Grading gives buyers the confidence coins are genuine and independently assessed

Grading explained

Coin grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, one of the key factors in determining its value. A coin's grade is generally determined by five criteria: strike, preservation, luster, color, and attractiveness.

The Sheldon Scale is a 70-point scale for grading coins, developed by Dr. William Sheldon in 1949. A slightly modified form of the Sheldon Scale has become the de facto standard for grading coins today and is used by the major third party grading services (NGC & PCGS) when assigning a grade to a coin. There are however other grading scales including the common British scale (see below).

NGC

With a firm commitment to accuracy, consistency and integrity, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation™ (NGC®) is a leading third-party grading service for coins, tokens and medals. Since 1987, NGC has graded more than 43 million coins, each one backed by the comprehensive NGC Guarantee.

PCGS

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is the most respected name in third-party coin certification. By establishing a universal grading standard, PCGS has paved the way for coin enthusiasts to enjoy buying and selling coins with confidence.

Grading decoded!

With at least three different grading scales it can be confusing! The table below attempts to cross reference the main three, to assist when relating back to British grading terms. Although this is not an exact science, the below table will give enough information to assist in grading crossovers. 

British Grade	Sheldon Grade	CGS Grade
Almost FDC - FDC	MS66 - MS70	90 - 100
Brilliant Uncirculated	MS65 - MS66	82 - 90
Choice Uncirculated	MS64 - MS65	78 - 82
Uncirculated	MS62 - MS64	75 - 78
Good EF - Almost Unc	MS60 - MS61	65 - 70
Extremely Fine	Au58 - MS60	60
Good VF - Almost EF	Au53 - AU55	45 - 55
Almost VF - Very Fine	XF45 - AU50	35 - 40
Good Fine	VF35  - XF40	30
Fine	F12 - VF30	17 - 28
Fair - Almost Fine	AG3 - VG10	4 - 15