbreviation: EF-45. With light overall wear on the coin's highest points. All design details are very sharp. Mint luster is usually seen only in protected areas of the coin's surface such as between the star points and in the letter spaces.

    Extremely Fine-40. Abbreviation: EF-40. With only slight wear but more extensive than the preceding, still with excellent overall sharpness. Traces of mint luster may still show.

    Choice Very Fine-30. Abbreviation: VF-30. With light even wear on the surface; design details on the highest points lightly worn, but with all lettering and major features sharp.

    Very Fine-20. Abbreviation: VF-20. As preceding but with moderate wear on highest parts.

    Fine-12. Abbreviation: F-12. Moderate to considerable even wear. Entire design is bold. All lettering, including the word LIBERTY (on coins with this feature on the shield or headband), visible, but with some weaknesses.

    Very Good-8. Abbreviation: VG-8. Well worn. Most fine details such as hair strands, leaf details, and so on are worn nearly smooth. The word LIBERTY, if on a shield or headband, is only partially visible.

    Good-4. Abbreviation: G-4. Heavily worn. Major designs visible, but with faintness in areas. Head of Liberty, wreath, and other major features visible in outline form without center detail.

    About Good-3. Abbreviation: AG-3. Very heavily worn with portions of the lettering, date, and legends being worn smooth. The date barely readable.
Note: The exact descriptions of circulated grades vary widely from issue to issue, so the preceding commentary is only of a very general nature. It is essential to refer to the specific text when grading any coin.


©   Premium Quality Coin. All rights reserved. Site by Web Creations.
Coin grading standards courtesy of the American Numismatic Association.