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MS-70: PERFECT UNCIRCULATED
MS-70:
MARKS: An MS-70 coin has no defects of any kind visible with a 5X (5-power) glass.
Note: Minor die polish, light die breaks, etc., are NOT considered defects on
business-strike coins.
STRIKE: The strike is razor sharp, and will show 99+ percent of the detail intended.
LUSTER: The luster is vibrant and undisturbed in any way. Any toning will be
attractive. Only the slightest mellowing of color is acceptable for red copper.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is spectacular. The ultimate grade!
MS-69: SUPERB GEM UNCIRCULATED
MS-69:
MARKS: A virtually perfect coin. It usually takes an intense study of the surfaces
to ascertain why the coin won't grade MS-70. Only the slightest contact marks,
nearly invisible hairlines, the tiniest planchet flaws, etc., are allowable for
this grade. Note: Slight die polish, medium die breaks, or slight incomplete
striking are NOT defects.
STRIKE: The strike is extremely sharp, and will show 99+ percent of the detail
intended.
LUSTER: The luster will be full and unbroken. Any toning must be attractive.
Only the slightest mellowing of color is acceptable for red copper, and only
the slightest unevenness of color for red-brown and brown copper.
EYE APPEAL: Superb!
MS-68: SUPERB GEM UNCIRCULATED
MS-68:
MARKS: A nearly perfect coin, with only slight imperfections visible to the unaided
eye. The imperfections (tiny contact marks, minuscule hairlines, a small lint
mark, etc.) will almost always be out of the range of the coin's focal points.
STRIKE: The strike will be exceptionally sharp.
LUSTER: The luster will be full (or virtually so) and "glowing," with any luster
breaks being extremely minor and usually restricted to the high points. Slight
unevenness in toning is acceptable, as long as it is still attractive. Red copper
may show some mellowing, and there may be some unevenness of color for red-brown
and brown copper.
EYE APPEAL: Exceptional, with no major detractions. Any negativity will be compensated
for by another area that is spectacular. (Example: The head on the MS-68 Walking
Liberty half dollar is a little too softly struck for the grade, but the coin
has the most beautiful rainbow toning imaginable - ergo, MS-68.)
MS-67: SUPERB GEM UNCIRCULATED
MS-67:
MARKS: Any abrasions on the coin are extremely light and/or well hidden in the
design and do not detract from the coin's beauty in any way. As with MS-68 coins,
the fields on smaller coins are usually nearly flawless, especially on the obverse.
On large silver coins with smooth devices (Morgan dollars, for instance), the
flaws will usually be found in the fields; on large gold coins (such as Liberty
Head $20s), the fields will usually be superb in this grade, with only minor
flaws in the devices.
STRIKE: The strike will be very sharp, and almost always full.
LUSTER: The luster will be outstanding. Any toning (even if slightly uneven)
must be attractive and not impede the luster in any way. Red copper can have
mellowing of color, and there can be unevenness of color for red-brown and brown
copper. Minute spotting, if present, should be virtually unnoticeable.
EYE APPEAL: In almost all cases, the eye appeal will be superb. An MS-67 coin
is a visual knockout, and any deficiencies will be compensated for in another
area.
MS-66: GEM UNCIRCULATED
MS-66:
MARKS: There may be several minor, but noticeable, defects. If marks or hairlines
are in an important focal area, then they must be minimal and compensated for
by the rest of the coin's being superb.
STRIKE: The coin will be well struck.
LUSTER: The luster will be above average (usually far above average), and any
toning should be attractive and only minimally impede the luster. Red copper
can have mellowing of color, and there can unevenness of color for red-brown
and brown copper. Very minor spotting may be present, though it should be noticed
only upon close examination. A dipped coin must be "fresh" in appearance and
never give the impression of being cleaned.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will almost always be above average for a gem-quality
coin, and many MS-66 coins will be superb in this category. Any negative factors
must be compensated for in another area.
MS-65: GEM UNCIRCULATED
MS-65:
MARKS: There may be several scattered marks, hairlines, or other minor defects.
If the flaws are in a main focal area, then they must be minor and fewer. Hidden
marks and hairlines can be larger. On dime type and smaller, they almost always
must be in the devices or be very minor if they are in the fields. On larger
coins, there can be marks/hairlines in the fields and in the devices, though
no major ones.
STRIKE: The coin will be well struck.
LUSTER: The luster will be average (almost always above average), and any toning
can only slightly impede the luster. Copper coins can have mellowing of color
for red and unevenness of color for red-brown or brown coins. Note: There can
be minor spotting for copper coins.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be average or above. This is a very nice coin.
However, there are many ways a coin can grade MS-65. This grade (or MS/Proof-64)
may have the largest range of eye appeal. A coin may grade MS-65 with scattered
light marks, but with great luster and strike - or a coin with virtually no marks
but slightly impeded luster also could be MS-65. The overall eye appeal still
must be positive or the coin does not merit MS-65.
MS-64: CHOICE UNCIRCULATED
MS-64:
MARKS: There may be numerous minor marks/hairlines, several significant marks/hairlines,
or other defects . There may be a few minor marks/hairlines in the main focal
areas or one or two significant marks/hairlines in the main focal areas. On
minor coinage (dime coinage and smaller), there may be several marks/hairlines
in the
fields or main focal areas, though none should be too severe. On larger coins,
these marks/hairlines may be more severe in the fields or main focal areas.
However, a severe mark/hairline would have to be of a size that would preclude
grading
the coin MS-65 though not so severe as to reduce the coin to MS-63. If there
are several fairly heavy marks/hairlines in obvious areas, then the coin would
grade MS-63.
STRIKE: The strike will range from average to full.
LUSTER: The luster can be slightly below average to full, and toning can impede
the luster. On brilliant coins, there may be breaks in the luster caused by
marks or hairlines. Red copper can be considerably mellowed. There may be noticeable
spotting for this grade, though heavy or large spotting would reduce the grade
to MS-63 or below.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can range from slightly negative to very positive.
This is a nice coin, so anything too negative would preclude the MS-64 grade.
Balance is a key. A coin with marks/hairlines in obvious focal areas would
have to have great luster or some other positive factor to attain MS-64. A
coin with
less severe marks/hairlines hidden in devices could have impaired luster or
some other problem and still be graded MS-64. Coins with deficiencies and no
redeeming
characteristics are graded MS-63 or lower.
MS-63: CHOICE UNCIRCULATED
MS-63:
MARKS: There may be numerous marks/hairlines, including several major marks/hairlines
in main focal areas. If there are distracting marks/hairlines on the major
devices, then the fields should be relatively clean. If there are distracting
marks/hairlines
in the fields, then the devices should have less disturbance.
STRIKE: The strike will range from slightly below average to full.
LUSTER: The luster can be below average to full.
The toning can seriously impede the luster. On brilliant coins, there can be
significant breaks in the luster. Red copper can be considerably mellowed. There
can be noticeable spotting, including several large spots or a group of small
ones. Note: If the luster is poor, then the coin would NOT be graded MS-63 even
if the strike were full and the marks/hairlines were acceptable for the grade.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can be slightly
negative to very positive. The "average" MS-63
will have neutral eye appeal (noticeable marks/hairlines, average to above
average strike, and average luster).
However, quite a few coins are graded
MS-63 because
of negative appearance. If either the luster, strike, or marks/hairlines are
below the standards set forth here, then one of the other criteria must be
exceptional for the coin to attain
MS-63.
MS-62: UNCIRCULATED
MS-62:
MARKS: The marks/hairlines may cover most of the coin. If the marks/hairlines
are light, they may be scattered across the entire coin. If there are several
severe marks/hairlines, then the rest of the coin should be relatively clean.
STRIKE: The strike can range from very weak (some New Orleans Mint Morgan dollars,
for example) to full.
LUSTER: The luster can range from poor to vibrant..
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be negative to slightly positive. The negativity
in this grade usually involves excessive marks/hairlines and/or the strike and/or
lack of luster and/or unattractive toning . There can be one to three of the
major criteria which contribute to negative eye appeal. Even coins with overall
positive eye appeal usually have one or two areas that are negative. Thus, a
coin with numerous marks/hairlines but with average strike and luster may grade
MS-62, while a coin with just a few marks (probably in the wrong places) and
weak strike and luster also may grade MS-62.
MS-61: UNCIRCULATED
MS-61:
MARKS: There may be marks/hairlines across the entire coin. There may be several
severe contact marks/hairlines. If there are numerous large marks/hairlines in
the main focal areas, then the fields should be cleaner, though they still could
have some contact marks/hairlines. On larger coins (half dollars and larger),
there may be areas with almost no marks/hairlines.
STRIKE: The strike can range from very weak to full.
LUSTER: The luster may be poor, average, or full.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be very negative to very slightly positive.
MS-60: UNCIRCULATED
MS-60:
MARKS: Numerous. The marks/hairlines will probably cover all of the coin's
surface. On larger coins (half dollars and higher), there may be some areas
that have
few or no marks/hairlines. The marks/hairlines can be large and in prime focal
areas. Note: Sometimes the mark is NOT from "normal" contact with other coins
or from circulation, and thus would be considered damage, and the coin might
not be graded.
STRIKE: The strike can range from very weak to full.
LUSTER: The luster may be poor, average, or full.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can be very negative to neutral.
* CIRCULATED STANDARDS *
AU-58: VERY CHOICE ALMOST UNCIRCULATED
AU-58:
WEAR: There will be slight wear on the highest points of the coin. In some cases,
5X magnification is needed to notice this wear, and sometimes it can be noticed
by slowly tilting the coin in the light source. This method often may show the
slight friction as discoloration. Very often, the obverse will have slight friction
and the reverse will be full mint state (often MS-63 or higher).
MARKS: There are usually very few marks for this grade. Instead of marks, the
principal detractions on the typical AU-58 coin are rub or hairlines. The few
marks should not be major or in prime focal areas. A coin that would grade AU-58
from a wear standpoint, but has numerous marks, would be graded AU-55 or lower.
STRIKE: The strike can range from below average to full. Note: A very weak strike
would be downgraded to AU-55 or lower.
LUSTER: The luster can range from poor to full. There will be noticeable breaks
in the luster on the high points. These areas will be visible to the unaided
eye, but should be less than 10 percent of the surface area.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is usually very good. Since marks are usually very
minor, the eye appeal will be determined mainly by strike, luster, and originality.
Many AU-58 coins are lightly cleaned or dipped uncirculated coins which are no
longer considered uncirculated because of the light cleaning or rubbing that
is now present. These coins can be just as attractive as coins that are graded
AU-58 because of slight circulation - and sometimes even more so. Often these
coins will have fewer marks than low- grade uncirculated coins.
AU-55: CHOICE ALMOST UNCIRCULATED
AU-55:
WEAR: There will be slight wear on the high points and some friction in the fields.
The reverse will now usually show wear similar to that on the obverse. In a few
instances (coins stored face up that have acquired friction), the reverse will
still be uncirculated.
MARKS: There usually will be several minor marks/hairlines and a couple of major
ones. These should be scattered between the devices and fields, with nothing
too severe on the prime focal areas.
STRIKE: The strike will range from slightly weak to full.
LUSTER: The luster can range from poor to full, though the areas of wear will
not show full luster. There will be breaks in the luster covering 10 to 25 percent
of the surface.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is usually good. The main criteria will be surface
preservation, lack of and placement of marks/hairlines, luster remaining, and
originality.
AU-53: ALMOST UNCIRCULATED
AU-53:
WEAR: There will be obvious wear on the high points. Friction will cover 50 to
75 percent of the fields.
MARKS: There usually will be several minor and major marks/hairlines. These will
be scattered, or there can be small concentrated areas of them, including the
prime focal areas.
STRIKE: The strike will range from weak to full.
LUSTER: The luster can range from poor to full, though rubbed areas will not
exhibit as much luster as the protected areas. There will be noticeable breaks
in luster over half to three-fourths of the coin.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal now is a function of surface preservation, lack of
and placement of marks/hairlines, luster remaining , and originality.
AU-50: ALMOST UNCIRCULATED
AU-50:
WEAR: There is wear evident. There can be friction in the fields ranging
from half to all of the unprotected areas. The high points will have wear
that is
very obvious to the unaided eye.
MARKS: There may be many marks/hairlines. However, many minor marks/hairlines
will be worn away, as much of the original surface shows wear.
STRIKE: The strike will range from weak to full.
LUSTER: The luster can range from poor to full. From 50 to 100 percent of the
surface may have luster disturbance. In some cases, the only luster remaining
will be around protected devices.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is now a function of surface preservation, lack
of and placement of marks/hairlines, luster remaining, and originality.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: COINS THAT GRADE EF/PR-45 AND BELOW ARE GRADED ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FOR
REGULAR AND PROOF STRIKES. THEREFORE, FROM HERE ON, THE CRITERIA WILL BE THE
SAME FOR BOTH, WITH EXCEPTIONS NOTED.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EF-45: CHOICE EXTEMELY FINE
EF-45:
WEAR: The amount of wear will be noticeable, with all details still sharp and
clear, and with definition between individual parts of the devices. Approximately
95 percent of the original major detail is still evident.
MARKS: There may be a couple of very minor marks.
LUSTER: There can be some luster in the devices. Sometimes there can be considerable
luster in the fields. However, if there is no luster present, a coin still can
grade EF-45 if the detail is exceptional.
STRIKE: The strike will range from below average to full. For weakly struck coins
with wear consistent with EF-45, the grade would probably be EF-40 or lower.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be determined by the cleanness of surface, lack
of or placement of marks, and originality.
EF-40: EXTREMELY FINE
EF-40:
WEAR: The amount of wear is now quite evident. Some of the highest points of
the coin's detail are worn away. Some definition of individual parts of the devices
will be worn down. Approximately 90 percent of the original major detail is still
evident.
MARKS: There may be a few minor marks or perhaps one medium-size mark.
LUSTER: There will be minimal luster remaining. For many coins, there may be
no luster except for slight amounts around devices such as stars, arrows, etc..
STRIKE: The strike will range from below average to full.
EYE APPEAL: Eye appeal will be determined by clean surfaces, lack of and placement
of marks, and originality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE:
(1) SINCE LUSTER IS SELDOM EVIDENT FOR GRADES VF-35 AND BELOW, LUSTER IS NOT
LISTED AS A CRITERION FOR THESE GRADES. SOME VF GRADES WILL EXHIBIT MINOR AMOUNTS
OF LUSTER, BUT THESE ARE THE EXCEPTIONS. (2) SINCE CIRCULATED COINS ARE GRADED
MOSTLY BY THE AMOUNT OF WEAR OR LACK THEREOF, FOR THE GRADES VF-35 AND LOWER,
STRIKE WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE CRITERIA FOR WEAR. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VF-35: VERY FINE
VF-35:
WEAR: The devices are sharp and clear, but there is noticeable wear in the individual
components of the devices, though little blending of detail is evident. Approximately
60 to 80 percent of the detail survives.
MARKS: At most, expect several minor marks or one or two medium-sized ones, though
on large coins such as silver dollars and twenty-dollar gold pieces, there may
multiple medium marks and a few heavy marks.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal will be due to clean surfaces, lack of and placement
of marks, and originality.
VF-30: VERY FINE
VF-30:
WEAR: The devices will be sharp and somewhat clear, with very little blending
among the details. Approximately 50 to 75 percent of the original detail survives
in this grade.
MARKS: At the most, expect several minor marks or one or two larger ones - though,
as noted under VF-35, large coins may have more and heavier marks.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal will be due to clean surfaces, lack of and placement
of marks, and originality.
VF-25: VERY FINE
VF-25:
WEAR: The devices are clear, though some sharpness is lacking, and minor detail
is starting to blend. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of the original detail is
evident.
MARKS: There may be minor and/or medium marks or, as noted previously, multiple
medium and large marks on larger coins.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal will be due to clean surfaces, lack of and placement
of marks, and originality.
VF-20: VERY FINE
VF-20:
WEAR: There will be detail in major devices, though some blending may be evident.
For types with "LIBERTY," all the letters will be visible, though some may
be indistinct. For reverses with eagles, breast feathers will be mostly worn
away
and wing feathers will show most of their detail.
MARKS: There may be minor, medium, or large marks,
but not enough to detract from the overall grade.
EYE APPEAL: The cleanness of surface and lack of marks constitute most of the
eye appeal. The originality of the coin also is a factor in the eye appeal and
ultimately the grade. Lightly cleaned coins are almost always penalized one or
more grading points. Light cleaning on lower-grade coins (i.e., F-15 and below)
is not quite as important to the overall grade. Note: Heavy cleaning is NOT acceptable
(or even gradable) except for the very low grades (P-1 through AG-3).
F-15: FINE
F-15:
WEAR: The major devices have moderate detail and some distinctness of design
is evident For series with "LIBERTY," most of the letters are at least partly
visible. For types with eagles, the breast feathers may be worn completely
and wing feathers will show from 25 to 50 percent of their detail.
MARKS: There may be minor, medium , or large marks, but nothing too severe.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal is due to surface preservation and lack of marks.
F-12: FINE
F-12:
WEAR: There will be some detail visible in the major devices. For series
with "LIBERTY," there
will be four or five letters partly or wholly visible.
MARKS: There may be minor, medium, or large marks, but nothing too severe.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal will be due to clean surfaces and lack of marks.
VG-10: VERY GOOD
VG-10:
WEAR: There will be some detail visible in the major devices, though most are
worn smooth. All devices/lettering will be quite clear. For series with "LIBERTY," there
will be from one to three letters visible or parts of up to five letters evident.
MARKS: A few minor, medium, and large marks may be evident, though they cannot
be too severe. There should be no major marks. If the marks are too severe, the
coin will not be graded.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal is due to clean surfaces and lack of marks.
VG-8: VERY GOOD
VG-8:
WEAR: There will be a few details visible in the devices. The peripheral devices/lettering
will be sharp and clear. The rims will be complete for all series. For coins
with "LIBERTY," there will be one or two letters visible or parts of several
letters evident.
MARKS: There should be no major marks, since most will be worn away.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal is due to clean surfaces
and lack of marks.
G-6: GOOD
G-6:
WEAR: All devices will be worn smooth, but the outlines will be sharp. The
minor devices/lettering around the periphery will be clear. Note: For some
series (Barber
coinage, in particular), there will be slight wear into the reverse rim that
touches some letters.
MARKS: There can be some minor marks, though major ones will be worn away.
EYE APPEAL: Any eye appeal will be due to clean surfaces and lack of marks.
G-4: GOOD
G-4:
WEAR: Only the outlines of the major devices are still visible. The minor
devices/lettering around the periphery will be worn but still clear. Note:
For some series (Barber
coinage, in particular), there will be some wear into the top parts of the
reverse lettering.
MARKS: There may be marks, but they should not be severe.
EYE APPEAL: Virtually no eye appeal, but nice even wear can be pleasing to
the eye.
AG-3: ABOUT GOOD
AG-3:
WEAR: The wear will be considerable, with the rims mostly gone, sometimes
blending with devices.
MARKS: There may be numerous marks, but usually the surfaces are smooth from
wear.
EYE APPEAL: None.
FR-2: FAIR
FR-2:
WEAR: There will only be partial device detail visible. The date can be weak
or almost missing. The rims may be worn completely.
MARKS: There may be numerous marks, but usually the surfaces are smooth from
wear.
EYE APPEAL: None.
PO-1: POOR
PO-1:
WEAR: The amount of wear is so massive that sometimes only the date and a
few details are visible. If the date is not visible, the coin can be graded
only
if it is a one-year type.
MARKS: There can be numerous marks, though when a coin is this worn, the
marks are usually worn down also.
EYE APPEAL: None.
* PROOF STANDARDS *
PROOF-70: PERFECT PROOF
PROOF-70:
MARKS: There can be no defects visible with a 5X glass. A Proof-70 coin is 100
percent free of hairlines, planchet flaws, lint marks, and any other mint-caused
or post-striking defects.
STRIKE: The strike is full, showing all of the intended detail.
LUSTER: The surfaces are fully reflective (if applicable) and undisturbed in
any way. Any toning must be attractive. Red copper must have no breaks in the
color, and only the slightest mellowing is acceptable.
EYE APPEAL: Nothing short of spectacular.
PROOF-69: SUPERB GEM PROOF
PROOF-69:
MARKS: This coin will appear perfect to the unaided eye. Upon magnification,
one or two minute imperfections (extremely minor hairlines, a previously hidden
lint mark, a flake from the planchet, etc.) will be in evidence. Note: Slight
die polish, very minor die breaks, or incomplete striking will NOT preclude a
coin from attaining this grade.
STRIKE: The strike will be full, showing all of the detail intended..
LUSTER: The surfaces must be fully reflective (if
applicable) and not negatively affected by toning or patina. Any toning must
be attractive. Slight mellowing of color is allowed for red copper, and only
the slightest unevenness of color for red-brown and brown copper.
EYE APPEAL: Superb! Any hint of negativity must be compensated for in another
area. Note: Darkly toned proof coins will NOT grade Proof-69.
PROOF-68: SUPERB GEM PROOF
PROOF-68:
MARKS: A Proof-68 coin will have minor defects barely visible to the unaided
eye - defects that usually go unnoticed at first look. These will usually include
one of the following: virtually undetectable hairlines, a small planchet flaw,
or an unobtrusive lint mark. Such defects, no matter how minor, should not
be in a conspicuous place such as Liberty's cheek or the obverse field.
STRIKE: The strike will be full, showing virtually all of the detail intended.
LUSTER: The coin must be fully reflective (if applicable) or virtually so.
Any toning must be attractive, but slight unevenness is allowable. Some mellowing
of color is allowed for red copper, and some unevenness of color for red-brown
and brown copper.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be exceptional. Any hint of negativity will
be compensated for in another area.
PROOF-67: SUPERB GEM PROOF
PROOF-67:
MARKS: Any defects visible to the unaided eye will be minor. These could include
unobtrusive hairlines, one or more very minor contact marks, a stray lint mark
or two, a well-hidden planchet flaw, etc. If the eye is immediately drawn to
a defect, that almost always will preclude the coin from grading Proof-67.
STRIKE: The strike will be full or exceptionally sharp.
LUSTER: The reflectivity must be nearly full (if applicable). Toning may dark
or uneven, but not both. Red copper can have mellowing of color, and there
can be unevenness of color for red-brown and brown copper. Minute spotting,
if present,
should be virtually unnoticeable.
EYE APPEAL: Superb, or nearly so. Any negativity must be compensated for in
another area. Darkly toned coins are almost always penalized at least one grade
point
at this level - i.e., a Proof-67 coin that is dark would grade at least Proof-68
if the toning were attractive or nonexistent.
PROOF-66: GEM PROOF
PROOF-66:
MARKS: A Proof-66 coin can have light contact lines/hairlines, but nothing
detracting or concentrated in one area. It may have small lint marks or planchet
flaws,
but any defects must be minor. If a flaw draws the eye, then the rest of the
coin must be superb to compensate for it.
STRIKE: The strike must be sharp, and will almost always be exceptionally sharp..
LUSTER: The reflectivity will usually be excellent (if applicable). Any toning
must be positive, and reflectivity must be good (if applicable). A Proof-66
coin may have some extremely positive attributes that offset slightly too much
negativity
in another area. For instance, Coin X has two or three too many hairlines to
qualify as Proof-66, but the toning is fantastic and the devices heavily frosted
and the eye appeal outstanding, so the coin is graded Proof-66 anyway. Red
copper can have mellowing of color, and there can be unevenness of color for
red-brown
and brown copper. Very minor spotting may be present. . EYE APPEAL: Overall
eye appeal for this grade is great, since this coin just misses Proof-67. Any
deficiency
in toning (too dark for Proof-67 because of impeded reflectivity, "splotchy" almost
to the point of being negative, etc.) will be slight. If the coin is brilliant,
then the deficiency usually will be minuscule contact/hairline/slide marks that
preclude a higher grade.
PROOF-65: GEM PROOF
PROOF-65:
MARKS: There may be several minor problems. These may include light contact,
hairlines, lint marks, planchet flaws, or other minor defects. Since there may
be several minor problems, there are many ways to attain the grade of Proof-65.
For example, a coin with virtually no hairlines may have slight contact/slide
marks on the high points and still grade Proof-65. In another case, a coin with
no contact/slide marks might still grade no higher than Proof-65 because of minor
but noticeable hairlines. Any other minor defects, such as lint marks or planchet
flaws, should be unobtrusive.
STRIKE: The coin will be well struck and, in most cases, very sharp.
LUSTER: The
reflectivity will be average or above. Any toning present can impede the reflectivity
only slightly. On untoned coins,
the reflectivity can be moderately subdued, but coins with "washed-out" surfaces
cannot be graded Proof-65. Red copper can have mellowing of color. Copper coins
can have minor spotting.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be average or above. This is a coin almost
everyone finds attractive. The comments for eye appeal under MS-65 are just
as relevant
for Proof-65. There is a wide range in the appearance of Proof-65 coins. Any
slightly negative factors must be compensated for in another area.
PROOF-64: CHOICE PROOF
PROOF-64:
MARKS: There may be numerous minor problems. These may include contact marks,
many small hairlines, or several large hairlines. Other defects - such as lint
marks or planchet flaws in focal areas - may be allowed.
STRIKE: There can be some weakness in strike. Note: This is the highest Proof
grade where distracting weakness of strike in the major devices is allowable.
Weakness in stars and other minor devices is not usually enough to reduce the
grade.
LUSTER: The reflectivity can be impeded.
If the coin is toned, the reflectivity
can be noticeably subdued. On untoned coins, there can be dullness or a "washed-out" appearance,
but these coins should have less contact lines/hairlines than a coin with more
of the mirror surface intact. Red copper can be considerably mellowed. There
may be noticeable spotting for this grade, though large or numerous spots would
reduce the grade to Proof-63 or lower.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can range from slightly negative to very positive.
This is an attractive coin. However, there can be some negativity in toning
(too dark, hazy, splotchy, etc.) - or, with untoned coins, there can be dullness
in
the mirrored surface. The amount of hairlines acceptable for this grade is
directly proportional to the eye appeal. If a coin has great contrast (frosted
devices),
then the hairlines or other defects can be quite noticeable. On a coin with
less contrast and either darkly toned or dull brilliant, the hairlines must
be minor.
PROOF-63: CHOICE PROOF
PROOF-63:
MARKS: There may be immediately noticeable defects. There may be quite a few
contact marks/hairlines or a group of concentrated hairlines, lint marks in
prime focal areas, medium to large planchet flaws, or a combination of these
or other
defects. Obvious "slide marks," which usually result from an album's plastic
sliding across the devices, will almost always result in a grade of no higher
than Proof-63.
STRIKE: The strike can range from average to full. This is the highest proof
grade where some weakness of strike is allowed. If the coin is poorly struck,
a grade of Proof-62 or below would be appropriate.
LUSTER: The reflectivity can be below average to full. On untoned coins, the
surfaces are often dull - and on toned coins, there can be dark or uneven toning
that will seriously impede the amount of reflectivity. Red copper can be considerably
mellowed. There can be noticeable spotting, with several large spots or numerous
small ones. Note: If the mirrored surface is almost totally obscured, then
the grade of Proof-63 will NOT be attained and a grade of Proof-62 or lower
is warranted.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can be slightly
negative to very positive. The "average" Proof-63
coin will have neutral eye appeal (noticeable hairlines, well struck, slightly
dulled surfaces). Some coins can still grade Proof-63 even if one or more of
the major criteria are negative. That must be compensated for by strength in
another area.
PROOF-62: PROOF
PROOF-62:
MARKS: There may be some light contact marks, numerous light hairlines, some
medium to heavy hairlines, or some combination of these above covering most
of the coin's surface. There also may be concentrated patches of hairlines,
but
with some areas remaining relatively free of contact marks/hairlines.
STRIKE: The strike can range from extremely weak
to full.
LUSTER: The reflectivity can range from below average to nearly full. On toned
coins, there might be very little of the mirrored surface left, and with brilliant
coins the reflectivity may be almost completely impaired by hairlines.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal will be negative to slightly positive.
PROOF-61: PROOF
PROOF-61:
MARKS: The surfaces may have some contact marks and numerous light to heavy hairlines.
There may be several small marks hidden in the devices. The entire surface may
be covered with contact marks/hairlines, or there may be several areas with concentrated
hairlines and some others relatively free of them.
STRIKE: The strike can range from very weak to full.
LUSTER: The reflectivity will range from poor to slightly impaired.
EYE APPEAL:
The eye appeal will be very negative
to very slightly positive.
PROOF-60: PROOF
PROOF-60:
MARKS: The surface may have quite a few contact lines or myriad medium to
heavy hairlines, and may have several marks. There should be no large marks
for this
grade. If there are large marks, the grade would be Proof-58 or lower.
STRIKE: The strike can range from very weak to full.
LUSTER: The reflectivity may range from poor to slightly impaired.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal can be very negative
to neutral.
PROOF-58: CIRCULATED PROOF
PROOF-58:
WEAR: There usually is very little wear on the high points. With Proof coins,
wear usually takes the form of slight friction in the fields. Since the mirrored
surfaces of Proof coins are so delicate, any minor circulation or mishandling
will cause marks and hairlines to become immediately apparent. In some cases,
the reverse may have no impairment and will grade Proof-60 or higher. Note: It
is much easier to discern wear on a Proof than on a business strike. Proofs and
proof-like business strikes reveal marks/hairlines much more easily because of
the mirrored surface.
MARKS: There could be a few major marks. There can be scattered contact marks,
with a few allowed on the devices and in the fields. If there are more than a
few marks, a Proof coin would be graded Proof-55 or lower.
STRIKE: The strike can range from average to full. Note: A weak strike would
be downgraded to Proof-55 or lower.
LUSTER: The reflectivity will be somewhat impaired. This is not always true with
Proof-58 coins, since many coins in this grade will have full reflectivity, which
is disturbed only by hairlines, marks, or minor wear.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is usually very good. There usually is nothing other
than slight contact marks/friction on Proof-58 coins. Appearance is usually NOT
the problem with this coin.
PROOF-55: CIRCULATED PROOF
PROOF-55:
WEAR: There will be slight wear on the high points, and up to half the fields
will have friction. The reverse will now be impaired in most cases.
MARKS:
There may be several marks and quite a few contact marks/hairlines. These should
be
scattered about and should not be concentrated
on prime focal areas.
STRIKE: The strike will range from slightly weak to full.
LUSTER: The reflectivity may be severely impaired. Up to 50 percent of the
mirrored surface is now slightly to fairly severely impaired. There can be
a few areas
that have lost complete reflectivity.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal is usually good. The main criteria will be surface
preservation, lack of and placement of marks/hairlines, reflectivity remaining,
and originality.
PROOF-53: CIRCULATED PROOF
PROOF-53:
WEAR: There will be obvious wear to the high points. Friction will cover 50
to 75 percent of the fields.
MARKS: There may be several minor and
major marks/hairlines. There can be
scattered marks/hairlines in all areas of the coin, including prime focal areas,
though
severe disturbance in those prime areas will result in a lower grade. Some
small areas may have heavy concentrations of hairlines. STRIKE:
The strike will range from below average
to full.
LUSTER: The reflectivity may be severely
impaired. The amount of "mirror" still
visible will depend on the original depth of the mirrored surface.
EYE APPEAL: The eye appeal now is a function of surface preservation, lack
of and placement of marks/hairlines, reflectivity remaining, and originality.
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