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GRADING STANDARDS used at give-a-buck.com


            The same discussion of grading can be found in my FAQ section.

            For coins, I use the same system as Charlton and ICCS (International Coin Certification service). For paper money, I tend to deviate a bit from the conservative standards endorsed by the CPMS (Canadian Paper Money Society), but I am far from joining the gaggle of grunting orangutans on Internet auction sites like eBay where grading is optional and, when provided, is looser than the ethics of a campaigning politician. So, without peeking at my Charlton catalogue, I have summarized my paper money grading system below.

  • Gem Unc:  A perfect and original note. For a Journey-series note, there will be no ripples or cup marks. On older series notes, the white borders should be very close to even. Very few notes have perfect centering, and the ones that do are probably trimmed. So a crookedly-cut note with slanted borders would be Ch Unc at best, and a note where the borders are straight but one or more borders are bigger/smaller than the others by 25% would also be Ch Unc at best. It should be noted that a Gem Unc note by my standards or those endorsed by the CPMS is far superior to a note deemed Unc-65 or Gem Unc by the standards of third-party grading companies that use a Sheldon-style grading scale that goes all the way up to Unc-70.


  • Ch Unc (or "CU"):  A near-perfect and original note with one flaw. For a Journey-series note, there could be a cup mark or a ripple or a dimple (small crease). For older series notes, there should be just one counting crease. No folds of any kind are allowed. A note with a crease and uneven but straight margins would qualify for Ch Unc, as would a note with no creases but slanted margins, but a note with slanted margins and a crease would be Unc-60 at best. No folds. The corners should be sharp.


  • Unc-60 (or "Unc"):  A note with several flaws. There could be up to three individual counting creases, or two sets of "double counting creases" (one pair on each side of the note). Centering is irrelevant. A note with 3 counting creases and bad centering is still technically uncirculated, and it is up to the individual buyer to decide if such a note should trade at a discounted price. Dirty corners are also allowed. A note that appears Unc-60 or better but appears to be pressed (i.e., flat, lacking embossing) would be discounted.


  • AU:  A note that has more flaws than an Unc-60 note, or a circulated note with one soft horizontal or vertical fold, or several smaller creases, or one hard corner fold. A note that looks Unc-60 or higher but is deemed to be pressed would be on par with a fully original AU note.


  • EF:  A fresh and crisp note with up to three hard folds or one hard fold combined with several smaller creases or folds. No design rubbed off anywhere. Colour and brightness should be intact. I emphasize the "freshness" factor here because it is my opinion that it takes a lot of light handling before a new notes loses the look and feel of being new, and EF is still quite close to being new and uncirculated. This definition deviates from the CPMS standards of grading where EF, AU and Unc-60 are really close together. It is my feeling that the CPMS standards for higher circulated grades have not been relaxed to compensate for the new tiered system for uncirculated notes. Those of you who like adding up all the little creases and folds while ignoring the overall aesthetics of a note may take exception to my comments here.


  • VF:  A note with many folds and creases that still retains some of its crispness and "freshness". There should be minimal soiling as well as minimal loss of brightness and intensity. A note with only one to three major folds but exhibiting some design loss along those folds could also be considered VF, but a note with more folds and design loss would be F-VF at best. A drab-looking flat note that appears VF is probably a pressed Fine or lower, and as such, would command less than an original VF.


  • Fine (or "F"):  A well-worn note with many creases, folds, and only some crispness remaining. Could be fairly soiled, but should only exhibit a moderate loss of intensity if it appears fairly clean. Design loss along major folds is to be expected, but there should not be a loss of design away from major folds. Edge tears pinholes, and other impairments should still be noted separately.


  • VG:  A highly circulated but intact note with almost no crispness. Can be either highly soiled or somewhat faded. Wear holes along folds or at fold intersections are to be expected, as are minor edge nicks, but bigger defects should be noted. Small pieces missing along the edges should also be noted separately.


  • Good (or "G"):  A highly circulated note that is limp and visually unappealing due to numerous defects as well as heavy soiling and/or design loss. Could have small pieces missing along the edges or "raggedy" edges, plus pinholes or wear holes. Major tears internally or extending from an edge should be noted separately. A note with large pieces missing (note fragments) are generally not collectable.


  • Fair or Poor:  If you see a note in these grades on this website, I don't know how it got there. Seriously.


This grading guide is offered solely for the information of my clients and is not intended to serve as a warranty of any kind on notes you may purchase from me. I also do not guarantee that any notes you purchase from me will receive the same grades from other dealers, individuals, or grading companies. Grading is a subjective quanitfication of the condition of any item, and since no two people grade exactly alike, it is possible for an item to receive two different grades and for both opinions to be correct. There's no such thing as a grading "expert" as nobody can be an expert on opinions.