Grading Basics: Eye Appeal vs. Technical Grade

Grading is part science, part art. The numeric grade captures wear and a baseline of surface quality; eye appeal captures the gestalt—how pleasing a coin looks at arm’s length and in hand. Understanding both helps you avoid overpaying and improves long-run satisfaction.

Luster

Luster comes from the way freshly struck metal flows. On silver and nickel coins, look for cartwheel effect under a single light. Dull, uniform surfaces can signal cleaning or overdipping.

• Tip: Rotate the coin slowly; healthy luster should move uniformly.
• Avoid: Patchy brightness with dead zones—often evidence of old wipes.

Strike

Strike varies by mint and date. A technically high-grade coin can still have weakly struck details. Learn series-specific diagnostics (e.g., hair above ear on Washingtons, shield lines on SLQs).

Surfaces

Contact marks, hairlines, and spots all influence desirability. Two MS64s can carry very different premiums if one has a prime-location hit on the cheek and the other keeps distractions in the fields.

Color and Toning

Original color and attractive toning support value. Artificially induced color tends to have abrupt transitions, odd palettes, and resides in places that defy storage logic.

Putting It Together

Eye appeal can push a coin within its grade band or make it a tough sell. Train by browsing auction archives and taking notes on final prices vs. your pre-bid estimates. Over time, your internal price curve will reflect eye appeal premiums more accurately.

Checklist

• View under high-CRI light and natural light.
• Consider series-specific strike expectations.
• Evaluate where marks are, not just how many.
• Confirm originality; beware of uniform dipped look.