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Posted By: Cobby33

Sometimes, they grade a card "but for" the mark and qualify it with a "MK." Example, if a card would have gotten a "6" without the mark, it would get a "6 (MK)."

Sometimes, PSA grades a card with a mark as the grade it would have gotten, but for the mark, knock it down a grade AND qualify it with a "MK." I.e., if a card would have otherwise gotten a "6," it gets a "5 (MK)."

Sometimes, they just knock it down a grade (or not), without an "MK."

Somtimes, they give a "MK" to a card without a mark (as they just did to me).

By the same token, PSA (and others) generally give "AUT" or "A" to cards that have otherwise been altered. Sometimes they give beaters that are not altered, an "A" or "AUT."

Absolutely no consistency internally, nor across the various grading companies.