Grading Uang Kertas

STANDAR PENILAIAN IBNS UNTUK UANG KERTAS

Hal yang penting di ketahui di awal ketika memulai mengumpulkan Uang Kuno adalah penilaian Grading/Grade.
Untuk membantu teman-teman pemula saya mencoba menterjemahkan pemahaman Grading yang saya ambil dari Katalog Uang Kertas Dunia terbitan Krause Publication. Beberapa ada yang memberikan sedikit toleransi kelonggaran tuk grade yang di sampaikan. (Catatan: penerjemahan ini mungkin ada kekurangan. karena itu saya cantumkan versi asli Bahasa Inggris dibagian paling bawah).
 
Berikut pengenalan dan Grading Guide dari Grading Committee of the International Bank Note Society  (IBNS). Alat ini telah diadopsi sebagai standar penilaian resmi dari masyarakat.
 
Pendahuluan
Grading adalah komponen yang paling kontroversial dari mengumpulkan uang kertas
saat ini. Perbedaan kecil dalam kelas dapat berarti nilai perbedaan yang siknifikan. Proses grading sangat subjektif dan bergantung pada pengaruh eksternal seperti pencahayaan.
Untuk memudahkan komunikasi antara penjual dan pembeli, istilah grading sangat penting. Standarisasi ini harus mencerminkan penggunaan umum.

Cara melihat uang kertas:
Untuk melihat uang kertas dan memastikan gradingnya. Pastikan Anda memeriksanya dibawah cahaya yang baik atau terang. Pegang uang kertas sengan baik (tidak mengotori & menekuk). Pastikan minyak/keringat di tangan Anda tidak mengkontaminasi uang kertas kondisi terbaik.
Pegang uang kertas dan lihat dengan miring (diagonal? supaya mendapat pantulan sinar dari sudut berlawanan dari posisi mata Anda. Usahakan cahaya datang, memantul dan masuk mata Anda seperti huruf "V".
 Dengan cara ini Anda akan bisa melihat lipatan keras ataupun lipatan halus atau gelombang.

 

Membersihkan, Cuci, Menekan/Press Uang Kertas:
a) Membersihkan, mencuci, mengepress uang kertas secara umam berbahaya dan mengurangi grade dan nilai dari uang kertas.
Mencuci dan press uang kertas bisa menghilangkan "cahaya" original dari uang kertas tersebut.Beberapa uang kertas akan kurang bercahaya.
Membersihkan/mencuci juga akan menimbulkan garis putih pada bekas lipatan kuat.

b) Memproses uang akan mengurangi satu grade peringkat/kelas.
Cacat tidak wajar: lem, isolasi tau coretan pensil kadang kala bisa di hilangkan. Ini akan meningkatkan penampilan kondisi uang secara keseluruhan tanpa menghilangkan setiap cacatnya.
Kata-kata "lubang kecil/Pinholes", "lubang staples", "pemangkasan/trimmed", "coretan", "bekas isolasi", dll harus selalu di tambahkan dalam deskripsi uang.
Ini memang akan membuat menurunkan nilai uang, tapi deskripsi harus disertakan dengan spesifik.
 
 
GRADING
Uncirculated (UNC): 
Kondisi Sempurna, tidak pernah salah penanganan
oleh otoritas penerbit, teller bank, masyarakat atau kolektor.
Kertas bersih dan tegas, tanpa perubahan warna, tanpa lipatan atau gelombang, tanpa kotor. Sudut tajam
dan persegi tidak membundar. (Sudut membundar/tumpul sering merupakan tanda uang telah di "proses" catatan dibersihkan.)
 
About Uncirculated (aUNC): 
Uang kondisi hampir sempurna, dengan beberapa kekuarangan dalam penanganan. Bisa karena bekas tekukan bekas menghitung uang di sudut atau satu tekukan ringan (baca: gelombang) ditengah, tapi hanya boleh ada salah satu aja bukan keduanya.
Tidak ada lipatan patah/kuat pada permukan uang. Kertas bersih dan cerah dengan tampilan aslinya. Sudut tajam tidak boleh membundar.
Catatan: di Eropa uang kertas About Uncirculate atau AU lebih di masukkan kategori sebagai "EF-Unc" atau hanya sekedar "EF".
 
Extremely Fine (EF atau XF):
Maksimum memiliki Tiga lipatan ringan atau satu lipatan kuat patah.
Kertas bersih, kaku tebal dan jelas tanpa perubahan warna, sudut masih kotak tidak membundar.

Very Fine (VF):
Ada bekas di gunakan. Ada beberapa lipatan kuat baik vertikal atau horizontal. Kertas ada sedikit kotor atau warna mulai luntur.
Kertas masih relatif kaku dan tidak lemas.
Tidak ada bercak kotor di area pinggir walaupun pinggirannya ada sedikit bekas di pakai. Tidak sobek. Sudut sedikit membundar.

Fine (F):
Uang terlihat bekas dipakai dengan banyak lipatan, tekukan dan kerutan. Kertas tidak terlalu kotor dengan sedikit bercak di pinggir, namun tidak sampai pada gambar.
Tidak ada lubang di tengah bekas lipatan kuat. Warna terlihat jelas tapi tidak terang. Mungkin ada satu atau dua lubang bekas staples.

Very Good (VG):
Sudah banyak tanda bekas di gunakan, sudut membundar, lubang kecil/bekas staples, bercak/kotor sampai ke bagian gambar. Warna mulai terlihat memudar.
Ada bekas lubang tengah karena tekukan kuat. Sedikit sobekan kecil, kertas lemas tapi tidak ada bagian yang hilang karena sobek.


Good (G):
Banyak bekas lipatan kuat, noda/kotor, karat, lubang kecil, lubang ditengah bekas lipatan kuat, sudut membundar, ada bekas coretan. Tidak ada sobekan besar dan kondisi uang tidak ada yang hilang.

Fair (F):
Kertas lemas/layu, kotor bekas pemakaian berat, uang rusak (lubang/sobek besar sampai gambar) dan mungkin ada sebagian yang hilang.

Poor (P):
Kondisi uang paling rendah. Uang telah rusak berat akibat sobekan, karat, bagian yang hilang, grafiti ataupun lubang yang besar, mungkin ada bekas tambalan atau bekas potongan (trimming) pada bagian tepi untuk menutupi bagian yang rusak. Uang yang masuk kategori ini tidak layak dikoleksi kecuali hanya sebagai pengisi sementara atau memang termasuk uang yang sangat langka.

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ENGLISH VERSION:

Introduction
Grading is the most controversial component of paper money collecting today. Small differences in grade can mean significant differences in value. The process of grading is so subjective and dependent on external influences such as lighting, that even a very experienced individual may well grade the same note differently
on separate occasions.
To facilitate communication between sellers and buyers, it is essential that grading terms and their meanings be as standardized and as widely used as possible. This standardization should reflect common usage as much as practicable. One difficulty with grading is that even the actual grades themselves are not
used everywhere by everyone. For example, in Europe the grade 'About Uncirculated' (AU) is not in general use, yet in North America it is widespread. The European term 'Good VF' may roughly correspond to what individuals in North America call 'Extremely Fine' (EF).
The grades and definitions as set forth below cannot reconcile all the various systems and grading terminology variants. Rather, the attempt is made here to try and diminish the controversy with some common-sense grades and definitions that aim to give more precise meaning to the grading language of paper
money.

How to look at a banknote
In order to ascertain the grade of a note, it is essential to examine it out of a holder and under a good light. Move the note around so that light bounces off of it at different angles. Try holding the note obliquely, so the note is even with your eye as you look up at the light. Hard-to-see folds or slight creases will show up under such examination. Some individuals also lightly feel along the surface of the note to detect creasing.
Cleaning, Washing, Pressing of Banknotes
a) Cleaning, washing or pressing paper money is generally harmful and reduces both the grade and the value of a note. At the very least, a washed or pressed note may lose its original sheen and its surface may become lifeless and dull. The defects a note had, such as folds and creases, may not necessarily be completely
eliminated and their telltale marks can be detected under a good light. Carelessly washed notes may also have white streaks where the folds or creases were (or still are).
b) Processing of a note which started out as Extremely Fine will automatically reduce it at least one full grade.
Unnatural Defects Glue, tape or pencil marks may sometimes be successfuly removed. While such removal will leave a cleaned surface, it will improve the overall appearance of the note without concealing
any of its defects. Under such circumstances, the grade of that note may also be improved.
The words “pinholes”, “staple holes”, “trimmed”, “graffiti”, “writing on face”, “tape marks” etc. should always be added to the description of a note. It is realized that certain countries routinely
staple their notes together in groups before issue. In such cases, the description can include a comment such as “usual staple holes” or something similar. After all, not everyone knows that certain notes cannot be found otherwise.
The major point of this section is that one cannot lower the overall grade of a note with defects simply because of the defects. The value will reflect the lowered worth of a defective note, but the description must always include the specific defects.

GRADING
Definitions of Terms
UNCIRCULATED:
A perfectly preserved note, never mishandled by the issuing authority, a bank teller, the public or a collector.
Paper is clean and firm, without discoloration. Corners are sharp and square without any evidence of rounding. (Rounded corners are often a tell-tale sign of a cleaned or “doctored” note.)
NOTE: Some note issues are most often available with slight evidence of very light counting folds which do not “break” the paper. Also, French-printed notes usually have a slight ripple in the paper. Many collectors and dealers refer to such notes as AUUNC.

ABOUT UNCIRCULATED:
A virtually perfect note, with some minor handling. May show very slight evidence of bank counting folds at a corner or one light fold through the center, but not both. An AU note canot be creased, a crease being a hard fold which has usually “broken” the surface of the note. Paper is clean and bright with original sheen. Corners are not rounded.
NOTE: Europeans will refer to an About Uncirculated or AU note as “EF-Unc” or as just “EF”. The Extremely Fine note described below will often be referred to as “GVF” or “Good Very Fine”.

EXTREMELY FINE:
A very attractive note, with light handling. May have a maximum of three light folds or one strong crease. Paper is clean and firm, without discoloration. Corners are sharp and square without any evidence of rounding. (Rounded corners are often a tell-tale sign of a cleaned or “doctored”
note.)

VERY FINE:
An attractive note, but with more evidence of handling and wear. May have several folds both vertically and
horizontally. Paper may have minimal dirt, or possible color smudging. Paper itself is still relatively crisp and not floppy. There are no tears into the border area, although the edges do show slight wear. Corners also show wear but not full rounding.

FINE:
A note that shows consideralble circulation, with many folds, creases and wrinkling. Paper is not excessively dirty but may have some softness. Edges may show much handling, with minor tears in the border area. Tears may not extend into the design. There will be no center hole because of excessive folding.
Colors are clear but not very bright. A staple hole or two would would not be considered unusual wear in a Fine note. Overall appearance is still on the desirable side.

VERY GOOD:
A well used note, abused but still intact. Corners may have much wear and rounding, tiny nicks, tears may
INTERNATIONAL BANK NOTE SOCIETY 23 extend into the design, some discoloration may be prsent, staining may have occurred, and a small hole may sometimes be seen at center from excessive folding. Staple and pinholes are usually present, and the note itself is quite limp but NO pieces of the
note can be missing. A note in VG condition may still have an overall not unattractive appearance.

GOOD:
A well worn and heavily used note. Normal damage from prolonged circulation will include strong multiple folds and creases, stains, pinholes and/or staple holes, dirt, discoloration, edge tears, center hole, rounded corners and an overall unattractive appearance. No large pieces of the note may be missing. Graffiti is commonly seen on notes in G condition.

FAIR:
A totally limp, dirty and very well used note. Larger pieces may be half torn off or missing besides the defects mentioned under the Good category. Tears will be larger, obscured portions of the note will be bigger.

POOR:
A “rag” with severe damage because of wear, staining, pieces missing, graffiti, larger holes. May have tape holding pieces of the note together. Trimming may have taken place to remove rough edges. A Poor note is desiralble only as a “filler” or when such a note is the only one known of that particular issue.