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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,529 |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Sorry, this question is probably very obvious for most of you CCFers:
=> when does a coin go from "Uncirculated" to "Circulated"?
Obviously, a coin is uncirculated if it's still in its original mint plastic wrapper/holder, but what about when you see a BU coin in a 2x2 holder? (obviously somebody has removed it from it's original mint wrapper and then put it into the 2x2 holder, so wouldn't the coin now be "circulated"?)
Thanks
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Pillar of the Community
 3352 Posts |
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Valued Member
Canada
235 Posts |
"uncirculated" means that the coin was never spent, but was obtained from a mint roll at a bank, or bought as part of a set. It has no wear and still has full lustre.
A circulated coin is exactly what it says it's been spent and has been kicked about with other coins, put in a pocket maybe and jumbled around.
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Thanks ... ummm, but what is stopping me (somebody) from grabbing a shiny brand new coin from their circulated change and if it looks good enough, sticking it into a 2x2 holder with BU on it? (I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as the coin still looks like it's uncirculated?) ...
but I'm also guessing that the "true" gurus have their magnifying glasses handy in order to spot a circulated coin from far away, eh?
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Valued Member
Canada
235 Posts |
I think the idea is that a circulated coin will show wear and tear not associated with the minting process. Bangs and nicks, unfortunately, fingerprints or other evidence of having been "spent". An MS+ coin that is considered uncirculated should only have "flaws" associated with the minting process, and is apparently graded on the strike (I myself am still struggling to understand the difference between a 64 and a 65....)
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Valued Member
United States
123 Posts |
Quote:
what is stopping me (somebody) from grabbing a shiny brand new coin from their circulated change and if it looks good enough, sticking it into a 2x2 holder with BU on it? I think that magnifying glasses are stopping you. Look closely and you will see tiny marks/scratches/etc from coming in contact with other coins that may otherwise not be noticeable to the naked eye. |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Thank you very much for your quick and wise responses => case closed ...
Man, this site is kind of like cheating on a test and looking in the back of the book for the answers!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
At coin shows all the time dealers sell Uncirculated coins in 2x2's. They usually take them out of new rolls or from sets from the Mint. All are usually labled Uncirculated or MS-XX or BU or whatever they feel will sell. All of these in reality are Uncirculated since they really never were in circulation.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
968 Posts |
A little of the confusion you have is that uncirculated and circulated are grading terms as well as literal descriptions. While the two normally correspond, they don't have to. It is possible to get an uncirculated quality coin out of circulation, especially if you get it soon after it left the bank and it wasn't handled harshly. Also, if a coin got banged around too much in the mint and on the way to the bank it could be a circulated grade in an uncirculated bank roll.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
A coin moves from the uncirculated category to the circulated category when the first traces of wear become visible on the coin. Whether or not they have ever been used in commerce has nothing to do with it. I can take a roll of quarters stright from the mint and use that roll to make a $10 purchase, and they could do the same etc etc etc. Every coin in that roll has now been in circulation and used in commerce, but the coins are still uncirculated. On the other hand I could take my roll straight from the mint and take a coin out and sit there rubbing it between my fingers for an hour while I watch TV. That coin has never been used in circulation or commerce and has never made a purchase, but it will still be worn and is a circulated coin. The condition of the coin and not what it has done is what determines if it is circulated or uncirculated.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Good points Conder101. It is not just in coins that people get confused with terminology. The word Circulation with coins actually apparently only means showing signs of wear.
This hobbby, as well as other hobbies and professions tend to develope their own terminology which for someone outside them, it appears a complicated world.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,529 |
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Posted 08/21/2011 4:03 pm
