Defining Uncirculated Grades for Paper Currency
I am not the most professional grader, but I see flaws in the ways that the grading companies are grading in terms of Uncirculated Grades.
- Criticism with CGA - poor grading on centering (ex. 65,66, and 67 grades really could be classified as 63 or 64's) and poor note holder which could easily bend
- Criticism with CGA - they do not grade all types of notes
- Praise with CGA - excellent in surface grading (ex. creases, minor bends), too bad they don't have an EPQ or PPQ qualifier, but they need to comment on pressed/ironed notes more
- Praise with CGA - do not need to be a dealer to submit and most experience in grading
- Criticism with PMG - sometimes I see a note which should be an AU-58 turn into a 63 grade because of lack of attention on the surface grading (hidden corner fold)and sometimes they have issues with grading on centering (but better than CGA)
- Praise with PMG - all-around a solid grading firm and great holder
- Criticism with PCGS - the holder is firm and allows light to bring the true color on a note while PMG has a darker tint on its note holder, but PCGS has a very wide holder
- Praise with PCGS - toughest firm, but buying a PCGS graded note exemplifies the true grade of centering and surface grading (I give the slight edge to PCGS)
- Criticism with RCGS - sometimes overgrading occurs at the 68 and 69 levels, sometimes centering issues on its 65 grades, which should have been 64s, advertisement and recognition are low in lieu of being a solid grading firm
- Praise with RCGS - anyone can submit to them, they grade everything from admission tickets to notes to other scripophily, solid holders, very similar to PCGS type grading
- Uncirculated 60 - No Folds, No creases, Might have fingerprints (bank teller), Might also have color fading, centering problems, worse than 70-30 all the way around, Possible pinholes (i would say no more than 2 unnoticeable by the eye)
- Choice Uncirculated 62 - Bogus grade, cleaner looking note with same centering problems than the 60
- Choice Uncirculated 63 - Usually an eye appealing new note with Centering of 60-40 or better side to side, but equal to or worse than 70-30 top to bottom
- Choice Uncirculated 64 - Equal to or better eye appeal than a 63 grade with 60-40 on obverse on all borders front and back
- Gem Uncirculated 65 - Centering must be atleast 50-50 on all borders on the obverse, but is 60-40 on the reverse all the way around
- Gem Uncirculated 66 - Centering must be 50-50 on all borders on the obverse and reverse, similar to a 67, but not as strong color and embossing
- Superb Gem Uncirculated 67 - Centering must be 50-50 on all borders front and back with full embossing and color (ex. Hawaii notes should exhibit full black ink with no fading)
Guide created: 07/30/07 (updated 07/09/09)
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