If you regularly check out the coins and tokens that I list on eBay then you have probably noticed that I never state a prescribed grade. In my experience, and probably yours, I have found that many coin sellers over state the quality of their coins. That's not to say that grading coins is easy, far from it.

For me grading is left to the bidder because it is clearly one of the key factors in price and value. I will often mention that a coin is of a good grade or collectable quality but I tend to steer clear of defining a coin as VF or EF. I place a great deal of importance on the quality of my images and as it was once stated that "a picture paints a thousand words" it should at least allow you to look at the coin in real close-up.

There are a few issues when photographing coins and here are my top tips.

• Ensure you use a camera with macro-lens to get a real close-up. Don't photograph a coin from 3 foot and look to crop the image later.
• You don't need a really high resolution camera to take quality images. A 3MP digital camera set to PC resolution will be fine as long as you photograph the coin close-up.
• I use artifical light for my coins so I always use a tripod to produce sharp images as the exposure time is often slow.
• Consider the colour temperature of the lighting and correct it in the post-production phase. Otherwise your silver coins may appeal dull or tainted.
• Crop the images to 400 x 400 pixels. It's the ideal for up-loading to eBay.
• Use an angled lamp to create form and to reveal the quality of the coins surface. This is particularly important when it comes to dark copper coins.
• Provide details of any edge inscription.
• Provide scale and dimensions if they are critical. I often get asked for the weight of a coin. For this you will need a set of jewellers scales.
• Use the auto-correct function on eBay Turbo Lister. I've found it makes all the right choices when it comes to contrast and brightness.

Having gone through this careful process you still have to rely on the quality and setting of eBay members monitors. On some computer monitors a coin can appear bright on another the same coin can appear dull and tinted. But if you've provided the best image of the coin possible then I believe you've completed your part of the deal. Now it's up to the bidder to determine the quality and grade.

Check out my items for sale http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZjnr89