Editing Coin grading (section)

=== Sheldon grading system ===
{{Main|Sheldon coin grading scale}}
As the collector market for coins grew rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became apparent that a more precise grading standard was needed. Some coins were simply more fine than others, and some uncirculated coins showed more luster and far fewer marks than others. Terms like "gem uncirculated" and "very fine" began to see use, as more precise grading descriptions allowed for more precise pricing for the booming collector market.

In 1948, well-known numismatist [[William Herbert Sheldon]] attempted to standardize coin grading by proposing what is now known as the Sheldon Scale, as is detailed below. {{clarify span|text=Sheldon's 1 to 70 grading scale|explain=Can the article say that such scale is detailed in the below table's left column?|date=January 2019}}, included in his book ''Penny Whimsy'', was originally devised for U.S. large cents but it is now applied to all series.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sheldon|first=William H.|title=Penny Whimsy|publisher=Sanford S. Durst|year=1990|isbn=0-942666-62-3}}</ref>