Can a coin be AU-58 without ever being in circulation?

Ogden

I submitted a 1946 Walking Liberty right out of an unopened roll and submitted it to PCGS. It had all the originial luster you could ask for. The were very few marks, all only visible under magnification. There was "no" wear on this coin, yet it was graded AU-58. Can a coin be AU-58 without wear???

Ogden

Blade

Sure. Wear on a coin does not have to be from circulation. If you have an unc coin in an old album, the plastic sliders can leave small hairline scratches on the coin when they are pulled out to insert other coins. This may be where the name "AU slider" comes from. At any rate, if it had too much friction in the roll, it could definitely drop to a 58.

Blade

By the way, I have an NGC MS63 1907 $20 No Motto Saint that looks like it could have a little friction on the leg. I want to crack it and cross to PCGS but am too paranoid of taking a hit. MS63 down to AU58 would be a killer.

Pushkin

I suppose you could submit it again and "pray" to the PCGS gods for a better roll of the dice.

Sorry to hear about your experience - but remember the assigned grade is just an opinion - try not to let it get you down. Easy for me to say. AU implies some circulation and a definite decrease in or lack of original Mint luster.

As a born pessimist, I now assume that if I'm selling a MS-63 the buyer will claim it is an AU-58 and If I'm buying an AU-58 the seller will claim its a MS-63. Also, all reputable grading services will grade my MS-68 as an MS-63. This is "Pushkin's Law of the 5 Point Spread".

Perhaps some of the "the glass is half-full folks" on this forum will give you a more optimistic outlook on your situation.

Ogden

Thanks for the replies.

I'll say it again.."There is no wear on this coin". It had never been out of the original roll! The only wear were very minor bag marks from the mints. I still don't get it. Can the strike be that bad to go from the mint to the roll, no where in between, and get a AU-58 designation?

Ogden

Pushkin

Ogden,

You could be absolutely correct, the coin may very well be MS. But if on a certain day at a certain hour, perhaps following a lunch of not so well-cooked 5 day old fish, the grader was not in the best of spirits when your coin came down the assembly-grading line, after 4 1/2 seconds of intense review, it received a judgement of AU-58.

It happens, it hurts - sorry it happened to you.

Blade

Pushkin,
You cracked me up and are absolutely right. Sure, it could be a solid MS. I've got an AU58 (holdered) that I bought as a 58. I defy anyone to find wear on it. No luster lost when tilting at various angles, nothing unusual under 20X magnification.

Ogden - Looks like you pulled the short straw on this one.

lathmach

This is pretty much the defination of AU58. An uncirculated coin with no wear, generally a MS63, but some rub that is commonly referred to as cabinet friction.
The "rub" can be from any thing including the coins' contact with each other.
The grader saw something that caused him to drop the coin to this grade.

Ray

gmarguli

On more than one occasion, at more than one grading service I have had coins I've cut out of mint sets graded AU58.

FC57Coins

I sent a perfectly beautiful Type I SLQ in to PCGS hoping to get an MS 65 out of it, and it came back AU58. Dejected, but not willing to give up on it I cracked it and sent it to NCG and got an MS 64 grade from them. Just goes to show you that the difference in opinion maybe over a miniscule issue or a roll rub that gets misinterpreted.

Frank

Ogden

Frank, I'm going to do what you did. I think the grader at PCGS just had a bad day. I am going to send it into NGC. I have other coins with so many marks graded higher I just don't get it. I will let the board know what happens. Thanks for picking me up.

Ogden

jom

It's funny how the perception of an AU58 is bad. The only reason for this is that these are priced below MS60. Which is absurd when you consider that many AU58 coins have far better eye-appeal than almost any MS60 if not many MS63s.

One day, I would hope, collectors will pull their heads out of the price sheets and open their eyes. That hasn't happened yet....maybe someday.

jom

darktone

Hello Ogden, could you post a picture of it?
mike

dorkkarl

jom is exactly right. gimme a properly (technically) graded au-58 bust half or quarter any day over a properly (technically) graded ms-60 or ms-61. it's the best-kept secret in all of coin-dom!

K S

Pushkin

I agree with Jom and Dorkkarl,

The eye appeal of an accurately graded AU-58 is often superior to that of lower level MS coins in many series. Excellent observation.
Give me the best of the not quite perfect rather than the culls of the nearly perfect?

Spudmasher

I purchased several years back a Type II 1854 3 cent silver in an ANACS 58 holder which I could find no discernible wear although toned. Sent it to PCGS and came back with the infamous AT body bag wherein I cracked it out again, and sent it to NGC wherein in it arrived back in a MS61 holder.