The Art and Science of Grading Coins

Book excerpt: Grading coins is the single most important skill for a coin collector to have. Plenty of books will show you pictures of coins in various grades, and ask you to match the coin to a picture. Very few books go through each facet of grading and explain them in depth, in easy to understand terms that even a novice can understand. There is plenty of science involved - but there is also an art to the skill of grading. This book will help you piece together each component: surfaces, luster, strike, wear, contact marks, and eye appeal. Beginners and advanced students of numismatics alike will learn something from The Art and Science of Grading Coins.