How to Grade Coins Before Sending to PCGS: Complete Pre-Grading Guide

Sending coins to Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) can be an exciting but expensive process. With grading fees ranging from $20 to over $100 per coin depending on service level and turnaround time, it's crucial to pre-grade your coins accurately before submission. Making informed decisions about which coins are worth the investment can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars while ensuring you maximize the value of your collection.

Why Pre-Grading Matters

Pre-grading isn't just about saving money—it's about strategic collection management. Professional grading services like PCGS, NGC, and ANACS offer authentication and encapsulation that protects your coins and provides market credibility. However, not every coin benefits from professional grading. A coin graded at MS-63 or below might not recoup its grading costs, while an MS-67 specimen could see its value multiply several times over.

Understanding how to evaluate your coins before submission helps you identify which pieces will benefit most from professional certification. This skill becomes increasingly valuable as your collection grows and you face decisions about allocating your grading budget effectively.

Understanding the Sheldon Scale

Before you can pre-grade your coins, you need to understand the Sheldon Scale—the industry-standard 70-point grading system used by PCGS, NGC, and other major grading services. This numerical scale ranges from 1 (Poor) to 70 (Perfect), with most collectible coins falling between grades 55 and 70.

The scale is divided into several major categories:

MS-60 to MS-70: Mint State (Uncirculated) coins with no wear from circulation
AU-50 to AU-58: About Uncirculated coins with slight wear on highest points
XF-40 to XF-45: Extremely Fine coins with light overall wear but all major details visible
VF-20 to VF-35: Very Fine coins with moderate wear but most design details clear
F-12 to F-15: Fine coins with considerable wear but major design elements visible

For most modern coins and premium collectibles, you'll be focusing on the Mint State (MS) range. The difference between MS-64 and MS-67 can mean thousands of dollars in value for rare coins, making accurate pre-grading essential.

Essential Equipment for Pre-Grading

Proper pre-grading requires the right tools. While you don't need a professional laboratory setup, certain equipment will dramatically improve your accuracy:

10x to 20x magnifying loupe or jeweler's loupe for examining surface details and defects
LED coin light or adjustable desk lamp with daylight-temperature bulbs (5000K-6500K)
Cotton gloves to handle coins without leaving fingerprints or oils
Coin holders or flips to safely store coins during examination
High-quality camera or smartphone with macro capability for documentation
PCGS Photograde book or app for visual comparison references

Investing in quality equipment pays dividends through more accurate assessments. A good loupe, in particular, is indispensable for identifying the hairlines, bag marks, and contact marks that separate an MS-65 coin from an MS-67.

The Five Critical Grading Factors

PCGS graders evaluate coins based on five primary factors. Understanding these factors and how to assess them is the foundation of accurate pre-grading:

1. Strike Quality

Strike refers to how well the coin was impressed during minting. A strong strike shows complete design details, especially in high-relief areas like hair strands, feathers, or architectural elements. Weak strikes show soft or incomplete details even on otherwise pristine coins. Examine the highest relief points under magnification—do you see full design separation and detail, or are features mushy and indistinct?

2. Luster

Original mint luster is the cartwheel effect created by the radial flow lines from the minting process. Rotate the coin under a light source and watch how light moves across the surface. Strong, unbroken luster indicates a high-grade coin, while diminished or patchy luster can significantly lower the grade. Even minor handling can disrupt luster, so this factor is particularly important for determining true Mint State coins versus AU (About Uncirculated) specimens.

3. Surface Preservation

This factor encompasses all surface imperfections: bag marks, contact marks, hairlines, and scratches. Use your loupe to carefully examine both the obverse and reverse under angled lighting. Count and evaluate the severity of marks. A few small marks in non-focal areas might allow for MS-66 or MS-67, while numerous marks or a single significant mark in a prominent location could limit the grade to MS-63 or MS-64.

4. Eye Appeal

Eye appeal is the subjective 'wow factor' when you first view the coin. Does it have attractive toning? Is it well-centered with even strike? Does it look better than other coins of similar technical grade? Coins with exceptional eye appeal often receive premium prices, sometimes even crossing into the next grade designation. Conversely, technically sound coins with poor eye appeal may be downgraded.

5. Color and Toning

For copper and silver coins, natural toning can enhance or detract from value. Rainbow toning on Morgan dollars can command significant premiums, while dark, ugly toning reduces desirability. For modern coins, original mint bloom is preferred. Look for any signs of artificial toning, dipping, or cleaning—these can result in 'Details' grades instead of numerical grades from PCGS.

Step-by-Step Pre-Grading Process

Follow this systematic approach when pre-grading your coins:

**Step 1: Initial Visual Assessment** - Begin with a naked-eye examination in good lighting. What's your gut reaction? Does the coin look clean and attractive, or are there obvious problems? This initial impression often correlates with the final grade.

**Step 2: Evaluate Strike and Details** - Under magnification, examine the design details. Compare to reference images of the same coin type. Are all design elements fully formed? Look particularly at areas known to be weakly struck on your coin type.

**Step 3: Check for Wear** - Determine if the coin is truly Mint State or has circulation wear. Check the highest points of the design—hair curls, cheekbones, eagle's breast feathers, etc. Any wear indicates AU or lower, not MS.

**Step 4: Count and Assess Surface Marks** - Systematically scan the obverse and reverse under magnification. Categorize marks by size and location. A large mark on Liberty's cheek is more damaging to grade than several small marks in the field.

**Step 5: Examine Luster** - Tilt and rotate the coin under direct lighting. Is the luster strong and undisturbed? Are there any dull spots or areas where luster has been compromised?

**Step 6: Overall Eye Appeal** - Step back and look at the coin holistically. How does it compare to reference coins? Would a collector be excited to own it?

**Step 7: Assign a Grade Range** - Based on all factors, assign a grade range (e.g., MS-64 to MS-66). Conservative pre-grading is wise—professional graders are stricter than most collectors.

Common Pre-Grading Mistakes to Avoid

Overgrading due to personal attachment: Your coin might be special to you, but graders evaluate objectively based on condition alone.
Ignoring small defects: Tiny hairlines and marks that seem insignificant can drop a coin from MS-67 to MS-65.
Confusing proof-like luster with cleaning: Natural proof-like finishes can look cleaned to inexperienced eyes.
Overlooking environmental damage: Spots, verdigris, and PVC damage from improper storage often disqualify coins from straight grades.
Misjudging strike weakness as wear: Some coins left the mint with weak strikes—this isn't circulation wear but does affect grade.
Submitting common coins in average grades: An MS-64 common-date Morgan dollar probably won't recoup grading costs.

When to Submit to PCGS

After pre-grading, you need to make the submission decision. Generally, submit coins when:

Your pre-grade is MS-65 or higher (for common coins) or MS-64+ for scarce dates
The coin has significant value that warrants authentication and protection
The grade difference between raw and slabbed prices justifies the grading fee
You're preparing coins for sale and need third-party verification
The coin is rare enough that even lower grades command premiums

Don't submit coins when:

Your pre-grade is MS-63 or lower for common modern coins
The coin shows cleaning, damage, or questionable surfaces
The raw coin value is less than double the grading fee
You're unsure about authenticity (use PCGS's authentication service instead)
The coin has PVC residue, spots, or environmental damage

Using AI Technology for Pre-Grading

Modern technology has revolutionized pre-grading. AI-powered services like CoinGrader AI use advanced computer vision and machine learning trained on millions of professionally graded coins to provide instant, objective assessments. These tools offer several advantages:

Consistency: AI doesn't have bad days or subjective biases
Speed: Get instant estimates instead of spending hours per coin
Multiple service standards: See how your coin might grade across PCGS, NGC, and other services
Confidence scoring: Understand the certainty level of the grade estimate
Cost-effective: Pre-screen your collection before investing in professional grading

While AI pre-grading is a powerful tool, it works best in combination with your own knowledge and examination. Use AI to confirm your assessments or as a second opinion, especially when you're on the fence about submission.

Building Your Pre-Grading Skills

Pre-grading is a skill that improves with practice and experience. Here are some ways to accelerate your learning:

Study PCGS CoinFacts images and population reports to see what grades look like
Attend coin shows and examine dealer inventory in PCGS holders
Join online communities and share images for feedback from experienced collectors
Submit a variety of coins and compare your pre-grades to PCGS results
Review coins that cross grade boundaries—study what separates MS-64 from MS-65
Practice with lower-value coins before risking expensive submissions

Keep a grading journal documenting your pre-grades and actual PCGS results. Over time, you'll identify patterns in where you tend to over-grade or under-grade, allowing you to calibrate your eye more accurately.

Conclusion

Learning to grade coins before sending to PCGS is one of the most valuable skills a collector can develop. It saves money, helps you build a stronger collection, and deepens your appreciation for numismatic quality. While professional graders have years of experience and handle millions of coins, dedicated collectors can develop strong pre-grading skills through study, practice, and the use of modern tools like AI-powered grading assistance.

Start with lower-value coins to practice, invest in quality equipment, and be honest about your assessments. Over time, you'll develop the confidence to make informed submission decisions that maximize the value of your collection while minimizing unnecessary grading expenses.