1864 2 Cent Coin

Tell me if I'm wrong,but why would that be in Mint State.I'm asking because there's no luster to it,no shine to it maybe a little but not to make it in mint state but everything has perfect detail and no scratches or bangs.So I would grade it somewhere in the high AU's.If it had a lot of luster I WOULD grade it MS-64.Am I seeing no luster or is it just the photo that hid the luster? B12

B-12 In my opinion, mint state refers to wear , the coin shows no wear that I can see in the pic, natural toning of the copper has three seperate designations ,, Red, Red Brown, and Brown,, these color designations define the mint luster, so impaired luster (brown color) should not keep a coin which shows no wear from having an MS grade.

This is of course my opinion.

Rick

Edited to add this

There was a discussion here in the forum about Mint State and cleaning, I think the opinion was that even a cleaned coin although impaired and devalued could still be a mint state coin, based on wear, not luster .

Unless harshly cleaned,buffed to smooth detail.

B-12

You will get varying opinions on this subject of color -V- Luster, it is my opinion that the flow lines which create the cartwheel effect by reflecting light do so less with the darker brown color of natural copper toning, thus the luster on a brown coin is impaired to the eye,not gone from minor wear or chemically mechanically removed from the coin.

Like I said not everyone agrees with me on this point, and its up to the individual to make up their own mind about luster and color being connected, I know that ANA allows impaired luster on this particular type coin to MS-60, and then it becomes in my opinion an eye appeal issue, and apparently the concenus of those who were asked was that impaired luster diminishes eye appeal after that point ot obtain a higher a grade.

its just my opinion that it does not, many times I will choose a very nicely color brown coin over a very bright coin with wear being equal.

Rick