Should I get my coin graded first
Learn when to get your coin graded. The certified coin has to clear the raw coin plus the grading fee, shipping, and insurance. Ask a dealer to look.
Send a coin to be graded when the holder is worth more than the raw coin plus the bill to get it there and back. Ken Bressett's Reading Room note on being prepared says to weigh the cost of a grading service against the value of the coin you would send. A slab is one service's opinion in a holder.
When a holder can change the offer
Start with two kinds of coins. One is a date the coin series pages already set aside. Those dates are also named on what old coins are worth money. The other is a coin that still looks uncirculated. Wear is the part you can see. The numbers from Poor through Mint State are in the glossary.
Ask the dealer whether a holder would change the offer. That answer decides the shipment. Some buyers want the service's opinion before they pay more than the raw coin.
When the coin is silver or clad
A common worn dime, quarter, or half is bought for the silver in it. The metal figure is the melt calculator. A jar of those coins is the sort in what is junk silver. The grading fee sits on top of that silver.
A common clad coin from change still spends at face. The series pages keep the clad years apart from the silver years.
When the label names a problem
NGC's details grading page prints a details grade, and the problem under it, when improper cleaning, a hole, or scratches are severe enough to block a number from 1 to 70. A lightly cleaned coin can still receive a number. NGC says the value of a details-graded coin is the coin in hand. The severity matters, and so does the spot on the coin.
Leave the surface as it is. A cloth, a vinegar soak, or a baking soda rub is the subject of should you clean old coins. If someone already cleaned the coin, say so. A scarce date that needs to be authenticated is a different question. Ask a dealer before you ship a problem piece.
Ask a person before you pay
Take the coin to a shop or a show before you pay to submit. The coin dealer directory lists public shops, including Ohio coin dealers. A coin show puts several tables in one afternoon. Ask which coins can clear the fee.
The bill is the grading fee plus shipping and insurance. NGC's services and fees lists the current tiers and says shipping is additional. Ask the shop what it charges to send the coin to NGC or to PCGS. NGC's submission FAQ says collector members can send coins directly, and many authorized dealers take coins from the public.
PCGS and NGC
The two holders to ask about are PCGS and NGC. NGC's grading scale is the Sheldon scale of 1 to 70, and NGC calls that scale the industry standard. Bressett's note says each service has its own standards, so the number on a PCGS holder is that service's number. The numbers are in the glossary.
The ANA coin collecting FAQ names NGC as the official grading service of the ANA. You can compare a PCGS holder and an NGC holder at a shop or a coin show.
Leave the surface alone
Wear gloves. Coin-grading basics says to hold the coin by the edge with a thumb and index finger, and to keep skin off the two faces. Oil from a fingerprint can mark the field. Leave the surface as it is. The note is should you clean old coins.
A whole box starts with how to sell a coin collection. An estate box starts with I inherited a coin collection.
Take the coin to a shop or a show
When you want a person to look, take the coin the way it is. Browse coin dealers or see upcoming coin shows. A local dealer will make you an offer.
People Also Ask
Should I get my coin graded?
Grade a coin when the certified piece can clear the raw coin plus the grading fee, shipping, and insurance. A coin dealer or a coin show can look before you pay to ship.
What does it cost to get a coin graded?
The bill is the grading fee plus shipping and insurance. Ask a coin dealer what it charges to send a coin to NGC or to PCGS before you ship.
Should I send the coin to PCGS or NGC?
Ask the dealer which holder the buyer will want. The 1 to 70 numbers are in the glossary. Compare holders at a coin show.
What if the coin was already cleaned?
Leave it. Another rub adds hairlines. The walk-through is should you clean old coins. A coin dealer can look at the coin as it is.
Who should look at the coin before I submit it?
A shop or a show. Browse coin dealers, including Ohio coin dealers, or see upcoming coin shows.
Should I grade every coin in the box?
Start with the coins a dealer thinks can clear the fee. Common worn silver is the sort in what is junk silver, and the metal figure is the melt calculator. A whole box starts with how to sell a coin collection.
Where are the grades explained?
Circulation grades from P-1 through MS-70 are in the glossary. A slab is one service's opinion in a holder. Dates this site already names are on the coin series pages and in what old coins are worth money.