Learning how to properly grade coins is perhaps the biggest challenge new coin collectors face. Understanding the proper grade for a coin is core to establishing its value. Whether your goal is to make more savvy coin purchases, or to appraise your own collection, being able to grade your own coins is a skill that is not optional. Although grading services have certainly filled an important gap in the marketplace since their inception, the fact is that only a small percentage of all collectible coins have been slabbed (graded and put into a holder.) Even the coins which have been slabbed are sometimes misgraded, and experts such as Q. David Bowers will tell you that you shouldn't use the label in the holder to decide what the coin inside grades at, but grade the coin yourself and let the label be your confirmation. According to Bowers, if the grade on the label is too high, don't buy the coin. If the grade on the label is too low, you may have found yourself a nice bargain!
How can you begin learning how to grade? I've got you covered in Coin Grading Made Simple.
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