Know the grade before you pay to find out
Photograph both sides. Get a Sheldon-scale estimate in under 10 seconds, with the reasoning behind it and a straight answer on whether the coin is worth submitting.
No signup, no card, no download. It runs in the browser on any phone.
An AI coin grading app estimates a coin's condition on the Sheldon 1–70 scale from photographs, using a model trained on graded examples. CoinGrader AI returns an estimate in under 10 seconds and lands within 2 points of the PCGS grade 95% of the time. It's a pre-screen, not certification.
What it reads
Grading is the assessment of wear, surface quality and strike. The model looks at the same features a grader does, in the same order.
Reads wear on the high points
Where circulation shows first — a cheek, a horn, a set of bands.
Flags cleaning and damage
The problems that send a coin back as Details instead of a number.
Scores luster and strike
What separates MS63 from MS65 once there's no wear left to find.
Answers the submit question
A recommendation, not just a number — whether the premium clears the fees.
Shows its confidence
A tight photo gets a tighter estimate. You can see when it isn't sure.
Works on any US series
Cents through dollars, circulated or mint state, classic or modern.
Against the alternatives
The real competition isn't another app. It's submitting blind and hoping, which is what most collectors still do.
| Approach | Cost per coin | Time to an answer | Gives you a grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submit and find out | $20–$300+ | 5–65 days | Yes, after you've paid |
| Photograde reference | $0 | 10–30 min | You judge it yourself |
| Ask a dealer | $0 | Days | Yes — from someone who wants to buy it |
| Identification app | $0 | Seconds | No, it names the coin |
| CoinGrader AIThis | $0 | Under 10 sec | Yes, ±2 points |
Identification and grading get confused constantly, and they're different jobs — most coin apps identify rather than grade, and a free online appraisal is a third thing again.
How it works
- Photograph both sides. Diffuse light, dark background, coin filling the frame. A phone is fine.
- Upload the pair. No account, no card, nothing to install.
- Read the breakdown. Wear, marks, luster and strike, each scored separately, with the grade that follows.
- Decide. Submit it, or keep the fee.
What it costs
The estimate is free, and there's no card involved. Paid plans run up to $399 a month and exist for volume — dealers working through inventory rather than collectors settling one coin. If you have a single Morgan dollar and a question, the free tier is the whole product.
It doesn't replace PCGS or NGC
This is the objection worth taking seriously, and the answer is: correct, it doesn't. There's no holder, no guarantee, and no auction house will accept an estimate as proof of grade. Certification is what buyers pay the premium for, and only PCGS, NGC, PSA and ANACS can issue it.
What an estimate changes is which coins you send. Grading fees run $14 at ANACS, $20 at NGC and $22 at PCGS before shipping, and most collectors discover the coin wasn't worth it after paying. That's the order this reverses.
Who it's wrong for
Anyone who needs official certification, an insurance valuation, or a legally defensible appraisal. The estimate is educational. It carries no signature and no accountability, and it won't be accepted for a claim, a probate valuation or a consignment agreement.
It's also weak on badly lit photographs. Shoot a coin under a single hard bulb and the luster read suffers, because luster is what light does on the surface. Bad input, soft answer.
FAQ
Is the AI coin grading app actually free?
The grade estimate is free with no account and no card. Paid plans exist for dealers running volume, up to $399 a month. A collector grading occasional coins never hits that.
How accurate is AI coin grading?
Estimates land within ±2 points of the PCGS grade 95% of the time. That's close enough to decide on a submission, and not close enough to replace one. Photo quality moves the number more than anything else.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs in a browser on iPhone, Android or desktop, so there's no app store download and no storage taken. Open the page, upload two photos, read the estimate.
What photos does it need?
One of each side, coin filling most of the frame, diffuse light and a dark background. Avoid direct flash — it blows out the luster the model needs to read. A modern phone camera is more than enough.
Can I use the estimate to sell a coin?
Not as proof of grade. Buyers pay a premium for a certified holder from PCGS, NGC, PSA or ANACS, and an estimate isn't one. Use it to decide which coins deserve that fee.
Which coins does it handle?
US series from cents to dollars, circulated and mint state, classic and modern. Series with their own designations — Full Bands, Full Steps, Full Head — are read against those standards too.
How is this different from PCGS Photograde?
Photograde shows you reference images and you make the call. This makes the call and explains it. Photograde is a good cross-check once you have an estimate to test.
Two photos. Ten seconds. No card.
Find out what your coin would grade before you spend $20 to $300 finding out the expensive way.