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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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