Coin Grading
- The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) was founded in 1986 by a group of 7 collectors led by David Hall. As it has multiple branches in Europe and Asia, it is the world leader in coin grading and Numismatics.
- The primary purpose of grading a coin is to determine the coin's market value. Ascertaining a coin's value is dependent on how well the coin was struck initially, the coin's a level of preservation, and how much wear and damage the coin has sustained.
Over twenty years ago, I felt a burning need to help clarify a controversial topic. So I wrote How to Grade U.S. Coins, which I think helped demystify the process of grading uncirculated and proof coins. It received some acclaim within the numismatic field, although today, as a more seasoned writer, I cringe at the quality of my prose.
Coin Grading Companies
The coin grading scalecreated by Dr. William Sheldon in 1949 was merged with the descriptive terms used earlier and was adopted by the American Numismatic Association (ANA). NGC is the world’s largest third-party coin grading service, offering accurate, consistent and impartial assessment of a coin’s authenticity and grade. Over twenty years ago, I felt a burning need to help clarify a controversial topic. So I wrote How to Grade U.S. Coins, which I think helped demystify the process of grading uncirculated and proof coins. It received some acclaim within the numismatic field, although today, as a more seasoned writer, I cringe at the quality of my prose.
My friend Andrew Tobias, in an otherwise flattering column about The Truth Machine, a futurism novel I wrote in 1995, said: 'Here he was, a guy who had never written anything in his life other than one slim tome on rare-coin grading. I have a copy. It's probably Biblical in its significance if you're a coin dealer, but shows no signs of literary grace whatsoever.' (Then he went on to describe, rather charitably I admit, how I managed to fashion a reasonably successful second career as a novelist.)
Times have changed, but the need to educate oneself in the field of coin grading remains. I've decided to provide electronic access to this reference through the Internet...free of charge. No hate-mail from science fiction fans, English teachers, or professional editors please. It's the information that matters, right? Simply click on the hyperlink above or the book cover at right to begin reading.
Coin Grading Guide
All best wishes,
James Halperin,
Co-founder of Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, and author of How to Grade U.S. Coins, The Truth Machine, and The First Immortal
(Note: to purchase hard copies of these books, click on their titles.)