Roll Hunters - Can You Actually Find MS Coins In Rolls?

That reminds me; I found a 1964d in very nice shape. I think it's graded either EF or AU.

Markn,

Even I'm still having trouble telling between an MS and AU coin. I tend to be too critical and undergrade things, I guess.

With some of the coins posted on the grading forum, I see some Lincoln cents with thin scratches on his cheek. I think "Definitely AU" but the others go and say MS-64...

I don't really get it..

Just this week I found a Kennedy 1976 S (so-so condition)and what appears to be an MS grade 1938 nickel. After searching 5 rolls of Kennedys and 20 rolls of Jeffersons that was pretty much it except for a Buffalo nickel with no date and was promptly seized by my granddaughter. Only one nickel from the 1940s and one from the 50s. The 1938 nickel is one of the best looking coins in the granddaughter's coin book.

I tried your suggstion. The mint makr is an S. All that remains of the date appers to a slant of a 7. If I were to guess, it would be 1917 because of the placement of the 7 is correct for 17 and is straight without a slight curve you see in 27. The placement of the slanted line is slightly more to the left than what there is for a 37. But my guess only.

I've machine sorted over 1/4 million cents in 6 months. That's appx 5000 rolls (107 boxes ) and found 2 proofs, maybe 5 BU wheats, 1 Indian head, 1 silver dime. I did get 1 entier roll of 63 wheats BU in a CWR. (MS to me is a mint state coin, dirt or nicks makes that pretty much an AU to me.)THe AU numbers are alot bigger. I have unwrapped new 2011 rolls and those have nicks and roller damage. Truthfully, I have boxes of good looking coppers many close to AU but not perfect. This is because they turn black carbonish just from touching and be handled in the dirty stuff,and of course nicked up too. They have to go through sort and roll machines at brinks etc. The high luster ones are what I consider AU for those boxes. Alot of the AU zinc I dumped back at first, but I have boxes of the high luster ones of course, which are very easy to get in a box. Just throwing a number out there but at least 10-15% of a box is AUish zinc Id guesstiamte because sometimes I get boxes of old cruddy ones and sometimes I get lots of better ones .... but this gives you a perspective on my percentages in a massive hunt.

For discussion purposes only and not for argument, I've never understood how a coin found in a roll, say from a bank or for that matter a private seller, packed with other coins with all degrees of circulation wear, be termed MS.

By definition:




Someone please enlighten me. Just trying to understand the thinking here.

If you look at the question from a purely pragmatic standpoint,if someone hands you a coin and tells you nothing about it,how do you determine if it is uncirculated? My guess is,you would look at the condition of the coin. You would look for wear on the high spots and rim,scratches,etc. that normally occur from handling and collision with other materials. That being said,if a coin has those characteristics(and some in bank rolls do)then it is reasonable to call it Bu. I don't really care if it has been in circulation or not so long as it doesn't show signs of wear.

1958D found roll shearching, in my most recent box of cents. I am also going to post it in te grading forum for grade opinions.