So You Think You Can Grade? PCGS Coin Grading Contest to be Held During Show Hours at the Philadelphia ANA

July 16, 2012

The popular PCGS Photograde Online™ grading contest will be held at the upcoming ANA in Philadelphia, August 7-11, 2012, at the PCGS booth (#1605). Adult participants will have to grade 20 U.S. coins in 20 minutes. All coins have been previously certified by PCGS; however, the holder insert will not show the grade. There are two categories in the competition for young numismatists - high school and pre-high school. Each entrant in these categories will need to grade 10 U.S. coins of random denominations.

The winner in each category will be the collector who has the most correct grades; "correct" defined as matching the PCGS grade exactly. In case of a tie, bonus points will be awarded for any answer that is correct to within a half a grade to determine the winner. The two winners in the young numismatist categories will receive PCGS-certified Secure Plus™ MS65 Morgan dollars. The adult winner will receive a $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle graded PCGS Secure Plus MS65.

The grading competition will be conducted during the ANA convention's public hours on Tuesday through Friday and until 12 p.m. Saturday. Ask for Gayle Kean or BJ Searls at the PCGS booth. For contest rules, click here.

The last grading contest was held at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo May 31 - June 2, 2012. Mike Kittle, from Ventura County, California, was the winner of the adult division and was awarded a $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin graded PCGS Secure Plus MS65, valued at $2,000.

The final breakdown was as follows:

Number of coins graded correctly	Number of contestants who achieved the score
10	1
8	3
7	1
6	3
5	7
4	3
3	9
2	3
1	3
0	1

The 20 coins and grades from the adult grading contest were the following:

1917 25C Type 1 AG3

1908-D $20 No Motto MS62

1881 $5 XF45

1912 1C MS63RD

1932 $10 MS66

1899 $5 MS64

1901-S $10 MS64

1908 $20 No Motto MS65

1902 1C MS66RD

1879-S MS67

1902 1C MS64RD

1928-S $1 MS63

1884-CC $1 MS64

1971 $1 MS64

1898-O $1 MS65+

1882-S $1 MS66

1926-S 25C F15

1895-S $20 AU58

1887-S $1 MS62

1878-CC $1 MS64DM

In addition, Patrick King, 14, of San Diego County, California, and Ben Mesko, 8, of Orange County, California, each received a PCGS Secure Plus MS65 Morgan silver dollar for winning the young numismatist high school and pre-high school coin grading competition categories. The ten coins and grades from the kids’ contest were the following:

1964 50C PR66