How do you grade these?

[Bruceswar]

First off I am pretty clueless as far as grading goes on these.

 

Byzantine Empire

Justinian I

Circa 550 A.D.

Constantinople Mint

 

2nd super cool coin if you ask me!

 

[MunkyMan95]

:shrug:

 

the_Thing might know.

[Bruceswar]

yeah he is gonna likely (hopefully) have a look

[TJ'S Coins]

HIgh EF or AU. Nice gold. Grading is much more forgiving like this very nice Byzantine gold.

 

Is it gold or electrum?

[L1ncolnF4n]

XF

[Bruceswar]

HIgh EF or AU. Nice gold. Grading is much more forgiving like this very nice Byzantine gold.

 

Is it gold or electrum?

 

It is not "white gold" or electrum as you put it. This is real gold as far as I know.

[michael]

the coin is close to 24k

 

gradewise it just makes xf details in my opinion

 

european and ancient coin dealers have differing standards (from the current pcgs and ngc standards for grading more modern coins post 1400) which are more strict

 

but on the bourse floor in the ancient coin dealers section of any coin show this coin would be choice vf+ to just about xf details

[James_OldeTowne]

HIgh EF or AU. Nice gold. Grading is much more forgiving like this very nice Byzantine gold.

 

Is it gold or electrum?

 

It is not "white gold" or electrum as you put it. This is real gold as far as I know.

I am no expert, but since I recently cataloged some Byzantine coinage, I'll spread my ignorance on the subject.

 

The Eastern Roman empire suffered centuries of decline (with occasional short spurts of advancement) which led to devaluation of their coinage by reducing gold content and increasing silver content. Most of the precious metal coinage was indeed electrum, albeit at varying levels of silver vs. gold content. I believe these particular pieces are from an era of better gold content.

 

I absolutely despise how ICG tries to grade this coinage with Sheldon grades. It's absurd to apply grades like "VF-25", as if there were standards refined and precise enough to evaluate these hand-crafted coins as if they were quantified cuts of beef. Therefore, I adhere to my interpretation of European-style descriptive grades only.

 

I would call your coin "choice very-fine", based on the images. That would be equivalent to "XF+" as applies to U.S. coins, since I skip the "AU" grade entirely. (Thus, an international XF coin would be practically mint state.)

[$ilverHawk]

Amen, James. Trying to assign modern ie. Sheldon scale grades to these coins is a hoot. What monumental ignorance. Coins of this type are outside of modern grading parameters. Why can't a coin be appreciated as it is without someone trying to put a number on it? I can't wait to see an early Byzantine coin given an MS designation. What's the problem with I like it I'll buy it. There are some places that TPG s don't belong, this is one of them.

[TheCount]

 

i do not care what 'grade' they are. they just look absolutely delicious! romolus, i will take a bag full!