Mercury Dime Grading Guide

Disclaimer: Grading is very subjective and there are disagreements amongst even the professionals. Taking it one step further, you can get an opinion of a grade of a coin from a professional grader and two weeks later you may get a different opinion on the same exact coin. As such, the grades and opinions offered on this page are just that, my own personal opinions. They may be my personal opinions, but they have been formulated by reading grading guidelines by the ANA, PCGS, Photgrade as well as looking at and many coins that were professionally graded. Unless specifically stated, the coins depicted on this page have NOT been professionally graded. Those that have been professionally graded will be noted, however, a similarly like coin in your possession does not mean it will grade the same. This page is to used as a very general guideline only.

My method:

I attempted to offer a grading opinion the on coins on this web page by lining up several hundred coins and then putting them in order of wear and eye appeal. I then attempted to assign a grade based on my interpretation of the grading guidelines by major grading firms. I am not a professional grader and when grading your own coins you should use your own judgment and/or grading company. Most books and grading guidelines go from BU to POOR. I thought I would go the other way around to provide a slightly different perspective. Most grading books will talk about things disappearing while I show things as they begin to appear. If you have any questions or feel anything it totally off, please feel free to contact me via my contact page. Thanks

Poor PO01	Tops of all letters are merged into the rim. Top of �T� gone. Parts of date will be merged into rim. �W� of �WE� merged into rim. No inner hair, cap, feather details are present. Tip of jaw and nose worn down to field.	Lettering around rim is nearly completely into rim and may be gone in areas. Rim is flat and not visible. Fasces is flat and will not show any vertical lines. . Mint mark, if any, is merged into rim and may be hard to discern
Fair FR02	Letters around rim are merged with rim unlike P01 where tops of letters are not visible. Here the tops of letters may be slightly visible such as the �T�, but still most definitely touching or merged into rim. Faint outline of wing in the head now present slightly separated from hair outline. Date may still touch rim as well as �W� in �WE�	Rims will be worn about halfway into letters. If a mint mark is present, the rim may be touching mint mark or very near to it. Fasces is worn smooth with no vertical lines present. E. Pluribus Unum is faint. Branch and leaves are present but smooth.
AG03 About Good	Some of the letters will be touching the rim or still merged into rim. Last letter of date will be merged/touching rim. Outline of feathers of wing be begin to show into head area. �W� touching/merged into rim. Outline of feathers, cap and hair present in head area	Rim still flat and merging into tops of letters. Some letters may be complete. Fasces worn smooth with vertical lines typically not showing. Mint mark, if present may be mushy or clear depending on strike but will be touching or slightly away from rim
G04 Good	Rim is visible but letters may be still touching rim. Top of �T� should be well defined. Last digit of date may still be touching rim. Outline of hair, cap and wing are clear enough to discern separation	Rim is present in some areas but worn smooth in others. Rim letters will be visible and readable but still merged into or touching rim. Mint mark, if present may or may not be touching rim. Fasces worn smooth with vertical lines typically not showing. There may be a hint of the horizontal bands, but not usually.
G06 Good
VG08 Very Good
VG10 Very Good
F12 Fine
F15 Fine
VF20 Very Fine
VF25 Very Fine
VF30 Very Fine
VF35 Very Fine
XF40 Extra Fine
XF45 Extra Fine
AU50 About Almost Unc
AU53
AU55
AU58
MS60
MS61
MS62
MS63
MS64
MS65
MS66

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