Amateur
Identify the broad condition using full grade names—from Poor through Mint State. No Sheldon numbers required.
CHOOSE A SERIES
◆ 12 day streak
How sharp is
your grading eye?
Numismatist
Call the precise grade using the complete Sheldon scale, including abbreviations and numerical distinctions.
CHOOSE A SERIES
NUMISMATICS · QUIZ
Test your
knowledge.
NUMISACADEMY · ERRORS
Spot what went
wrong.
NUMISACADEMY RANKINGS · SEASON 01
The sharpest eyes
in the room.
Rankings combine exact-grade accuracy, average Sheldon point variance, Learn performance, challenge volume, and consistency.
ACTIVE GRADERS482↑ 12% this month
COINS GRADED7,430Current season
AVG. ACCURACY87.2%Exact grade
AVG. VARIANCE1.9Sheldon points
2
DD
Die Hard Dan
@dieharddan
9,635RANKING POINTS93.1% accuracy±1.1 avg.
◆
AM
Aurelia Mint
@aureliamint
9,850RANKING POINTS94.8% accuracy±0.8 avg.
3
LL
Lady Liberty
@ladyliberty
9,480RANKING POINTS91.7% accuracy±1.3 avg.
RANK · GRADER
GRADE ACCURACY
AVG. VARIANCE
LEARN SCORE
CHALLENGES
STREAK
POINTS
01AM
Aurelia Mint@aureliamint
94.8%
±0.8points
97%average
286completed
◆ 31days
9,850pts
02DD
Die Hard Dan@dieharddan
93.1%
±1.1points
94%average
312completed
◆ 18days
9,635pts
03LL
Lady Liberty@ladyliberty
91.7%
±1.3points
96%average
248completed
◆ 24days
9,480pts
04FF
Full Bands Frank@fullbandsfrank
90.4%
±1.4points
91%average
351completed
◆ 15days
9,320pts
05TL
Toned & Loaded@tonedandloaded
89.8%
±1.6points
93%average
204completed
◆ 22days
9,175pts
06SS
Shannon StrangeYOU@strangecoins
88.6%
±1.8points
90%average
176completed
◆ 12days
9,020pts
07CW
Coin Whisperer@coinwhisperer
87.9%
±1.9points
88%average
229completed
◆ 9days
8,885pts
08DR
Denver Reverse@denverreverse
86.3%
±2.1points
92%average
193completed
◆ 16days
8,710pts
09PS
Planchet Sage@planchetsage
84.7%
±2.4points
86%average
267completed
◆ 7days
8,460pts
10MM
Mercury Rising@mercuryrising
83.5%
±2.6points
89%average
158completed
◆ 11days
8,295pts
Prototype leaderboard · Names and statistics are fictional presentation data.
NUMISACADEMY · ACADEMY
The Sheldon scale,
without the mystery.
Coin grading measures preservation—not age, rarity or value. Begin with wear, then judge strike, luster, marks and eye appeal against the standards for that specific coin series.
01
THE GRADING METHOD
How to grade a coin properly
Consistency comes from using the same sequence every time. Skip a step and the coin will find a way to embarrass you at auction.
Identify the coin
Confirm the series, date, mint, denomination and variety. Grading standards are design-specific, so know where that coin normally shows weakness and wear.
Use neutral light
Hold the coin by its edges under a single incandescent or neutral-white light. Rotate it slowly so luster, friction, hairlines and surface disturbances reveal themselves.
Separate wear from strike
Check the design’s highest points first. Wear breaks mint luster and changes surface texture; a weak strike lacks detail but may retain undisturbed luster.
Judge the whole surface
Evaluate remaining detail, rim completeness, luster, contact marks, scratches, cleaning, toning and eye appeal. Location matters: a mark on a cheek hurts more than one hidden in a wreath.
Compare both sides
Grade the obverse and reverse independently, then assign the conservative overall grade. Confirm the result against reliable series-specific photographs and written standards.
02
THE COMPLETE SCALE
Every grade from PO1 to MS70
Circulated grades describe increasing amounts of surviving detail. Mint State grades all have one thing in common: absolutely no circulation wear.
CIRCULATED · PO1–AU58
PO1Poor
Barely identifiable by type. The date or mintmark may be partly lost and the design is worn nearly smooth.
FR2Fair
Extremely worn. Major outlines remain, but most lettering and interior detail are weak or incomplete.
AG3About Good
The main design is outlined. The date is readable, although rims may merge into parts of the lettering.
G4Good
Heavy, even wear. Major devices and legends are visible, with full or nearly full rims and little interior detail.
G6Good
A stronger Good coin. Rims and legends are clearer, with slightly more interior design remaining than at G4.
VG8Very Good
Well worn but clear. Major features are complete, with the first meaningful interior details beginning to show.
VG10Very Good
Moderate-to-heavy wear with somewhat sharper lettering and design detail than VG8.
F12Fine
Moderate, even wear. The complete design is bold, with many recessed details still visible.
F15Fine
A sharper Fine coin. More hair, feather, leaf, band or other protected detail remains than at F12.
VF20Very Fine
Moderate wear on high points. Major details are clear, though the highest areas show noticeable flattening.
VF25Very Fine
Light-to-moderate wear with stronger central detail and clearer separation in protected areas.
VF30Very Fine
Light, even wear. Nearly all major details remain, with only moderate flattening on the highest points.
VF35Very Fine
A choice Very Fine coin approaching Extremely Fine, with most detail sharp and only light high-point wear.
EF40Extremely Fine
Light wear appears across the highest points. Most design detail is sharp and traces of mint luster may remain.
EF45Extremely Fine
Only very light wear is visible on the highest points. Details are crisp and more original luster survives.
AU50About Uncirculated
Slight wear or friction appears on several high points. At least half of the original mint luster generally remains.
AU53About Uncirculated
Light friction is confined mainly to high points, with stronger luster and fewer distractions than AU50.
AU55About Uncirculated
Only slight wear is present on the highest areas. Most mint luster remains and the coin has strong eye appeal.
AU58Choice About Uncirculated
The slightest trace of friction keeps the coin from Mint State. Nearly full luster and a fresh appearance remain.
UNCIRCULATED · MS60–MS70
MS60Mint State
No circulation wear. Numerous marks, weak strike, dull luster or unattractive toning may limit the grade.
MS61Mint State
No wear, but heavy or poorly placed marks and below-average luster remain distracting.
MS62Mint State
No wear. Marks are less severe than MS61, though strike, luster or eye appeal remains below average.
MS63Choice Mint State
No wear and attractive luster, with noticeable contact marks or minor blemishes in important areas.
MS64Choice Mint State
No wear, pleasing luster and fewer or smaller marks than MS63. Overall eye appeal is above average.
MS65Gem Mint State
No wear, strong luster and an above-average strike. Only minor marks are permitted, away from focal areas when possible.
MS66Gem Mint State
Exceptional luster and eye appeal with very few, very small imperfections and a strong strike.
MS67Superb Gem Mint State
Virtually flawless to the unaided eye, with booming luster, excellent strike and only minute imperfections.
MS68Superb Gem Mint State
An extraordinary coin with superb surfaces, luster and strike; only tiny imperfections are visible under magnification.
MS69Near-Perfect Mint State
Nearly perfect as struck. One or two microscopic flaws may be found under close inspection.
MS70Perfect Mint State
No post-production imperfections visible under standard grading magnification, with full original luster and exceptional eye appeal.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE
Wear disappears.
Standards get ruthless.
A low-grade coin loses design detail through circulation. An upper Mint State coin retains every intended detail, but tiny marks, strike quality and luster determine how high it climbs.
03
MINT ERROR FIELD GUIDE
When the Mint gets it wrong
Mint errors are unintended abnormalities created while a blank is prepared, a die is made, or a coin is struck. They are not damage added after the coin leaves the Mint.
PLANCHET · DIE · STRIKING ERRORS12 common mint errors
01Blank Planchet
An unstruck Type I blank or rimmed Type II planchet escaped the Mint without receiving a coin design.
02Clipped Planchet
The blanking punch overlapped the edge of the metal strip or a previously punched opening, leaving part of the planchet missing.
03Lamination
Impurities or internal stress in the planchet caused the metal to crack, peel, flake, or separate.
04Broadstrike
The collar failed to contain the planchet during striking, allowing the metal to spread beyond its normal diameter.
05Off-center Strike
The planchet was positioned outside the collar and only part of the design landed on the coin.
06Double Strike
A coin failed to eject after its first strike and received a second impression, either centered or displaced.
07Struck Through
Foreign material or another object came between the die and planchet, leaving its outline or texture impressed into the coin.
08Brockage
A previously struck coin remained in the press and impressed a sunken, mirror-image design into the next planchet.
09Die Cap
A struck coin adhered to a die and was repeatedly struck, gradually wrapping around the die into a cap-like form.
10Doubled Die
The die itself received a misaligned design impression during manufacture, transferring genuine doubled features to every coin it struck.
11Die Adjustment Strike
Insufficient striking pressure produced an unusually weak design while technicians adjusted or tested the press.
12Double Denomination
A coin already struck as one denomination was struck again by dies intended for a different denomination.
Educational prototype based on the Sheldon numerical scale, ANA-style grading principles, and NumisAcademy’s Mercury dime and Morgan dollar grading references. Market grading can vary among experienced graders and certification services.