THE CHALLENGE
The major challenge in coin grading lies in the industry’s heavy reliance on expert human inspection, which is slow, costly, and inconsistent—posing a bottleneck in a fast-growing market driven by online trading and auctions. Despite early attempts at automation using image analysis techniques like template matching, color-space conversion, and Fourier transforms, these methods struggle with real-world issues such as glare, variable wear, and lighting differences. Manual processes lead to delays of weeks, high fees, and subjective results, while automated methods remain unreliable due to limited data, inconsistent grading standards, and the need for fine-tuned image preprocessing. This creates a major pain point for collectors, dealers, and auction houses seeking faster, scalable, and more objective coin evaluations, highlighting the market demand for a robust, tech-driven solution that balances accuracy with accessibility.
OUR SOLUTION
We have a fully automated coin grading system that combines advanced image processing and machine learning to deliver fast, consistent, and objective evaluations—eliminating the delays, costs, and subjectivity of manual expert grading. By analyzing high-resolution images of coins, the system identifies key features like text, motifs, and surface details, adjusts for lighting issues, and assesses wear, color, and luster using techniques such as pattern matching, color-space analysis, and frequency-based texture extraction. These insights are processed through trained classifiers to determine both the coin type and its condition on the Sheldon scale. Designed to integrate easily into dealer platforms and auction workflows, this scalable, data-driven solution replaces human variability with reproducible accuracy—offering a modern, tech-enabled alternative to traditional coin appraisal.
Figure: An example of predicted value.
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