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 Replies: 17 / Views: 18,506 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts |
I agree with you. Often a AU-55/58 will look much nicer than a lower end MS coin. Think of it this way, the AU-55/58 is a choice coin while the MS-61/62 are low end for the grade. The only real difference is a slight amount of wear, often not readily noticeable. I prefer a nice AU coin compared to an average uncirculated coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19949 Posts |
Ahhhh....good you realized this. Welcome to coin collecting! You have arrived! Here's an AU coin for you (NGC-AU58):  Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
The scale and prices should be changed to: MS-60, MS-61, AU-58, MS-63, ... reflecting the fact AU-58 has superior eye appeal and, likely, greater rarity for many issues than both of the low MS grades. For Morgan dollars, particularly, MS-60 and MS-61 coins are a dime a dozen. Would be much more accurate. Not a huge fan of AU-55 coins the wear is just too obvious on those. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
One small problem though is WHO makes the grade on a coin. If it is professionally graded, that is one thing. But to purchase raw coins in a 2x2, it is then up to the seller what it is graded as. Ond might say it's an AU-58 and another might say MS-60. In instances like this it is just up to you what you want.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
an AU-58 coin can look allot better than a MS-60 or even MS-61 coin because all MS means is that it didn't circulate, it doesn't mean they are nice. They can have allot of hits and scrapes that makes the coin ugly but still be MS. On the other hand a coin can lightly circulate and be called AU-58 and have allot less hits and scrapes than a MS-61 coin but can't be called uncirculated because it has a little rub here and there, and that is all it takes to keep a coin from being called MS or Uncirculated. Some of these are so hard to distinguish between each other that one mans AU-58 can be anothers MS-62 since it just takes so little amount of rub to make it AU-58 its easy to just slide it in as a UNC coin
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Valued Member
United States
439 Posts |
That is a nice LWC badthad. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
Perhaps the AU scale needs to be AU 50 to AU 63 to reflect the fact that some AU coins are on par with MS equivalents in luster and eye appeal.
That would allow a wider range of pricing in the AU range while still allowing MS coins to have a special distinction.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts |
Quote:
Perhaps the AU scale needs to be AU 50 to AU 63 to reflect the fact that some AU coins are on par with MS equivalents in luster and eye appeal. I agree with the idea, but that would cause problems because you would have both uncirculated and worn coins in the same category which is not only confusing but contradictory to the rest of the standardized grading scale. I think some collectors are too caught up in the "uncirculated" coins and pay a premium for them. For example, I've seen several ebay auctions where a coin was not given a grade by the seller, but just had pics for the bidders to grade themselves. Those auctions with what appeared to be choice AU coins had higher ending prices then coins appearing to be MS but having worse eye appearance or more nicks/marks. Once a label is slapped on a coin as being MS though, it seems like that changes and the MS coins automatically have a premium over choice AU coins. |
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New Member
United States
1 Posts |
Here is an example of the front and back of an AU-58 1911 S Barber dime rated by NGC
I think it has better appeal then a MS-63 maybe even an MS-64  
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Moderator
 United States
188439 Posts |
 to the Community, WJB! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7191 Posts |
Eye appeal is my choice as apposed to numerical grade.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4591 Posts |
An AU58 is a very nice coin that has just tiny touches of wear at the highest points. An MS60, MS61 - is a dog and not a pretty dog at that. We're not talking a Samoyed, but rather a Pit Bull - Corgi mix ( https://doggypedia.org/corgi-pitbull-mix/) (I'm sure SOME of them are lovely dogs, but they just look funny). You start with this noble canine image:  And end up here:  -----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Valued Member
United States
173 Posts |
definitely agree that eye appeal is what I go buy rather than a numerical grade... "buy the coin not the label"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
581 Posts |
If buying raw coin get high AU.
If buying slabbed get MS.
You can really save a bunch of money and have beautiful coins by buying AU-55 to AU-58 gold coins like sovs, 20 francs, pre-1933 US gold etc. If you are in right place at right time and/or have good relations with dealer a lot of these can be had for near spot thus any current or future numismatic premium is free.
Get an understanding of how a local coin store functions (as a business). After establishing a sincere relationship with the people there, and making purchases, ask them to contact you if they get a batch of good looking sovs (or whatever but a range is best) come in to give you a call and you'll be down to buy a couple.
"Come in" typically means an unexpected, random walk in customer off the street. "Good looking" mean AU with eye appeal. "You'll be down to buy a couple" means you get to the store ASAP with the cash in hand, because you already have set the funds aside for this very moment, to buy right then and there the picks of the litter.
It goes without saying that if you run across a raw coin you know will grade MS but can buy at AU price.....
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Now that this comes up I don't think I've ever seen a AU-59. I wonder if someone had one they would also think of it as a MS-60. If grading services ever started using + sines, an Au-59+ could really be a MS-60-.  |
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Posted 01/11/2011 11:16 pm
