Coin collectors use a numbering system to give collectors an accurate measure of the condition a coin is in. This numbering system ranges between 1 and 70. “1″ being the worst possible condition of a coin, and 70 meaning flawless.

The numbers tell collectors many things, like how much wear is on the coin and if there are any damaging marks on the coin. There are very few coins out there with a 70 grade on them. It is very rare, and most coins minted have flaws, even if they are ever so slight.

Grading coins is a science, and once you learn that science, putting a grade and a value on that coin will become much easier for you. Plus you will be able to accurately grade coins at auctions, coin dealers, and private collectors, so you will not get ripped off if someone is trying to sell you something at a higher price than it is worth.

So, coin grading is very important in the hobby of coin collecting, and learning this practice will greatly enhance your skills in the hobby and make you much more aware of current prices and rates that certain coins are going for.

How to Grade US Coins is a great starter for hobbyist trying to learn the art of coin grading. This book will go over all the different aspects of coin grading, and all the different grades of coins. It is a great reference to any hobbyist, and comes highly recommended.

Professional Coin Grading Service is a great service for those who either have had a hard time learning the fine art, or need a professional grading service to grade a particular rare coin. They also come highly recommended, and for some of your more finer specimens, a professional coin grading service is the way to go, to get a more accurately graded coin.

So check out our coin grading button, and learn the different types of grades for your coins, read the recommended reading on grading your US coins, or have a professional coin grading service do the work for you. Either way, accurately having your coins graded will easily put a value on your collection, and could quite save you a lot of money in the buying of coins for your collection.

Jon Gammon is the author and webmaster at The Coin Alley, visit the website to learn all about the wonderful world of coin collecting.

Un-circulated means a coin has not had any wear, such as the wear a coin might experience when it is used in commerce. Handling a coin, as well as improperly storing a coin, can result in wear on the surface of the coin. This wear, even if very minor, will cause a coin to no longer grade un-circulated.

When coins are minted they often bump into each other and receive small nicks and abrasion marks during the production process. These marks also occur as coins are transported in large canvas bags. These marks, sometimes called “bag marks”, are more noticeable on larger coins, such as half dollars and dollars. Typical “bag marks” do not keep a coin from grading un-circulated. However, they can be an indicator of how high of a grade the un-circulated coin might receive.

Current accepted grading standards provide for a range of un-circulated grades, from the grade of MS-60 to MS-70. MS60 would be a lower grade (yet still) un-circulated coin with normal bag marks for that type of coin. Anything below MS-60 would not be considered un-circulated. MS70 would be the perfect “ideal” coin. Some coins are rare in grades MS65 to MS70, and even unheard of in MS70 grade. (The attribute “MS” stands for “mint state”.)

A newly minted proof coin is also un-circulated, however it is the way it is made that causes a difference in appearance and qualifies it as a “proof”. To understand this, let’s look at how coins are made. Coins are produced when two dies strike a blank piece of metal with tremendous force. One die is engraved with the front (obverse) design for the coin. The other die has the back (reverse) coin design on it.

A proof coin is made with a specially polished and treated die! By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance. Modern technology allows the high points on the coin design to be acid treated (on the die). The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called “cameo”. On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute “CAM”, when added to a coin’s description, means cameo appearance. “DCAM” means deep cameo, and indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe.