The Official American Numismati Association Grading Standards of United States Coins

Rating

I love this book! It has a beautiful cover and the spiral binding is very convenient while using it to grade your coins. It has detailed descriptions and clear pictures of the grading standards that are recongnized by the American Numismatic Association. This grading system is used nationwide in determining the value of any given coin. This book is a valuable tool that no coin collector should be without.

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Rating

This book boldly attempts to cover the official ANA coin grading standards for all U.S. coins in one volume. The text and commentary describing every type coin by grade is marginally helpful. High points and typical wear patterns are discussed. Where the book fails dramatically is in the photographs of the coins. A mere 16 of 352 pages display (random) color photos with the remaining hundreds of photos in gray-scale which are too small and detail deficient. Far too many images are dark, smudgy examples of a given grade. In closing, I wish to critique a specific statement made on page 97; "In buying any coin, you should use the assigned grade as a 'starting point', and then evaluate other characteristics." There are many fellow coin collectors who strongly disagree with this advice with the logic being this - As 'assigned grades' differ, sometimes greatly, between grading companies as well as between individual graders within the same grading company, the educated buyer will buy the 'coin' NOT the 'paper grade'. Knowledge is power and with that in mind, I would recommend finding a different book on grading U.S. coins that has clearer, larger images - in color.

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