Grade tiers map to buying behavior: G–F is filler/melt-adjacent (flat price curve, don't overthink — get the melt math right); VF–XF is where premiums start and wear-point reading pays; AU is the value sweet spot and the most misgraded online tier; MS prices steepen brutally. Margin equation: realistic value at your grade minus selling costs minus required margin = max bid. One grade of overpayment at the AU/MS boundary can erase the whole margin.
Evidence standardThis reference is distilled from a covered source topic. A photograph can inform a decision, but it cannot authenticate or certify a coin.