coin grading

What do F 8 to F 20 coin grades mean ?

I am not a coin collector but I recently got interested in purchasing some Morgan Silver Dollars on ebay. Up until today, I purchased 3 of these coins ( 1 for $ 9.50 + 2 for $ 12.50 each ). Today on ebay I bought a ” lot ” of 11 of these Morgan Silver Dollars for $ 12.50 for the whole ” lot ” of 11. The ebay coin dealer ” ad ” said these were mixed dates & were graded from F 8 to F 20. I can’t imagine that I got ” ripped of ” at that price ?…but I was hoping that a true coin collector could enlighten me as to what I may have purchased with respect to these coins & also guide me as to what I should look for or seek if I purchase any more Morgan Silver Dollars ? Also, I ordered something called ” Never Dull Polish ” which I understand is okay to use to clean these coins ? I haven’t received any of above 14 Morgan dollars or the polish yet; but it has also been suggested that I buy Black Ring Airtite Morgan Holders ? I would welcome any good advice or guidance ?

First of all you never clean coins for they lose their value. How someone could sell a lot of 11 real silver dollars for $12.50 is beyond me for he sure lost a lot of money just in the silver alone. You are playing a dangerous game and in the end will lose your money. The 11 silver dollars have to be fakes. Any coin dealer that tells a collector to clean his coins, may have done so for the coins he sells are cleaned. A $1000 coin harshly cleaned may only be worth a $100 or if an inexpensive coin will only be worth its silver value and loses its collector value. I would need to see the coins or at least scans. You need to learn about grading. Coins are graded on a scale of 1-70 these days but the old designations are still with us. An aver age coin in grade good is called good-4 the next step up is Very Good-8, then Fine- 12, then Very fine 20 and so on up the scale. Instead of writing fine-12 most collectors use F-12. I hate to see new collectors start out wrong and get screwed by so called dealers who are really crooks. If you wish, email me through Yahoo answers and I will send you an email address so we can go over this more. Don’t buy any more coins on Ebay.

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Grading Mint-State U.S. Coins $14.95 VHS Tape Running Time: 88 minutes…

Collecting and Grading U.S. Coins …

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2011 American Silver Eagle SGS Graded MS70 $79.95 Here is a 2011 Uncirculated American Silver Eagle which has been graded MS70 by SGS (Star Grading Services). The American Silver Eagle is easily one of the most beautiful coins ever produced by the United States Mint. Silver Eagles are valued both for their beauty as numismatic pieces, and for their value as Silver investment items….

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Grading Assistant Software $46.50 This is an interactive software version of the Official ANA Grading Guide. It allows the user to view the grading images in a 1 to 3 image side by side presentation along with a picture of their own coin. Images are provided for most US Coin types in base grades from AG to Unc. Grading descriptions are provided for intermediate grades as well based on coin type. A color image library presents feat…

Coin Collector’s Assistant Software – Version 6 $84.95 The Coin Collector’s Assistant is a comprehensive program for managing your coin collection. It offers complete flexibility in grouping your collection and handling of duplicates. It comes with a preloaded database of all US Coinage from 1793-present including circulating coins, commemoratives, sets, etc. all with current market values, pictures and numismatic information. Both columnar and freefo…

2012 Handbook of U.s. Coins: Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)) $5.75 The Official Blue Book of United States Coins 2012, Paperback. This guide features grading and collecting tips, mintage records, historical information, and data compiled by more than 50 coin-elite contributors. Lists dealer buy prices, how much dealers will pay for your coins, not retail prices. R.S. Yeoman, Edited by Kenneth Bressett, 256 pages….

The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins $11.12 Learn how to grade your U.S. coins quickly and accurately. Beginners, advanced collectors, and dealers will all find the text understandable and invaluable for grading coins. Every standard grade is illustrated and described in detail. Every coin is studied, from half cents to gold double eagles. Text descriptions of 30 levels help you pinpoint grades from poor to perfect Mint State. …

Coin Collecting For Dummies $13.23 Can’t make heads or tails out of coin collecting? You need Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition, the treasure trove on information on numismatics. This hands-on guide escorts you through the world’s oldest hobby, helping you decide which type of coins you want to collect, keep your collection in mint condition, buy and sell coins on the Internet, find interesting coin shows to attend, and …

07/13/2009 David Hall Coin Market Comments – PCGS – Professional Coin Grading Service