How does CNG grade coins?
CNG prides itself on very conservative grading. Generally, two factors must be accounted for in grading – effects of wear and effects of manufacture. Effects of wear result from circulation, find conditions, and conservation. Worn examples display a loss of sharpness, corrosion, and scratches. Effects of wear are the primary factors in determining a coin’s grade. Effects of manufacture, such as poor centering, flatness, and multiple strikings, can affect the aesthetics of a coin, and thereby its value, but typically do not affect the grade. As such, when CNG grades their coins, the grade is usually supplemented by information relating any detrimental factors caused in the coin’s manufacture. For example, a coin that is in exceptional condition, but has been struck a bit off-center may be graded as EF, slightly off-center strike. Another factor that must also be considered is the state of the dies in a series to which a coin belongs. With ancient, and some medieval, coin series, dies we
