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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,727 |
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Valued Member
United States
451 Posts |
I have a difficulty understanding brown uncirculated coins. Whenever I see a coin with full mint luster, I can kind of start to guess grade but with Brown coins I just dont get it. I found this coin on ebay and if I had seen this coin in the RAW would have graded it AU at the most. Can someone help demystify what to look for to grade a coin like the one below? Thanks http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...t_500wt_1202 |
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Valued Member
Australia
193 Posts |
If I click on the link to this coin I see it's starting price at $25, and then I click on the seller because I see he has zero feedbacks, I see the same coin again, but with a different item number. I click on it and it's for sale for starting price $15. Different item number, same coin number in the slab. Strange. Anyway, I think the coin is overgraded. Yes it is not worn which is a plus, but it has surface corrosion. And speaking of 'brown' how can one be sure that a slabbed coin isn't just brown plastic, in a clear plastic container? Half joking,  Finally someone with zero feedbacks with gold coins for sale looks risky. |
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Valued Member
 United States
451 Posts |
Yes, I felt that coin was way over-graded! MS60 perhaps but 65? I just didn't get it.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
Whenever I see a coin with full mint luster, I can kind of start to guess grade but with Brown coins I just dont get it. Luster is independent of color, Brown coppers can still be fully lustrous and have a high MS grade. |
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Valued Member
United States
451 Posts |
Thanks Biokemist: Do you think the coin in the auction has luster?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1691 Posts |
sometimes a coin is graded and over time they change color in the holder
in future, check with the grading service using the capsule # to see when it was done
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
I think there is luster there but it is very difficult to see it. Stronger light probably would have revealed it better.
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Valued Member
United States
451 Posts |
Actually I did look up the cert on NGC and the photo on there looks exactly the same as the coin on auction. http://www.ngccoin.com/certlookup/C...=2476784-003Probably stronger light might reveal its luster but I can't see it in the picture on auction or on NGC's photo. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3402 Posts |
Detail grade (AG-G-F-VF-EF-AU), as has already been pointed out has to do with wear. Luster, tarnish, toning, brown, Red Brown, Red has to do with how the coin is reacting with the environment around it. There could be natural and artificial inducements to change the look of a coin from a non detail point of view. Detail present has to do with wear.
I may lump some of the "color" features together and perhaps biokemist6 could provide us with more consistent definitions.
KK
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Valued Member
United States
451 Posts |
Sounds good KK! It would be cool if you could put some features so we can understand it better!
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I have a few very choice 19th century World coins coins that are very dark (deep chocolate brown), that when examined with a 10x loupe, are otherwise appear to be in tip top condition.
That gives the clue (to me at least), on how to grade such coins. It is necessary to examine them under high magnification, then comment on the colour.
A prospective buyer can then can fairly make up their own mind.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,727 |
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Posted 07/20/2011 12:13 am
