1989-D Lincoln Penny - Coin Community Forum

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Hello everyone. I am new to coin collecting and l and feel a bit lost. I've been doing a lot of research but I'm still uncertain about grading and roughly determining whether or not certain coins are of a quality that would make them be worth something. So, my questions are as follows:
1. Can a coin found in pocket change ever be graded as mint state or is a mint state coin strictly uncirculated?
2. COLOR: I know a bit about the brown, red brown and red but, as you'll see by the coin pics I posted, I'm still new to that aspect too. It would be helpful to get opinions on the color of this coin, and the next few-although designating a color may already be intertwined with the grading process?,
3. Another question about color. I know that you're never supposed to clean a coin because it loses value but buffing a coin with a soft cloth leaves it lustrous and bright and isn't that the quality that often brings value to a coin?

Yes, red, and you can clean coins if you know how to properly do so (not most people)

1. Can a coin found in pocket change ever be graded as mint state? Yes, it's possible, but any such finds would typically fall in the lower MS range. Imagine receiving change at a store and getting home to find a 'pristine' MS64 2018 cent or 2006 quarter. It does happen, but not every day.

3. I know that you're never supposed to clean a coin because it loses value but buffing a coin with a soft cloth leaves it lustrous and bright and isn't that the quality that often brings value to a coin? Not necessarily, shiny does not always equate to value--many, many other factors come into play, such as very low mintage, relative rarity, errors and varieties, etc. Buffing coins is not a recommended practice. Suggest searching this site for conversations about coin cleaning.

Signs of circulation, AU-58.

1) YES, I have found and submitted many coins to TPGs.
2) Color and grade are generally unrelated.
3) NEVER clean a coin, doing so will kill all collector value.

the soft cloth is not the problem when buffing, instead it's the little particles of hard grit from the coin that get pushed along and abrade the coin's surface during this process

All good info. Thanks! I'll be back with more coin photos to let you guys take a stab at estimating the grade!

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