1960 P Small Date

I'm going MS63R

I knew that folks would rate this MS but I don't understand why. I'm sure that I conservatively establish grades for my own collection and while I can appreciate the luster and sharpness of the devices on this coin, to what degree do the scuffs, dings, and scratches affect the grade? Thanks.

Copper is easy to figure out due to the reactive surfaces. If a copper coin has been handled enough to wear down to AU58, then the patina will also have been altered enough to warrant a Red-Brown designation at best. Of course, uncirculated copper can also be Red-Brown or Brown but if a copper coin has full Red color, such as the OP's coin, then it is safe to assume that it is uncirculated.

Because there is no trace of wear on the devices. These wear similar to wheat cents, i.e. cheek, jaw, lapel, on the obverse. Although you need to be careful since these are also high points on the design, they tend to not be fully struck.

On the reverse, the cornice is the main place to detect wear, and again, you have to careful not to confuse a poorly struck area with wear. Also, the little "pots" at the ends of the steps show wear easily. This coin exhibits the classic LMC poorly stuck area in the middle of the memorial and along the steps. However, if you look at the ends of the cornice, you can clearly see they are not worn.

The surface hits play into the grade but do not necessarily indicate wear. All coins tend to have a hard life once they leave the coining machine. They slide down a ramp with thousands of other coins and fall into giant bags. Those are then transported all over creation and usually broken down into rolls for use in commerce.

One of the top ways to detect wear on ANY coin is to closely examine the luster. Circulation tends to dull and break the luster in spots. Also, don't ignore the rims. On coins where it's tough to tell (AU-58) you can sometimes pickup clues by looking for wear.

Folks - thank you for the detailed explanations. I've been grading my finds too hard it seems. When I find a specimen like Scurry's CRHing, I may be predispositioned to classify it as a circulated coin giving it an at best, AU58(?) rating. BU never really enters my mind on a circulation find. Currently I'm looking through about $30 of copper (a dump) and there are a number of interesting specimens, some bright (with spots and uneven toning) and some full brown. Details look awesome on a few browns to the extent I'm having a hard time tossing them back. It appears who ever dumped the hoard had these a very long time as circulation wear on many are minor in nature. Many only seem to have contact marks. So as I push through the balance, I'll have to keep the thoughts posted here in mind. Thanks again!

Here's another example, you can easily tell that this is a very lusterous coin: