For a numismatist, coins are classified by face value, date, mint and condition. In numismatics, thestate of preservation of a coin is its degree of wear. The better thecondition, the closer the coin is to its original state, and the greater the pleasure of contemplating it. Indeed, no one would imagine poorly preserved objects on display in a museum. While it has no bearing on the coin's historical value, thestate of preservation is nevertheless one of the essential criteria for determining a coin's numismatic value on the collector's market.
On dit « graduer une pièce » pour définir le fait de lui attribuer un état de conservation. En France, il existe six états (B, TB, TTB, SUP, SPL, FDC) et par une note de 1 à 70. Cependant, le « grading » peut être différents selon pays.
State of preservation of coins in France
| Conservation status | Description of conservation status |
|---|---|
| B 6-16 (Beau) |
The coin is very poorly preserved, reflecting a very long period of circulation. The coin is still identifiable, even if it is no longer completely legible. |
| TB 15-39 (Très Beau) |
The mediocre conservation is due to the coin's long circulation, while having left the coin with an appearance that is, if not suitable, at least bearable in the eyes of a collector. Wear is general and very pronounced, but the main reliefs are legible and distinct, except in the case of faulty minting. |
| TTB 40-54 (Very Very Fine) | Average condition. Traffic wear is clearly visible, but the piece retains a pleasing appearance. |
| SUP 55-62 (Superb) | Wear due to circulation is minimal and only visible on the most raised parts. Almost all of the striking velvet has disappeared, but some may remain between the letters of the legend. |
| SPL 63-54 (Splendid) | The coin has not suffered any wear because it has not been circulated. However, as a result of handling during manufacture or storage, it may have lost its velvet finish on the most raised parts, and received minor knocks. Striking quality can be good, but perfection is not necessary. |
| FDC 65-70 (Fleur De Coin) | The piece is strictly in mint condition, with all its velvet. No defects are to be tolerated, except for minute traces of handling visible only with a x10 magnifying glass. This state of preservation is extremely rare outside our century. In fact, manufacturing and storage techniques (in sacks) have caused rubbing or small shocks even before the coin leaves the Treasury's crates, giving it an SPL quality. |
Worldwide conservation status correspondences
| FRANCE | GREAT BRITAIN | ITALY | Japan | GERMANY | POLAND | SPAIN | PCGS (Sheldon Scale) | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO-1 | Identifiable date and type | |||||||
| EN-2 | Very worn, but with some visible details | |||||||
| Assez Beau (AB) | AG | Discreto (M) | 収集不適品 | Gering (GE) | Stan 5 | Mal conservada (MC) | AG-3 | Listel worn, but letters mostly legible though worn |
| G-4 | Listel slightly worn, details well flattened, circular legend almost complete | |||||||
| G-6 | Listel complete, details well flattened, circular legend complete | |||||||
| Beau (B) | G (Very Good) | Bello (B) | 劣品 | Sehr gut erhalten (SGE) | Stan 4 | Regular conservada (RC) |
VG-8 | The pattern is worn, the details slightly perceptible. |
| VG-10 | The pattern is worn but the details are more visible | |||||||
| Bien conservada (BC) | F-12 | A few more minor details visible from the motif; the legend is complete. | ||||||
| F-15 | No more minor details of the motif visible; the legend is complete and clear. | |||||||
| Very beautiful (TB) | F (Fine) | Molto bello (MB) | 並品 | Schön (S) | VF-20 | The details are a little sharper; the caption is complete and clear. | ||
| Stan 3 | VF-25 | Sharper details and captions. | ||||||
| Muy bien conservada (MBC) | VF-30 | All details are virtually visible but flattened at high points | ||||||
| VF-35 | All details visible but worn or flattened at high points | |||||||
| Very beautiful (TTB) | VF (Very Fine) | Bellissimo (BB) | 美品 | Sehr schön (SS) | EF-40 | All the details are visible, with most of the high points a little flattened or worn. | ||
| EF-45 | All details visible with a few flattened or worn high points | |||||||
| Extraordinariamente bien conservada (EBC) | AU-50 | All the details are visible, with some friction over most of the surface and slight flattening at high points. | ||||||
| Extraordinariamente bien conservada (EBC) | AU-53 | All details are visible with some friction on half or more of the surface, very slight flattening on high points. | ||||||
| Superb (SUP) | EF (Extremely Fine) | Splendido (SPL) | 極美品 | Vorzüglich (VZ) | Stan 2 | AU-55 | All details are visible with some friction on less than half of the surface, mainly on high points. | |
| AU-58 | All details are visible with only very slight friction on the high points. | |||||||
| 準未使用品 | MS/PR-60 | No wear. Many hairlines, marks and heavy blows; the strike may be incomplete. | ||||||
| Sin circular (SC) | MS/PR-61 | No wear. Several important marks and knocks, presence of hairlines; the strike may be incomplete. | ||||||
| MS/PR-62 | No wear. Some significant marks and dents; the strike may be incomplete. | |||||||
| UNC (Uncirculated) | 未使用品 | Stempelglanz (ST) | MS/PR-63 | A few marks and several lighter or lighter strokes; the stroke may be incomplete | ||||
| MS/PR-64 | Few marks, a few light strokes; average or above-average impact | |||||||
| Corner flower (FDC) | FDC | Fior di conio (FDC) | Stan 1 | Flor de cuno (FDC) | MS/PR-65 | A few minor marks, but not on the central parts; above-average impact. | ||
| 完全未使用品 | MS/PR-66 | A few very light marks, but not on the central parts; well struck. | ||||||
| Exceptional FDC | MS/PR-67 | Struck almost as original with minor imperfections; very well struck | ||||||
| 空前絶後品 | MS/PR-68 | Struck almost as original with slight imperfections; some weaknesses in striking | ||||||
| MS/PR-69 | Struck almost as original with tiny imperfections and almost as a complete strike | |||||||
| MS/PR-70 | Struck as original with full strike. No visible marks. This grade allows for minor, non-visible manufacturing defects. |
Condition of commemorative coins
Commemorative coins are minted exclusively for collectors. They are sold in superb plastic packaging, in sealed cases or transparent capsules. The appearance of this type of coin is accompanied by new minting qualities, Brillant Universel (BU) and Belle Épreuve (BU).
BU - Brillant Universel indicates a coin struck with a fully brilliant finish. This is achieved through the use of specially polished and regularly replaced corners. The very atmosphere of the coin in which they are minted is closely monitored because, given the minting power of money presses, even the tiniest dust will be transformed into a halo, rendering it unfit for sale.
BE – Belle Épreuve correspond à un traitement de surface des coins de fabrication portant des reliefs mats (ces parties sont « sablées » sur les coins) se détachant sur des fonds brillants. C’est le summum de la qualité mais qui, comme on l’imagine bien, n’est apparue que de manière récente. Attention, pour ce type de monnaies, seules celles qui sont conservées dans leur emballage d’origine conservent cette dénomination. Dès lors que vous les avez ouverts, elles peuvent recevoir des coups ou des traces de doigt, par exemple, qui vont les faire régresser dans l’échelle des états.
Storage details
Preservation only defines the degree of wear of a coin. The descriptions that may accompany the coins describe many other small peculiarities or defects. They point to dents, edge bumps, weaknesses in the minting process, defects in the metal, rolling, polishing, off-center or trebled minting, adjustment striations, scratches...
The better thestate of preservation, the more important a minor defect becomes. For example, there's no need to point out a small nick on the edge for a Très Beau coin, but the same nick on the edge will become very serious for an SPL (Splendid) or FDC (Fleur de Coin) copy. In fact, these detailed descriptions are particularly prevalent in auction catalogs, where high-value coins are exchanged.
These numismatic details are intrinsic to the life of a coin. Indeed, a coin destined for circulation is passed from hand to hand, rubbed and scratched. It's possible for coins to take a beating by colliding with each other. Sometimes, even before being put into circulation, coins can have defects due to mass storage in bags. This is called bagging.
