Best grading book to give to a YN

[Dwaine]

If you had the following books and wanted to donate one to a YN which would you donate and why:

 

Photograde

ANA grading standards

Official guide to coin grading and counterfit detection

[Schatzy]

I would dontate the Photograde.

[rbrown4]

I agree, for a young beginner into the numismatic hobby, I would recommend photograde.

 

Rey

[michael]

ANA grading standards

 

 

as the new edition is inexpensive and gives photos and grades for every usa coin from ag to unc.

 

also great tips concerning striking and mint production problems that might not affect the grade

 

also the beginning introduction has many photos of coins and why they are graded this way as such it is like a beginners grading course at the summer ana but with descriptions and decent photos

 

 

[MikeInFL]

Photograde. Depending on their age, kids will (generally) respond to pictures better than words....Mike

[DC Dawg]

Photograde and ANA Grading Standards. Seeing the pictures and getting the explanation should go a long way.

 

Scott

[bsshog40]

I like Photograde but I prefer ANA over it due to it gives descriptions for MS State also where Photograde is based on just circulated descriptions.

[Dwaine]

Thanks all for the responses. I really like Photograde myself and thought it was one of the better of the three. The YN is 14.

 

Bsshog40 Happy Birthday.

[BillJones]

I would give a YN the ANA Grading Guide hands down. It has the best and most accurate pictures, and it covers the subject more completely than the other two references.

 

Photograde had a number of damaged coins among its illustrations. And the photography is not as good.

 

I was very disappointed with the first editions of the Official grading guide which was put together by PCGS. Only a minority of the circulated grades had photographic examples of the coin types. This I think was intentional because PCGS has provided very spotty service over the years when it comes to the circulated grades. That company as led the way in denigrating the grading standards for certain coins. For example what used to be a VG for the 1916-D Mercury dime is now VF. In my view anyone who says that the Official grading guide is the definitive work on the subject is poorly informed.

 

[Conder101]

What editions? It makes a difference.

[MarkFeld]

Here, courtesy of one of the world's best graders, is some excellent on-line information that can be accessed without buying the book.

 

 

[coinman1794]

I would say photograde is the easiest guide for a young numismatist to follow. However, I think most picture grading guides are flawled, as a lot of the coins pictured would most likely certify to a different grade than which they are labeled.

 

 

[michael]

photograde is not only a waste but it is a great disservice to a young numismatist

 

the photos with the stated grades are all overgraded

 

photos are three steps below terrible

 

a young numismatist using this photograde guide will be buying overgraded coins

 

and not learning anything in the process

 

 

[jesbroken]

Thanks, Michael, I have always thought Photograde was overrated but the way everyone praised it, I kept quiet. The photos suck and the description is way deficient. I think the ANA Grading standards would be the best book for anyone to start out with. Get it right from the start. JMO

Jim

 

edited to add: Thanks, Mark, I did not know of this source for grading coins.

[michael]

i am happy you saw this as this jim

 

also if you are old enough to read and learn then why not learn something and buy the ana grading guide??

 

especially if you want to continue in coins and gain skill which will only happen with something like the ana grading guide as compaired to the photograde

 

now after studying the ana grading guide and looking at coins for a few years then you buy the pcgs grading and coin authentic guide the original full color edition and learn even more

 

of course nothing is more important than many years of experience looking at and studying coins and talking to advanced collectors and dealers in your speciality

 

but THE BEST START AND YOU GOTS to start somewhere is the ANA GRADING GUIDE

 

 

 

 

[Conder101]

That's why I asked what editions. The 1970 first edition photograde is very good and the pictures are much better than in some of the later editions. The ANA guide is all over the map from one edition to the next. Some are good, others I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. The first edition of the PCGS book is considered to be excellent while the second edition is much less popular.

[BillJones]

Thanks, Michael, I have always thought Photograde was overrated but the way everyone praised it, I kept quiet.

 

The great thing about Photograde is that it was the first comprehensive guide to grading that used photographs of actual coins. It gave collectors the opportunity to see graded coins in a way other than line drawings (the Brown and Dunn books), which had been the previous way of defining grades.

 

The first edition of the book came out when I was college student who had not see a lot of early coins having grown up in rural Delaware. The book was an eye opener for me, and I studied it intently. Yes, it was not perfect, but is very informative for many collectors. For that reason we all owe James Ruddy a vote of thanks for authoring it.

 

Still as it is with many things later efforts have been better, and for that reason I would recommend that ANA Guide over it. So far as editions of the ANA guides, I have 6th edition, which I think is a reasonably decent grading guide.

 

[RI AL]

I use the ANA grading book quite a lot and I much prefer it to Photograde. I have the 6th edition (as well as a few earlier ones) and I think it is quite good. The complete title is:

"The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins" and the 6th edition is the most current.

 

I have heard some good things about a relatively new grading book called "Making the Grade". I don't own a copy yet but the 2nd edition is expanded to include 50 popular U.S. coin series. I will hunt for one of these at a discounter just to add to my collection.

 

RI AL