BU Vs PL Canadian Pennies - Need Assistance Grading

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Author	Replies: 3 / Views: 1,829
PennyBox Valued Member Canada 55 Posts	Posted 04/24/2012 11:16 am I'm having difficulty understanding how one can tell the difference between a BU penny (one from a RCM roll) and a PL penny (one from a set). I searched the site but cannot find any previous discussion on this subject but if I am wrong please advise and I will go back and do my homework so to speak. One contributor to this site stated that once a coin is taken out of a PL set it is essentially a circulation coin. I have been trying to put together a collection of the various forms that the mint has produced the Elizabeth II coins, BU, PL, Specimen and Proof. Everything seemed to be falling into place until I got to the early coins 1953- about 1959. Then from 1968 to abou 1978 Charlton indicates there are two grades "C" which I am assuming is what I am refering to as BU and "NC" which I beleive to be my PL. This all gets so confusing. As I looked at various sources the PL coins were priced far higher than the circulating coins, what I am referring to as BU. As I look at what I have collected so far I personally cannot tell the difference between the BU coins and the PL coins in my collection. The specimen (after 1997) are quite distinct as are the proofs (frosted reverses). My question is once a penny is removed from a PL set is it possible to distinguish it from a BU coin that is in extremely great shape (MS66 or better)? I know there is a lot of controversy over terminology, BU vs uncirculated vs PL, but do not want to get into that discussion on this thread. I'm sure that a lot of my confusion is that I don't have a handle yet on grading coins so could use all the help this forum can offer to sort this out. Report this Post to the Staff

cownick Pillar of the Community Canada 677 Posts	Posted 04/24/2012 8:17 pm Don't let it get to you, your not the only one confussed. I alway's understood that Mint State with ultra heavey cameo coins were the best. (A term corresponding to numerical grades from 60-70. Used to denote a buisness strike coin that has never been in circulation. MS-60 is covered in marks MS-70 is a flawless example.) Approx. 2% - ultra heavey cameo. 26% -heavey comeo. -cameo. The vast majority of the coins have no cameo. PL coins are bright and shinny and look impressive but the value mainly is in MS BU. Definitly harder to find. Just my thoughts. Report this Post to the Staff
PennyBox Valued Member Canada 55 Posts	Posted 04/25/2012 10:45 am Thanks for your reply. It's always reassuring when you find out you are not the only one that is confused. I just realized, after taking another look at the pennies I have in my collection, that the BU and the PL's from 1960 to 1995 all appear to look the same. The same seems to be true for the specimen coins from 1971 to 1995. Can one really know what grade these coins are once they have been removed from the appropriate sets? It gets much better to understand things after 1997 as the specimen and proofs at least have distinctive frosting associated with them. The BU and PL still confuse me. Maybe someone on this site with a lot more experience than I have can tell me how to tell the difference once these are singled out of a set. Report this Post to the Staff
biggfredd Rest in Peace United States 9104 Posts	Posted 04/25/2012 11:41 pm , PennyBox! 'tis a mystery to me. I do know that until the centennial proof set, Canada made PL coins, not good enuf to meet the standards of a true proof. Report this Post to the Staff
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