U.S. Coin Grading

Over time, coins experience varying degrees of wear from circulation, or marks from contact with other coins or surfaces. Because coins are priced according to their condition, a standard system of grading has been developed to facilitate the exchange of coins between dealers, and between dealers and collectors.

With over 60 years of experience serving collectors, our grading standards at Littleton are widely recognized to be among the most stringent in the business. We strive to bring you the most desirable coins within each grade. A brief introduction to coin grading is found below, and please use the following link for our complete grading descriptions and standards - which includes some additional sections not included in our grading guide published in our catalogs.

Coin Grading
Reference
Books You May
Find Useful

(click on image for more information)

Photograde
By James Ruddy. A fully illustrated coin grading guide. Softcover, 294 pages. $14.95

Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins
By Kenneth Bressett. ANA grading guide to U.S. coins. Hardbound Spial, 352 pages. $16.95

The Expert's Guide To Collecting & Investing In Rare Coins
By Q. David Bowers. Historical guide to grading, rarity & pricing. Hardcover, 655 pages. $29.95

Making The Grade
By the editors of Coin World. Over 1,000 full-color photos. Softcover, 234 pages. $19.99

Illustrated Guide to Basic Coin Grades

Circulated Coins

Circulated coins have been used to some extent in daily commerce and have some "wear" from handling. Because older or scarcer coins may be very difficult to locate in mint Uncirculated condition, Circulated coins may better suit your needs for some coin series and issues. The grades for Circulated U.S. coins are described below:

Uncirculated and Proof Coins

Uncirculated coins are new coins that have never been in circulation. Coins may have been stored for many years in original mint sealed bags, or stored in bank wrapped rolls, or carefully preserved by collectors. As a result, Uncirculated coins exhibit no wear from general circulation. Depending on contact they may have had with other coins and atmospheric conditions during or after coining, blemishes, bag marks and toning may be present. Uncirculated coins may lack luster and still be considered Uncirculated. Because Uncirculated coins represent greater quality and scarcity, they carry higher values. Uncirculated grades range from MS-60 Typical to MS-70 Perfect. Most Uncirculated coins range from MS-60 to MS-63+, as very few coins meet the technical standards for MS-65 or higher. It takes years of experience to become an expert at the grading of Uncirculated coins. Littleton's veteran buyers have developed great expertise in purchasing and grading Uncirculated U.S. coins.

Proof coins are made by a special process using carefully selected coin blanks and dies, which are meticulously polished and burnished to remove any and all imperfections. The coin blanks are hand-fed into a specially adapted coin press, and are struck twice - at slow speed and with extra pressure - to produce high-relief features contrasted against deep mirror-like surfaces. The dies are polished frequently, and are replaced after only a limited number of strikes. The finished Proof coins are inspected to rigid standards, handled only with gloves or tongs, and specially packaged for delivery to collectors.