Flash Index > Ten Categories (Scoring Flash)
To compute the Flash Index, the obverse and reverse of the coin are scored separately in 10 categories. These 10 categories can be separated into 4 Groups: Color, Surface, Distractions, and Grade. The Color Group (Group A) has 4 Categories: Impression, Transition, Coordination, and Credibility. The Surface Group (Group B) has 3 Categories: Reflectivity, Luster, and Gloss. The Distractions Group (Group C) has 2 categories: Speckles and Spots. The final Group (Group D) Grade has only 1 Category the Third Party Grade itself. These 10 categories, used to score coins in the Flash Index, are broken down in detail as outlined in the tables below.
Group A. Color (4 Categories)
| Category 1: Color Impression or Overall First-Glance Appeal | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Monster Color |  |
| 4 | Excellent Color |  |
| 3 | Very Good Color |  |
| 2 | Good Color |  |
| 1 | Fair Color |  |
| 0 | No Color or Minor Color | |
| Category 2: Color Transition or Smoothness of Color Change | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | All Smooth Transitions |  |
| 4 | Mostly Smooth Transitions |  |
| 3 | Some Hard Borders or Lines |  |
| 2 | More Hard Borders or Lines |  |
| 1 | Many Hard Borders or Lines |  |
| 0 | No Color or Minor Color | |
| Category 3: Color Coordination or Appeal of Color Complement | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Perfect Color Coordination |  |
| 4 | Excellent Color Coordination |  |
| 3 | Very Good Color Coordination |  |
| 2 | Good Color Coordination |  |
| 1 | Some Clashing |  |
| 0 | No Color or Minor Color | |
| Category 4: Color Credibility or Plausibility of Colors Displayed (NT check) | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Rock Solid NT |  |
| 4 | Very Likely NT |  |
| 3 | Likely NT |  |
| 2 | Probably NT | |
| 1 | Borderline |  |
| 0 | Little Color or Obviously AT | |
Group B. Surface (3 Categories)
| Category 5: Reflectivity or Light Catching | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Outstanding Brightness and Flash |  |
| 4 | Excellent Brightness |  |
| 3 | Good Brightness |  |
| 2 | Fair Brightness | |
| 1 | Poor Brightness |  |
| 0 | Dark and Flat | |
| Category 6: Luster | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Monster Luster |  |
| 4 | Excellent Luster |  |
| 3 | Very Good Luster |  |
| 2 | Good Luster | |
| 1 | Fair Luster |  |
| 0 | No Luster (Flat) | |
| Category 7: Gloss | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | Extreme Gloss | |
| 4 | Excellent Gloss | |
| 3 | Very Good Gloss | |
| 2 | Good Gloss | |
| 1 | Little Gloss | |
| 0 | No Gloss (Flat) | |
Group C. Distractions (2 Categories)
| Category 8: Colored Speckles (Lack of) | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | No Colored Speckles |  |
| 4 | A Few Attractive Colored Speckles |  |
| 3 | Many Attractive Colored Speckles | |
| 2 | Few Distracting Colored Speckles | |
| 1 | Many Distracting Colored Speckles |  |
| 0 | Many Unattractive Colored Speckles | |
| Category 9: Black Spots (Lack of) | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 5 | No Black or Dark Spots | |
| 4 | One Gray or Brown Spot | |
| 3 | Two or More Gray or Brown Spots | |
| 2 | One Black Spot |  |
| 1 | Two or Three Black Spots |  |
| 0 | Four or More Black Spots | |
Group D. Grade (1 Category)
| Category 10: Third Party Grade (Preferably PCGS) | ||
| Score | Description | Example |
| 10 | ≥ MS66 (PR66) |  |
| 8 | MS65 (PR65) | |
| 6 | MS64 (PR64) |  |
| 4 | MS63 (PR63) | |
| 2 | MS62 (PR62) | |
| 0 | ≤ MS61 (PR61) | |
* Plus Grades through 65 adds 1 to score