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Growing up with baseball cards, the word “mint” has a bit of nostalgia connected to it. Mint condition. A crisp, clean card with sharp corners, and so much more.
But if you didn’t grow up with baseball cards, or the previous time you’ve had in the hobby didn’t lead you down the path of really caring about card condition, then what does mint even mean? And now, in the world of grading cards, what does gem mint mean?
Gem Mint Definition & Meaning
Gem mint typically means flawless or perfect. So, in reference to cards, a gem mint card is one that is visually pleasing and without imperfections. It’s a common phrase used among different card grading companies when assigning a score or rating to a card being serviced.
All of that said, just like each grading company has its own costs to grade a card, each grading company also has its own definition of “gem mint,” with some using it as is mentioned above as the “best of the best” and others using it to describe a great grade, but not the absolute top tier.
And something important to know because you might see them around, a BCCG 10 is neither “gem mint” nor “pristine.” In fact, if you look at the label, a BCCG is “mint or better.” So, just a word of caution. (Here is more on BCCG vs. PSA.)
So, let’s take a look at what the term might describe for each of them and their customers.
PSA’s Definition
“Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for slight printing imperfection, if it doesn’t impair the overall appeal of the card. The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front and 75/25 percent on the reverse.”
Read More: What Does PSA OC Mean?
Beckett’s (BGS) Definition
A specific definition of “gem mint” isn’t easily found at this time, but there is this mention from 2018:
“…the minimum requirement to receive a grade of Gem Mint is to have at least three grades of 9.5 and the fourth to be no less than a 9.”
Read More: Is a BGS 9.5 the same as a PSA 10?
This is in reference to Beckett’s four grading features of corners, edges, centering, and surface. It’s also worth noting that to Beckett, gem mint is not perfection—they also offer a “pristine” grade:
“A Pristine 10 with all four subgades of 10 is what is known as a BGS Black Label Pristine. This is the highest possible grade combination and is “holdered” with a black label with gold type.”
SGC’s Definition
According to the SGC grading scale, “Gem” refers to:
“55/45 or better centering, sharp focus, four sharp corners*, free of stains, no breaks in surface gloss, no print or refractor lines, and no visible wear. A slight print spot visible under close scrutiny is allowable if it does not detract from the aesthetics of the card.”
(And don’t confuse an SGC “A” for gem mint!)
Like Beckett, SGC also offers a pristine grade:
“A “virtually flawless” card. 50/50 centering, crisp focus, four sharp corners*, free of stains, no breaks in surface gloss, no print or refractor lines, and no visible wear under magnification.”
GSC’s Definition
A GSC gem mint card is a 9.5, and is described as:
“A Gem Mint card is nearly flawless to the naked eye. Centering must be 50/50 one way and 55/45 the other. Corners must be Mint to the naked eye, but subtle wear is allowed under magnification. Edges must be original with only one minor flaw. A few extremely minor print spots that are detectable under magnification are allowed.”
Again, with a score of 9.5, gem mint here does not mean perfect—GSC offers a “pristine 10” and a “perfect 10” scoring possibility.
So, as you can see, no matter the definition, a “gem mint” card is one in really great condition. The only difference is that the specific term could mean perfect to some grading companies, while near perfect to others.
FAQs
What is considered gem mint? ›
Gem Mint Definition & Meaning. Gem mint typically means flawless or perfect. So, in reference to cards, a gem mint card is one that is visually pleasing and without imperfections. It's a common phrase used among different card grading companies when assigning a score or rating to a card being serviced.
What does PSA 10 gem mint mean? ›A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doens't impair the overall appeal of the card.
What does 9.5 gem mint mean? ›It is also referred to as “mint 9” and is considered the condition that it was in when it was in the pack. If it gets a score of 9.5, it's called a “gem-mint”, signifying that it's nearly flawless.
What is the difference between gem mint and mint? ›As far as vintage cards are concerned, PSA is the gold standard. They offer grades ranging from authentic (less than a 1 or altered) to 10. A mint grade is given a 9 and a perfect card is a 10 which is dubbed "gem mint". All grading companies have their idiosyncrasies and PSA is no different.
What is the highest PSA grading? ›10 is the highest overall grade a sports card can receive, though BGS also offers a Black Label Pristine 10, which means the card received a 10 for all four subgrades. While a Black Label Pristine 10 and PSA 10 are the highest grades a card can obtain, that isn't to say that other grades aren't of value.
What does gem mean in coins? ›| Adjectival Grade | Equivalent Numerical Grade |
|---|---|
| Uncirculated | MS-60, MS-61, MS-62 |
| Select or Choice Uncirculated | MS-63 |
| Choice Uncirculated | MS-63, MS-64 |
| Gem Uncirculated | MS-65, MS-66 |
In April 2022, it was confirmed that Logan Paul paid $5.275 million for a PSA grade 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. The Illustrator card, given out to 39 winners of the 1997 and 1998 Pokémon illustration contests, is extremely rare. Only 23 have been certified by the PSA, and only one has been given a PSA rating of 10.
What is the rarest PSA 10 card? ›The most expensive Pokémon card is the Pikachu Illustrator which sold for $5.275 million in July 2021. It's the true Holy Grail of Pokémon card collecting and only one PSA 10 is known to exist.
Is it better to buy PSA 9 or 10? ›Using the PSA Price Guide, a PSA 10 of this card is valued at around $375,000. In comparison, a PSA 9 drops down to around $20,000. That is a huge drop in value for just one number, and depending on the collector, a 9 could be just as good as a 10.
What is a good gem grade? ›Gemstone grading is assigned by letter. AAA is the highest grade while D is the lowest. AA – AAA grade gemstones beads are usually more expensive, higher quality, and near-perfect. These gemstone beads are not usually color-enhanced and most of them are faceted cut.
What does gem mint 10 first graded mean? ›
A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card.
Is BGS 9.5 same as PSA 10? ›The average PSA 10 sells at least 2.5x more than a BGS 9.5.
PSA 10 cards scored anything from 91 – 100 on the grading scale, while BGS 9.5 cards received 91 – 96. BGS reserves the perfect 10-score grading for really “perfect” cards without blemish, while PSA leaves a greater leeway.
Regardless if you're talking counterfeits or reprints, PSA card grading services can be an excellent tool to verify a card's authenticity. That's not to say that PSA is correct 100% of the time and fakes don't occasionally slip through their hands.
What is considered low pop PSA? ›For instance, a POP 1 PSA 10 card would mean it's the only one in existence. a POP 18 would mean there are 18, and so on. Thus, “low pop” means low population, and is a term used when a card is scarce in terms of that particular issue and grade.
What is a dangerously high PSA number? ›Although PSA levels between 4.0 and 10.0 are considered “suspicious,” there is only a 25% chance that you have prostate cancer. If your PSA levels are 10 ng/mL or higher, these levels are considered “dangerous.” This means your chances of having prostate cancer are 50%.
What is the cheapest card grading? ›Of the major grading companies, BGS currently offers the cheapest card grading service, which is $18 to grade a single card at the “Base” level. This is $2 less than CSG's “Economy” level, $5 less than PSA's “Value” service, and $4 less than SGC.
Does PSA get higher with age? ›Besides cancer, other conditions that can raise PSA levels include an enlarged prostate (also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH ) and an inflamed or infected prostate (prostatitis). Also, PSA levels normally increase with age.
What is gem grade for coins? ›The 'Gem' grades are a little more complicated as 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 are all Gem grades. At some point, usually at 67, the term 'Superb' is employed in addition to the term 'Gem. ' Almost all honest, leading experts agree, however, that a Gem Uncirculated (or Gem BU) coin must grade AT LEAST MS-65!
What is gem slang for? ›If you describe something or someone as a gem, you mean that they are especially pleasing, good, or helpful. [informal]
Which coin is gem? ›Gems (GEM) is a cryptocurrency and operates on the Ethereum platform. Gems has a current supply of 8,000,000,000 with 1,203,292,895.994173 in circulation. The last known price of Gems is 0.00009403 USD and is up 5.19 over the last 24 hours.
How much is a PSA 7 worth? ›
The price range for PSA 6 or 7 examples of this card is between $160 and $290.
What is the highest selling sports card ever? ›This is a list of the highest known prices paid for sports cards. The current record price is the US$12.6 million paid for a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card (Topps; #311) on August 28, 2022, breaking all previous records.
What trading cards are most profitable? ›- Best Overall: Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps Rookie Card.
- Best Rookie Card: Luka Doncic.
- Best NFL Card: Tom Brady Optic Base.
- Best Classic Movie Cards: Star Wars.
- Best Comic Cards: Pokemon.
Logan Paul Pikachu card
“The real star of Wrestlemania — my 1/1 PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator that I purchased for $5,275,000, officially setting the Guinness World Record for 'most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale',” the 27-year-old star wrote.
The likely answer to this question yes, but it's important to keep in mind that not every Pokemon card is super valuable – some hold their value better than others. Cards that are rare or out of print are more likely to increase in value than common cards.
How much did a PSA 10 Charizard sell for? ›It too had a PSA 10 Gem Mint grading. Last year, a 1995 Pokemon Japanese Topsun Charizard Blue Back card, also with PSA 10 Gem Mint grading, sold for $493,230 by Goldin Auctions.
How hard is it to get PSA 10? ›It's hard to get a PSA 10 rating for your card. To get that rating, your card would have to be perfect in almost every regard when it comes to grading standards. This means that it would have to have perfect corners, centering, surface, and all other aspects also need to be perfected.
Does PSA 9.5 exist? ›How the Scale Works. PSA will add a half-point grade within each of the 1-10 numbers with the exception of a 9.5 grade.
How much value does a PSA 10 add to a card? ›Compared to raw cards, the PSA 10 sells for about 7x more. That's a big difference! Comparatively, the BGS 9.5 only sells for about 3.5x as much. PSA 9s are worth 2x as much as the raw card.
What are the big 4 gemstones? ›The four most sought-after precious gemstones are diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. gemstone can help you decide what you want to say with your custom piece of jewelry.
What gems are usually eye clean? ›
Eye-clean means that you can't see inclusions with the naked eye. Gemstones that are typically eye-clean include aquamarine, morganite and tanzanite.
What are the 4 C's of gemstones? ›The "Four Cs" of gem grading stand for color, clarity, cut, and carat (weight).
What is the best PCGS grade? ›MS-70 - The perfect coin. Has very attractive sharp strike and original luster of the highest quality for the date and mint.
How do you tell if a coin should be graded? ›There are generally five main components which determine a coin's grade: strike, surface preservation, luster, coloration and eye appeal. Grading is subjective and even experts can disagree about the grade of a given coin.
What grade is gem Uncirculated? ›CHOICE UNCIRCULATED is considered to be any coins that would grade from 63 to 70. GEM UNCIRCULATED (sometimes indicated as GEM UNC or GEM BU) is used for coins that would grade from 65 to 70.
How rare is a Beckett Black Label? ›In 2014, Beckett Grading Services introduced the Black Label 10 as a new standard of a pristine card. Black labels are a rare designation for a card that is completely flawless in every measurable way. It means that all your sub grades (corners, edges, surface & centering) were all given a 10/10 grade.
How much does it cost to get a card BGS graded? ›Beckett grading costs range anywhere from $20 per card all the way up to $250 per card (or more), depending on the value of the card, the age of the card, how many cards you're submitting at one time, how fast you want the turnaround to be, and other factors.
Is it harder to get a PSA 10 or a Beckett 10? ›This can be a double-edged sword for some, but it makes for more accurate grading. BGS is preferred for newer cards mostly. However, Beckett is tougher on grading and a BGS 9.5 is just not as good as a PSA 10 or even PSA 9.
What is considered a mint condition baseball card? ›A MINT card will be a nearly perfect card that looks as clean and sharp as the day it was printed. There will be no surface flaws, bends, creases or stains on the front or the back.
How do you get PSA 10 gem mint? ›A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card.
What is classified as a gem? ›
There are two classifications of gemstones: Precious and Semi-Precious. Precious stones are Sapphires, Rubies, and Emeralds. These three gems are the only stones that are called precious. Semi-Precious stones are Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Onyx, Opal, Peridot, Tanzanite, and Topaz.
What is the rarest type of baseball card? ›This is a list of the highest known prices paid for sports cards. The current record price is the US$12.6 million paid for a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card (Topps; #311) on August 28, 2022, breaking all previous records.
Are ungraded baseball cards worth anything? ›Keep in mind your cards are ungraded or raw, so they will usually sell at prices that are typically less than if they were graded in the same condition. That does not mean you should or must get your cards graded. In fact, you may lose money if you do.
Do baseball cards go down in value? ›Their prices are holding steady, and in some cases going up. According to industry experts, the dip in prices is being realized mostly by ultra-modern and modern cards, especially singles. Vintage cards, for the most part, are stable, as are desirable unopened wax.
What is an example of a gem? ›These are beryl, chrysoberyl, corundum, diamond, feldspar, garnet, jade, lazurite, olivine, opal, quartz, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, and zircon.
Is a gem always a precious stone? ›Gems. Precious stones are distinguished by their quality, their rarity and the beauty of their colours. There are only four precious stones: diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald. All other stones are therefore called semi-precious stones.
What is the most reliable card grading company? ›1. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) In the current state of the hobby, PSA is undoubtedly number one on the list of the top trading card grading companies. They slab over 2 million cards a year, which is more than any other company.
How much value does a PSA 9 add? ›While a BGS 9 barely pays off the price of grading, a PSA 9 doubles the value of the raw card.