Home Is it Good? Is it Very Good? Is it Fine? Is it Very Fine? Is it VF or XF? Is it Extremely Fine? Is it Almost Uncirculated? Is it AU or MS? Is it MS-60 or MS-63? Is it MS-63 or MS-64? Is it MS-64 or MS-65? Is it Red-Brown or Red? |
Is it VF or XF?
There is an easy dividing line between VF and XF coins, Coins with VF detail will have the lower hair curl and the ribbon connected, usually at the second from top diamond. It has always been a common occurrence for sellers to push the grade of VF-30's into the XF category. This happens often because the VF-30's have lots of detail and can be passed of as XF's easily, but only because they are discounted and offered as bargains. Additionally, many, many coins which would grade out as only VF are encapsulated by third party grading services as XF. They call this practice "market grading". My interpretation of market grading is "whatever the market will bear". Prices are effected by these loose grading standards, for example, an 1877 Indian Cent which grades here as VF (worth say $1,000) but is encapsulated as an XF should only be worth $1,000 regardless, and it is. The properly graded XF 1877 will sell easily for $1,300 or more. Dealers will buy both coins, but they will not pay the same price, even though they may be graded the same on the holder. Only properly graded coins are listed in our pricing guide. | ||
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Copyright on standards Richard Snow prior to acceptance
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