Gold 3 706 € Silver 50.70 €
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BulgarianCoins editorial

Grading and condition

Grades, the Sheldon scale, proof and BU, NGC and PCGS – how condition sets the price.

Silver coins 2 leva 1882, 5 leva 1894 and 100 leva 1937 – wear on the high points is checked on these

Grading and condition

How to grade your own coins: step by step

A loupe, a lamp and five questions – a method for working out the approximate grade of any coin

A step-by-step method for estimating the grade of your own coins with a loupe and a lamp: wear on the high points, luster, marks, eye appeal and problems – with the high points to check on common Bulgarian coins.

· 3 min read · BulgarianCoins editorial team

Coins 50 leva 1930, 10 stotinki 1906 and 2 leva 1882 – typical candidates for grading by NGC or PCGS

Grading and condition

Should you send Bulgarian coins to NGC or PCGS? Costs and benefits

When third-party grading by NGC or PCGS pays off for Bulgarian coins, what it really costs (fees, shipping, insurance, time), the price gap between graded and raw coins in current listings, and how to verify a slab.

· 3 min read

The 5 leva coin “World Hunting Exhibition EXPO ’81” in proof (matt-gloss) and BU (gloss) quality

Grading and condition

Proof, proof-like and BU: the difference on Bulgarian coins

What proof, proof-like and brilliant uncirculated mean, how the BNB’s “мат-гланц” and “гланц” labels map to them, and how the 1981 Expo ’81 coins show the difference in mintage and price.

· 3 min read

Coins 10 stotinki 1906, 1 lev 1916 and 50 leva 1930 – for these the price depends above all on condition

Grading and condition

How condition sets the price: the same coin from 5 to 500 euros

Real examples from current Balkan Auction listings showing how condition drives the price of Bulgarian coins: the same year and type can range from a few euros worn to hundreds or thousands in mint state.

· 3 min read

Silver coins 1 lev 1916 and 20 leva 1930 – coins often found graded on the Sheldon scale

Grading and condition

The Sheldon 1–70 grading scale for beginners

Where the numbers on PCGS and NGC labels come from: the Sheldon scale from 1 to 70 explained for beginners, with the main grade bands, the MS and PR prefixes and how grades affect the price of Bulgarian coins.

· 3 min read

Silver coins of the Kingdom of Bulgaria – 100 leva 1937, 50 leva 1930 and 20 leva 1930

Grading and condition

Coin grades explained: G, VF, XF, AU, UNC and proof

What the grading abbreviations in catalogues and listings mean, how they map to the 1–70 Sheldon scale and how condition changes the price of a Bulgarian coin.

· 3 min read

Coins 5 leva 1884, 100 leva 1937 and 20 leva 1930 – the rulers’ portraits are the first to show wear

Grading and condition

Wear points: where to look on each coin

Where wear first appears on Bulgarian coins – cheek, hair and beard on royal portraits, the lion’s mane and the crown on the coat of arms, wreaths, numerals and rims – and how to use these high points to judge grade from VF to MS.

· 3 min read