The Sheldon scale in one minute
The Sheldon scale runs from 1, a coin barely identifiable as to type, up to 70, a flawless mint-state coin under magnification. Circulated coins occupy roughly 1–58, where wear on the design’s high points drives the number; mint-state coins occupy 60–70, where strike quality, luster, and tiny surface marks separate the grades. Because value often jumps sharply between adjacent grades at the top, grading is where numismatic money is made and lost.
What the AI evaluates in your photos
When you photograph a coin, CoinVault Pro’s AI assesses the visible evidence: how much of the original design detail survives, where the high points show flattening, whether the strike looks full or weak, and what obvious surface problems — scratches, spots, edge knocks — the images reveal. From that evidence it places the coin on the 1–70 scale, exactly as a knowledgeable collector would from a good photograph.
For circulated coins this works well, because wear is precisely the kind of evidence photographs capture. The estimate gives you a defensible working grade for cataloging and valuation.
What photos cannot show — and why that matters
Professional graders examine coins in hand under angled light, and some of what they judge simply does not survive the trip into a photo. Luster — the way original mint surfaces cascade light as the coin rotates — appears only partially in a static image. Hairlines from old cleaning flash into view at specific light angles and vanish at others. Subtle rim damage can hide at most camera angles.
These factors matter most in exactly the range where grading is most valuable: mint-state coins, where the difference between a 63 and a 65 can be substantial money. That is why CoinVault Pro presents its output as an estimate and why we tell you plainly: for coins that might be worth serious amounts, the estimate is the beginning of the process, not the end.
- Photos capture well: wear, detail loss, strike, visible marks and damage.
- Photos capture poorly: luster, hairlines under angled light, subtle cleaning, some rim issues.
- Consequence: estimates are strongest on circulated coins, and are a triage tool in mint-state ranges.
The pre-screen workflow
Used correctly, AI grading answers a cost question: which coins justify professional grading fees? Scan your batch, let the estimates and the app’s real eBay sold-price data show each coin’s likely grade and value, and send only the coins where certification would clearly pay for itself to PCGS or NGC. Everything else gets a solid working grade in your collection at zero cost.
Get a grade estimate in the next minute
Pick the best coin you own, download CoinVault Pro, and photograph it carefully in good light. The app will place it on the Sheldon scale and pair the estimate with real market data — and if the numbers look exciting, you will know it is time to talk to a professional grading service.