Beckett Grading Services (BGS) Authentic vs. Altered

While perusing the Blowout Cards forums I saw one interesting post in which somebody asked:

What's the lowest grade you can get on a BGS graded card?

Some people will likely say "authentic," but I believe the best answer is "1". 

First, let's look at Beckett's grading scale which is visible for all to see on their website.  It clearly shows that the lowest score you can get on a graded card is a "1". 

Poor 1

Centering: 100/0 or offcut on front or back. Heavy diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Heavily rounded or heavily notched with noticeable layering. Edges: Destructive chipping, notching or layering. Surface: Severe print spots. Heavy creases. Severe color or focus imperfections. Heavy border discoloration. Severe stains. No original gloss. Heavy scuffing or a severe tear.

I've never seen a modern card graded that low, but in theory such a score can be obtained. 

So what is an "authentic" grade?  An authentic grade is Beckett's certification that the card contained within the slab is an authentic card made by the manufacturer, and that it's not a fake card or has been altered in any way.

How does a person usually get an authentic grade?  Usually an authentic grade occurs when you send your card to Beckett for BGS grading, and you tell them not to put a grade on the card unless it meets a certain grade of your choice, and if it doesn't then it gets the authentic grade and a blue flip. 

For example, most people will send in cards to Beckett for BGS grading and only ask for a grade if the card grades a 8.5 or higher.  This is because a grade of 8.5 is still considered near-mint, and the slab will receive a silver metallic flip in the slab.  BGS grades of 8.0 or less receive the dreaded white paper flip in the slab.  So because people are afraid to get the dreaded paper flip in the slab -- which doesn't look as good as a silver or gold flip and because the low grade reduces the card's value -- people will choose to just get an authentic grade instead.  This way, when the person sells the card later on, at least it has Beckett's certification that the card is authentic, and the buyer is unaware (unless they examine the card closely within the slab) that the card has some sort of flaws which prevented it from getting a higher grade. 

This is a card with a BGS Authentic grade.

The above picture is an example of a BGS Authentic card.  Note the blue flip, and the words "AUTHENTIC" in the upper right corner.  This card has Beckett's certification that the card is an authentic card made by Panini, from the Epix brand, that the card is not counterfeit*, and the card has not been altered.

(*Side Note: the "authentic" grade only pertains to the card and not to the patch inside the card.  Some people try to increase the value of a card when selling it by taking out bland single colored patches, and putting in fake multi-colored patches.  BGS will still give cards the authentic grade even if the card contains a fake patch.) 

It is important to note that an "authentic" grade is different from an "authentic-altered" grade (sometimes just known as "altered.")  The authentic-altered grade means that the card is authentic, but that it has been altered in some way, usually in an attempt by someone to try and get a higher BGS grade. 

This is a card with a BGS Authentic-Altered grade.

The above card is an example of an authentic-altered grade.  Note that the authentic-altered grade still receives a blue flip, but the flip says "AUTHENTIC ALTERED."  This makes it clear that while the card is an authentic card from Topps, it has been altered in some way. 

In fact, when Beckett Grading Services thinks that the card has been altered in some way, they'll even send you a little note telling you what they think is wrong.

This card received an Authentic-Altered grade because of shaved edges.

This particular Joe Montana card received the authentic-altered grade because the grader believed that the front top, and front left edges were shaved. 

So which grade is lower, an authentic grade, an authentic-altered grade or a BGS 1 grade?

Technically, I believe that the BGS 1 grade is a lower grade.  The authentic and authentic-altered grades are not actually grades per se; they're just statements by BGS that the card is authentic or altered.  A card that receives an authentic grade, could still grade out to be a BGS 6.0 (I'm just picking an arbitrary number) but because the person who submitted the card for grading put a grade minimum of 8.5 or higher, that is why it got the authentic grade.  Similarly, a card which receives an authentic-altered grade could still be in much better shape despite its supposed alterations, than a BGS 1 graded card. 

So if you ask me, I believe that a BGS 1 is the lowest grade you can get when getting a card graded.

A "1 Poor" grade is the lowest you can get from BGS or BVG.

Some people claim that some really beat up vintage cards, which are so beat up that they can't even attain a BVG 1 grade, will get authentic grades.  After perusing eBay for some examples, this claim appears to be true.  The picture below is one example. 

This particular card is in such poor condition it cannot even attain a BVG 1 Poor grade.

So in some cases, yes, an "authentic" grade can be the absolute lowest grade you can get.  But keep in mind that what "authentic" really means is just that the card is legitimate, not counterfeit, and not altered.  Some cards with authentic grades will actually be in much better condition than cards which receive BGS 1 or BVG 1 grades (such as the Brett Favre card, above). 

In conclusion, BGS 1 or BVG 1 is the absolute lowest actual grade you can get when having your card graded by BVG or BGS; however, in some instances, an authentic grade can indicate that the card is in even worse condition than a BGS/BVG 1 although not all the time.  Basically, just use your own judgment and don't automatically presume that a card with an authentic grade is in really bad condition.  It could be in very good condition or better, but it just didn't meet the minimum grade requested by the person who submitted it for grading.