Coinpedia — The World's Coin Encyclopedia

MS-70 Mint State Perfect

The pinnacle of the Sheldon scale. No marks, weakness, or imperfections visible under magnification. Extremely rare even among modern issues.

MS-69 Mint State

Near-perfect. Only the slightest surface imperfections under magnification. More attainable than MS-70 for modern bullion and proof coins.

MS-68 Mint State

Only 2–3 minor marks under magnification. The range contested in registry sets — the collection rankings compiled by the grading services. Few coins reach it, modern issues included.

MS-67 Superb Gem Uncirculated

Only slight surface disturbances, with full luster retained. What separates it from MS-66 is the number and placement of marks visible under magnification.

MS-66 Gem Uncirculated

Upper gem grade. Only a few unobtrusive minor marks. An important threshold in NGC/PCGS populations, where coins start becoming scarce.

MS-65 Gem Uncirculated

Strong luster and sharp design. Only minor contact marks are permitted. This is the lower bound of what is called gem.

MS-64 Choice Uncirculated

Uncirculated, with several noticeable contact marks. Whether a coin lands here or at MS-65 often comes down to where the marks fall, not how many there are.

MS-63 Choice Uncirculated

Uncirculated with good luster, but carrying noticeable contact marks. It sits in the middle of the mint state range.

MS-62 Uncirculated

Uncirculated but carrying numerous contact marks, with moderate luster. The number and prominence of the marks is what separates it from MS-63.

MS-61 Uncirculated

Uncirculated but with many marks and weak luster. Lower end of the mint state range. Limited collector appeal compared to higher grades.

MS-60 Uncirculated

Never circulated, but with many marks and weak luster. This is the minimum threshold at which a coin is called mint state.

AU-58 Choice About Uncirculated

Aliases: slider

Trace of wear on the very highest points. Luster largely intact. Sometimes called a "slider." An attractive grade straddling the uncirculated boundary.

AU-55 Choice About Uncirculated

Light wear on high points. More than half the mint luster remains. Slightly more worn than AU-58 but still quite attractive overall.

AU-53 About Uncirculated

Light wear on high points. About half the mint luster remains. More worn than AU-55; design details remain clear.

AU-50 About Uncirculated

Obvious wear on design high points. Traces of luster in the fields. Still attractive overall but circulation wear is evident.

EF-45 Choice Extremely Fine

Light wear on surface high points. Design details remain sharp and clear. Slight luster in the fields. Widely regarded as upper-tier circulated.

EF-40 Extremely Fine

Light to moderate wear throughout. Design details remain generally sharp. No mint luster but an attractive overall appearance. A core collector grade.

VF-35 Choice Very Fine

Moderate wear with major design elements clear but high points beginning to flatten. Closer to EF than lower VF grades; still quite attractive.

VF-30 Choice Very Fine

Moderate, even wear. Major design elements are clear; high-point details show wear. Slightly more worn than VF-35.

VF-25 Very Fine

Moderate wear; major design elements readable but considerable flattening of details. More worn than VF-30 but generally presentable.

VF-20 Very Fine

Obvious wear. Major features readable; some fine details lost. The standard VF benchmark. An accessible grade for many key date coins.

F-15 Choice Fine

Moderate to heavy wear. Major design visible but many details lost. Closer to VF than lower Fine grades; a well-preserved Fine.

F-12 Fine

Moderate, even wear. Design visible but generally flat. No luster. Major lettering and design elements legible. A standard entry-level collector grade.

VG-10 Choice Very Good

Heavy wear. Only major design elements remain. Outlines clear. Slightly better than VG-8 with minor additional detail surviving.

VG-8 Very Good

Heavy wear. Only major design elements remain. Outlines are clear but details are gone. Date and mint mark usually readable. A budget collector benchmark.

G-6 Choice Good

Heavily worn. Outline only mostly visible. Slightly better than G-4. Date readable. Used as a filler for complete collections.

G-4 Good

Heavily worn. Only the coin outline survives. Design is nearly flat. Date readable. Commonly used as a collection filler.

AG-3 About Good

Extremely worn. Only traces of date and design remain. Rim mostly gone. The lowest gradable condition. Collector value only when rarity is exceptional.

PO-1 Poor

Barely identifiable as a coin. Date, design, and rim nearly indistinguishable. Collector value only in the rarest of cases. The floor of the Sheldon scale.

Sheldon Scale

A 1–70 point coin grading scale devised by Dr. William Sheldon in 1949. Now the industry standard adopted by NGC, PCGS, and ANA. Originally devised as a price ratio for large cents.