How to Grade a Rare Coin

coin grading guide for kids

Time for YOU to be the teacher and give your coins a grade!

Are you interested in collecting rare coins? If so, then you may have seen a number rating (ranging from 1-70) used to describe the condition of the coin. This number is called the coin’s “grade” — and just like your school grades, the higher the number the better the score.

This scale is known as the Sheldon coin grading scale. It’s used to tell you about the condition of a coin before you or your parents buy it. Though this scale is useful once you understand it, it can be confusing for beginning coin collectors.

So if you’re new to the world of coin collecting, grab a magnifying glass, your coin collection, and scroll down to learn more how to find out the grade of your favorite coins.

What is the Sheldon Coin Grading Scale?

Although the Sheldon scale is a fairly complex system, it’s quite easy to grasp the basics of it once you get used to it. Here are the basic grades of the scale and what they mean, in order from worst to best:

If the date and mintmark of the coin is undetectable, then the coin can’t be graded and is considered “ungradable.”

We hope you enjoyed learning about how to grade a coin! Continue browsing our Kids Coin Corner for other fun and informative articles.