GRADING COINS.
There are no exact scientific means available to measure the surface of coins, so grading is an art that takes into account many factors, both objective and subjective. Coin grading involves much more than simple determining whether the coin has seen wear or not. With eleven different Minstate grades to chose from, the grader must accurately assess the condition of the surfaces, the qualitly of the lustre and the fullness of the strike, as well as the interplay of these factors with each other. With circulated coins, the amount of wear is the most important consideration. But fullness of the strike, the amount and quality of the residual lustre, the condition of the surfaces, the general quality of the piece, and many other factors also lend an influence. Grading coins can be very complicated and causes a lot of different opinions between collectors as each has their own opinion of the grade of a certain coin. The only way to settle this is to have the coin certified. Sheldon' numerical system is generally accepted today as the standard for grading in most areas. Grades go from AG-3 (About Good) to MS-70 ( Perfect Mintstate) MS-70 is never seen that I have heard about. Lets say the above 1935 Siver Dollar grade is MS-62, the Trend value today is $80.00. If you were to take it to a dealer you would probably be offered from $15.00 to $20.0 This may be surprising to you especially as this is Canada's first Silver Dollar and there were only 428,707 minted.