What is the Sheldon Scale?

The Sheldon Scale is a 70-point numeric grading system for US coins, running from PO-1 (Poor) through MS-70 (Perfect Mint State). Developed by Dr. William Sheldon in 1949, it is the standard used by PCGS, NGC, ANACS, and ICG.

What do MS and PR grades mean?

MS (Mint State) grades apply to uncirculated business-strike coins; PR (Proof) grades apply to specially-struck proof coins. Both use the same 60 through 70 number range, with higher numbers indicating fewer surface imperfections.

What is the difference between XF-40 and AU-50?

An XF-40 (Extremely Fine) coin shows light wear on all high points; an AU-50 (About Uncirculated) coin shows only trace friction on the highest points and retains roughly half of its original mint luster.

Do you grade coins for consignors before auction?

US Collectibles NE performs in-house grading review at intake. For scarce or high-value coins, we recommend third-party certification through PCGS or NGC before auction; the certification cost is deducted from the sale proceeds at settlement.

What makes a coin a counterfeit candidate?

Key dates (such as 1893-S Morgan, 1916-D Mercury, 1909-S VDB Lincoln) with low mintages and high collector demand are common counterfeit targets. Our intake process checks the coin's date, mintmark, and weight against known-counterfeit diagnostics before listing.

Reference

Sheldon Scale Grading Guide

The 70-point Sheldon Scale is the standard for grading US coins. Below is the full scale with general descriptions, plus per-coin-type wear references for the most-traded series. All content is sourced from public-domain or publicly published grading standards (US Mint, NGC, ANA).

Per-Coin Wear References

Select a series to see grade-by-grade obverse + reverse wear descriptions:

Circulated

PO-1Poor

Identifiable by type only. Outline visible; nearly all detail worn flat.

FR-2Fair

Major design recognizable; date and legend may be faint or partial.

AG-3About Good

Date legible; outline of design intact. Heavy wear over entire surface.

G-4Good

Major design clear in outline; rim worn into legend in places.

G-6Good +

Design fully outlined; partial rim. Some interior detail beginning to show.

VG-8Very Good

Design clear; major detail still flat. Full rim. LIBERTY may be partial.

VG-10Very Good +

#10

Slightly more detail than VG-8 in protected areas (hair, feathers, drapery).

F-12Fine

#12

Moderate to heavy even wear; all major detail visible. Full LIBERTY.

F-15Fine +

#15

Slightly sharper than F-12; small additional detail in hair/feathers visible.

VF-20Very Fine

#20

Moderate wear on high points; most detail clear. Full LIBERTY sharp.

VF-25Very Fine +

#25

Slightly sharper than VF-20 in protected areas.

VF-30Choice Very Fine

#30

Light to moderate wear on high points. About half of the original detail visible.

VF-35Choice Very Fine +

#35

Slightly more detail than VF-30. Wear on highest points only.

EF-40Extremely Fine

#40

Light wear on highest points. Most fine detail visible.

EF-45Choice Extremely Fine

#45

Slight wear on highest points. Mint luster may show in protected areas.

AU-50About Uncirculated

#50

Trace wear on highest design points. Half of original mint luster present.

AU-53About Uncirculated +

#53

Slight friction wear on highest points. Most mint luster preserved.

AU-55Choice About Uncirculated

#55

Friction on highest points only. Strong luster overall.

AU-58Very Choice About Uncirculated

#58

Slightest friction on highest points. Nearly full mint luster.

Mint State (MS)

MS-60Mint State Basal

#60

No wear. Many bag marks, hairlines, or other surface impairments.

MS-61Mint State

#61

No wear. Multiple noticeable contact marks.

MS-62Mint State

#62

No wear. Average strike. Numerous contact marks.

MS-63Choice Mint State

#63

Average strike. Several scattered contact marks but overall attractive.

MS-64Choice Mint State +

#64

Above-average strike. Few contact marks; pleasing eye appeal.

MS-65Gem Mint State

#65

Strong strike. Minimal contact marks, none in focal areas. Excellent luster.

MS-66Gem Mint State +

#66

Sharp strike. Only minor contact marks; no significant detractors.

MS-67Superb Gem Mint State

#67

Sharp full strike. Only minute marks under magnification; superior eye appeal.

MS-68Superb Gem Mint State +

#68

Sharp full strike. Few barely detectable marks. Exceptional luster.

MS-69Near Perfect Mint State

#69

Sharp full strike. One or two miniscule flaws; near-perfect surfaces.

MS-70Perfect Mint State

#70

Sharp full strike. No flaws visible at 5x magnification. Theoretical perfection.

Proof (PR)

PR-60Proof Basal

#60

Proof strike with multiple impairments. Significant hairlines or contact marks.

PR-63Choice Proof

#63

Proof with scattered marks. Average eye appeal for a proof.

PR-65Gem Proof

#65

Proof with minimal marks; strong contrast. Excellent eye appeal.

PR-67Superb Gem Proof

#67

Proof with only minor flaws under magnification. Exceptional surfaces.

PR-69Near Perfect Proof

#69

Proof with one or two miniscule flaws. Near-flawless surfaces.

PR-70Perfect Proof

#70

Proof with no flaws visible at 5x magnification.