A SPECIAL NOTE ON THE GRADING OF

COLONIAL AND CONTINENTAL CURRENCY

Our philosophy for the grading of Colonial and Continental Currency endeavors to address some of the long running conflicts relative to the grading of these special series of notes. It is our policy to grade a note based upon its visual appearance and physical state, repairs notwithstanding. We will then indicate restorations with appropriate language, for example, Light Conservation, Moderate Conservation, Heavy Conservation. In addition, we will provide other essential details such as restored folds or restored corners. By offering a net grade and following up with the qualifiers, we can provide a consistent and less-confusing system for the understanding these early series of notes and their grades through the elimination of the double penalization encountered in other grading systems.

The unique early method of manufacture, which included the use of a variety of hand made papers and exhibited an inconsistent quality and alignment of plates, has always provided a difficult challenge for currency graders. In fact, the majority of grading systems fail to incorporate these conditions into their standards. Moreover, they generally lack an appreciation for the crude conditions under which many of these notes were created. At PASS-CO, we will grade these special series taking into consideration these unique circumstances instead of grading notes on a comparative basis with those that have been manufactured using more modern technologies.