Banknote Blog

Grading Guide · Numismatic Reference · Updated September 2026 Banknote Grading Scale Explained: What VF, XF, AU, and UNC Mean Every dealer listing, auction lot, and grading label uses the same short alphabet: G, VG, F, VF, XF, AU, UNC. Here is what each grade means in plain terms, how the letters map to the 70-point numbers on a PMG or PCGS holder, and how to grade a note in your own hands before you pay for someone else's opinion. Quick answer: Banknote grades run from Poor (a d …

The Iraqi Dinar: A Collector’s Guide to the Banknotes of Mesopotamia History, Designs, Security Features & What Makes These Notes Unique Very few nations on Earth can claim over 5,000 years of continuous civilization. Iraq is one of them. The land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers — ancient Mesopotamia — gave humanity its first writing system, its first codified laws, and its first cities. That history lives on in an unexpected place: Iraqi dinar banknotes. The moder …