ratings system/COAs

[LithicLady]

So I've been reading up on some stuff and had a few questions....

As far as the ratings system goes, who determines it? I mean, I could think an item was a G-7, and someone else looks at it and says G-5. is it something that "officially" comes with a COA, or is it just subjective?

I know COAs are questionable due to history, but wouldn't they be useful for insurance purposes? I would think if people are putting their collections in safes at home, they might be insured. I'd like to have one for my Dalton that was more archaeology/dating/scientific related than those used for "relic resale". Mine isn't going anywhere, but it would be neat to have "official info" on from someone who knows what they are talking about.

and when obtaining something like a COA, do you have to mail the item off to them, if they are not local to you? That makes me nervous! lol

I'm still scouring the forms to try to figure out who I could contact fairly locally to me to get more information.......(museums/colleges/etc)

[Artifascination]

Poverty Point mounds is not far from your area and there is an archaeology department there that has some good folks that are very helpful and knowledgeable in artifacts. I would recommend calling ahead to meet with them. As far as grading a point goes it is very subjective and simply a matter of opinion.

[LithicLady]

actually, as luck would have it, there was a call for volunteers this weekend to a local (2 hours from me) historical site to assist with archaeological screening of dirt that was displaced by fallen trees during Hurricane Laura. Members of the state archaeological society will be there, so I'll get to meet them. so excited!

[Hal Gorges]

There is a very good general guide in the front of Overstreets Indian arrowhlleads book....I might add..a G-10 plus should have, impeccable workmanship and. If it has great colors, That’s a plus...a points symmetry is also taken into consideration...

[LithicLady]

thank you! i will check that out. been gathering/sifting info from the internet 1st, before I invest in books. want to know what I'm looking at, so I can get the books with the most relevant info for my area.

[painshill]

You may find some of these articles in our Information Centre to be of interest:

https://forums.arrowheads.com/forum/...-papering-gc96

[LithicLady]

thank you! i haven't made it that far down in the forums yet. lots of reading to do.

[painshill]

Lots of great information on our site for you to discover. There's also a useful summary of artefact grading here:

https://forums.arrowheads.com/forum/...tifact-grading

[Hal Gorges]

Thanks, I never was too much into grading, it’s an interesting facet of collecting..

[clovisoid]

Hi Lithic Lady-

Grades are very, very subjective. Directional at best. Some people have tried to mathematically assign values to certain traits, and then add up to a grade that you can train & calibrate. (Coins, Diamonds, Beef, etc. all have certifiable grades that can be very consistent.) I have never seen it work with relics, just too much variety. One of the big COAers used to use a mathematical formula on his certificates, and I've seen the same relic rank a 7.3 and a 8.6 a couple of years apart (which illustrates the issue.)

I tend to think of it a bit like those customer satisfaction surveys that you take after you call a bank or at the bottom of a receipt from a restaurant. The "how likely are you to recommend us" 0-10 question. There is actually quite a bit of science behind how people rank on those, and although there are 11 options there are only three scores. 0-6 means you won't say anything positive, in fact you will likely say something negative. 7-8 is average, not good not bad. And 9-10 are the same score, which means you will positively endorse something.

I think it's the same for relics. 0-6 is average to broken. Stuff most of us love finding, collecting, sharing, but not worth a lot of money. 7-8 is the really good stuff in a personal found collection, over the course of a good hunting career most of us can fill up some nice frames with these. 9-10 are really top quality pieces that would cause most collectors to pause and look. Pretty special finds. It's hard to get too people to agree exactly what an 8.5 is, but most people who have been around relics can align with buckets of 0-6, 7-8, 9-10 from their area.


Joshua

[LithicLady]

makes a lot of sense when you put it that way, clovisoid. the comparison is helpful, thanks!

[utilized flake]

The awesome thing about artifacts is that you can learn so much and become your own expert! That's why this site is such a valuable resource for learning! The grading can be subjective sometimes. Many of us that have been hunting artifacts for decades will admit that they would grade some of their more exiting personal finds higher than an authenticator. I think it's because once you stoke the fires of this passion, and you're good and consumed with NAmerican stuff, personal finds mean increasingly more as knowledge increases. As far as "papering" a point there are whole threads that can present both sides on this site... Me...i don't think I'll ever get any of my points papered. Unless Hal decides to leave me his collection!!!

[LithicLady]

you're right....i'm diving in to all this info....so much good stuff to read! grateful it's here!

[Mattern]

Hi LithicLade, I'll add my 2 cents. I've seen artifacts that were Bogus with COAs. Certification has become somewhat of a way to just make money and not have to be very good at it. I personally just don't trust COAs if I want to buy an Artifact. I just don't! As far as grading I really don't care what others think of my finds. If I really like it I'll give a 10. If you don't like it so what. It's my find. So unless your going to sell it, then ask a reputable dealer or a knowledgeable Archaeologist. Most of the great collectors will be able to give you a good estimate. Kim