AU still has friction.
AU-50, 53, 55, 58: inspect the high points and the luster around them. A small rub can separate AU from MS. Weak strike alone is not wear.
The Collector’s Desk • Quick Reference
The Sheldon scale.
From 1 to 70.
Your coin-grading cheat sheet. Start with the ten grade families, memorize their numbers, then compare actual coins within one series.
POPoor1FRFair2AGAbout Good3GGood4–6VGVery Good8–10FFine12–15VFVery Fine20–35XFExtremely Fine40–45AUAbout Uncirculated50–58MSMint State60–70
The dividing line: AU → MS. AU coins have wear. Mint State coins have none. A marked-up MS-60 can look less attractive than an AU-58.
Lowest to Highest
The order to memorize.
These are the standard whole-number grades used on the Sheldon scale. Below 60, numbers are skipped. At Mint State, every number from 60 through 70 is used.
| Code | Grade family | Numbers | Memory cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO | Poor | 1 | Just enough survives for identification. |
| FR | Fair | 2 | Sparse design fragments remain. |
| AG | About Good | 3 | Rim and lettering merge. |
| G | Good | 4, 6 | Basic design survives; much is flat. |
| VG | Very Good | 8, 10 | Major elements remain; little interior detail. |
| F | Fine | 12, 15 | Wear softens the finer features. |
| VF | Very Fine | 20, 25, 30, 35 | Details strengthen as numbers rise. |
| XF | Extremely Fine | 40, 45 | High points show light wear. |
| AU | About Uncirculated | 50, 53, 55, 58 | Check high points carefully for friction. |
| MS | Mint State | 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70 | Judge marks, luster, strike, and eye appeal. |
Same grade, different abbreviation: EF and XF both mean Extremely Fine. PO may also be written P. These cues are broad reminders; diagnostics depend on the coin series.
Poor → Fair → About Good → Good → Very Good → Fine → Very Fine → Extremely Fine → About Uncirculated → Mint State
Learn the Thresholds
Three things to remember.
MS does not mean flawless.
MS-60 through MS-70 have no wear. Marks and handling can lower the grade without circulation wear. Evaluate the whole coin, on both sides.
Proof is a method.
PR (PCGS) and PF (NGC) identify Proof coins. Proofs use the same numeric scale and can become worn. Proof is not a grade above MS-70.
Mint State: all eleven numbers
6061626364656667686970
Common dealer shorthand: 63 = Choice, 65 = Gem, 67 = Superb Gem. Adjectives vary; use the actual numeric grade when precision matters.
70: NGC’s standard allows no post-production imperfections visible at 5× magnification.
Read past the number.
Details: a surface problem, such as improper cleaning, may prevent a straight numeric grade. “AU Details” is not the same as AU-58.
+ indicates the high end of a grade where eligible. RD / RB / BN describe copper color. CAM / DCAM / UCAM describe Proof contrast. These add information, rather than steps in the scale.
One Minute at the Desk
Recall before you reveal.
Say the answer aloud, then check it. Practice grade order and number groups.
From Memory to Judgment
Use this alongside real coins.
Pick one series you handle often—Lincoln cents or Morgan dollars, for example. Compare both sides with certified examples and Photograde. Learn that series’ high points, then practice distinguishing wear from weak strike and contact marks. This sheet teaches the vocabulary; repeated comparison builds grading judgment.
Reference sources: NGC Grading Scale · PCGS: What Is Coin Grading? · PCGS / ANA Grading Overview. Educational summary, not a series-specific grading standard.