Is the ability to grade coins a God given talent?

[JVC]

I have been a collector for five years and find that the more coins I view the better my ability is to grade them. I have astigmatism which is partially correctable and I am partially color blind. With these limitations I may never become great at grading coins.

 

Is the ability to accurately grade coins a God given talent? Are some people just naturally better? They seem to be able to instantly evaluate color, luster, condition and fullness of strike.

 

[Walkerfan]

It's just like anything else-----it is a talent that takes a lot of practice.

 

I believe that some people pick it up quicker and better than others just as, for instance, someone may have more of a natural ability to play guitar than someone else.

 

I do believe that anyone can be at least PROFICIENT with a willingness to learn and years of practice.

[BillJones]

I think that some people have a better eye for the esthetic aspects of life than others. For example my wife and I bought a limited edition Disney cell print. We didn't keep it because it appeared to crooked in its sealed frame and there were color issues with one of the figures. People thought we were crazy to send it back because it was so hard to obtain, and they couldn't really see the problems. We just didn't think we could enjoy that piece of art given its problems.

 

I've know people who tried to get the coin business but ultimately dropped out because they could never learn to grade. Some of them thought that they could buy slabbed coins at wholesale prices and market them without a lot of grading expertise. They couldn't survive in the business, at least not in the business of selling fine coins to knowledgeable collectors. Now if you are a barker on "Shop At Home" that is a different matter.

 

[physics-fan3.14]

It's not a God-given talent, although some show a stronger propensity towards it than others. Being able to grade well depends on your knowledge, practice, and experience - the more of each you have, the better you will be.

 

Its just like anything else - playing the violin, programming, whatever. You might get better at it because you enjoy it and are thus more inclined to learn and practice, but we all start out roughly equal.

[MarkFeld]

 

In order to learn how to be a proficient grader, at a minimum, a person needs the following:

 

Exposure to enough coins to be able to see numerous examples of various/different qualities/grades - perspective.

 

The guidance of an expert.

 

The ability to assimilate and apply the information.

 

I have seen some very young numismatists who displayed an obvious knack for grading. I have seen other individuals who have been dealing in coins for decades, but are still lacking in grading ability.

[Catbert]

As with any professional practice, it comes down to developing KASH - knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits.

[bsshog40]

In order to learn how to be a proficient grader, at a minimum, a person needs the following:

 

Exposure to enough coins to be able to see numerous examples of various/different qualities/grades - perspective.

 

The guidance of an expert.

 

The ability to assimilate and apply the information.

 

I have seen some very young numismatists who displayed an obvious knack for grading. I have seen other individuals who have been dealing in coins for decades, but are still lacking in grading ability.

Agree! I also think the need to be unbiased is also essential. If a person is learning to grade their own coins, they have to learn to be able to grade their own coin as they would grade someone else's.

[19Lyds]

In Short. No.

[Tradedollarnut]

but we all start out roughly equal.

 

I don't think this is true at all. Some are born with an innate ability to summarize the various characteristics of a coin into a number ... some aren't. But all get better with practice.

[DaveG]

Is the ability to accurately grade coins a God given talent?

 

 

Without starting a religious discussion, to the extent that some people are "naturally" better at some things than most other people (for example: being tall or being attractive or being able to run fast), I'd say the answer to your question is: Yes.

[A.Phillips]

Someone who is a sharpshooter may become a coin expert because he/she has an excellent eye (only if he/she is interesting in coins soon, someday, or never). Maybe not, so who knows.

[RWB]

"Is the ability to accurately grade coins a God given talent?"

 

Far too trivial for the Almighty to deal with. Simply a skill acquired and fostered by experience...nothing more.

[JKK]

Attention to detail and a tendency toward thoroughness seem to be innate in many people. Knowledge of standards, objectivity and experience are acquired only through practice and study.

 

I also doubt it has anything to do with religion, but that's a matter of personal unverifiable faith, and thus is germane only to one's own assessment rather than an objective standard for all.

[wdrob]

but we all start out roughly equal.

 

I don't think this is true at all. Some are born with an innate ability to summarize the various characteristics of a coin into a number ... some aren't. But all get better with practice.

 

I have to agree with you TDN, and add to that; I have noticed that many, if not a majority of the collectors here seem to have picked up the hobby from someone in their immediate family, grandparent, etc.. and therefore were exposed at an early age.

 

Anyone here that has seen the hill, and has been over it for quite a while knows that we just do not pick things up quickly like we did when we were younger.

 

I think it has something to do with our brains being slap full, just no more room unless we forget something else.

 

Seriously though, I just do not pick things up as quickly as I did when I was younger and I never collected a coin until recently. I did not grow up around coin collections. I think that makes a huge difference.

 

just my

 

 

[johnny9434]

In order to learn how to be a proficient grader, at a minimum, a person needs the following:

 

Exposure to enough coins to be able to see numerous examples of various/different qualities/grades - perspective.

 

The guidance of an expert.

 

The ability to assimilate and apply the information.

 

I have seen some very young numismatists who displayed an obvious knack for grading. I have seen other individuals who have been dealing in coins for decades, but are still lacking in grading ability.

Agree! I also think the need to be unbiased is also essential. If a person is learning to grade their own coins, they have to learn to be able to grade their own coin as they would grade someone else's.

+1

[A.Phillips]

Nobody is perfect.

[Nutmeg Coin]

There is a latin saying that a full stomach interferes with the ability to study, just so the mind must be sharp and receptive to do things like sharply grade numismatic material. Rick Sear uses the "Colonel Jessup" avatar in another forum to connote passion and determination. A great deal of practice and pattern recognition helps in comparing apples with apples. If you are reviewing raw material that is improperly graded you learn to see the pattern of how problem material looks, and then you see graded material and you see how certain grade levels should look. I have seen far too many long-term dealers selling raw material extravagantly graded by them with large financial motives for them doing so. Never take a dealer's word for an uncertified coin unless they offer a realistic return privilege.

 

If you had a bunch of talented graders weigh in on %s of how much of their ability is due to natural ability and how much was acquired, probably most of them would say that experience has been their main promoter of grading ability.

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

In order to learn how to be a proficient grader, at a minimum, a person needs the following:

 

Exposure to enough coins to be able to see numerous examples of various/different qualities/grades - perspective.

 

The guidance of an expert.

 

The ability to assimilate and apply the information.

 

I have seen some very young numismatists who displayed an obvious knack for grading. I have seen other individuals who have been dealing in coins for decades, but are still lacking in grading ability.

 

I think I recall a very, very long and interesting discussion about this subject, and the starting point (equality) of visual acuity,depth perception, prism separation and

the logic (information application) of Grading... I forget how it ended.