Which is more desirable?

tradedollarnut

Which would you rather have - a set of AU58 coins or a set of MS60 coins? Why?

Personally, I'd rather have the AU58's. Almost without exception, these are nice looking coins with a bit of rub or luster impairment in the fields that look 10 times better than the beat up MS60's. In many cases, the market agrees as AU58's regularly trade for more than MS60 money.

So why doesn't the Registry recognize this? Would it be possible to accomplish in this computer age? Or do we need to abandon the artificial 58 limit for AU coins and the artificial 60 floor for UNC coins and blend them together in a range from 50-70 that designates the entire quality of the coin?

Cocoinut

I'll take the set of AU58's any day.

I don't think there's any doubt that an AU58 is almost always a better looking coin than a MS60. While it may be strictly unc., a MS60 has serious problems, such as heavy or numerous marks, stains, dull luster, weak strike, etc. MS60's usually have little or no eye appeal.

An AU58 coin, on the other hand, could be a former MS65 that has a bit of rub on the high points. It may take close inspection to tell that it isn't a Mint State coin. Not all AU58's fall into this category, though. A lot of them are obviously NOT MS coins. Maybe the grading services could recognize the ones that are tantaliizingly close with a "star". (How's that for originality?) Those coins could then be given the same weight as, say, a MS60 or MS61 in the Registry.

I doubt that this would actually happen, but it would be a more accurate reflection of the value of the coins.

Jim

Fairlaneman

Hands down the AU58 coins. What would our heirs think though ?

Really I think I will say 58 Coins only. Drop the AU part of it.

Ken

docday2003

docday2003

I would definitely take the AU58. I agree that many of them are previously high grade unc coins, often slightly mishandled. Especially when you are dealing with a nice original toned coin, where the friction mark is only detectable on magnification

DAM

Short and sweet, getting right to the point... without beating around the bush, and getting off the subject about something no one wants to talk about. A subject that would likely be deleted from this forum to be planted in another, more appropriate forum, as well.

I would say, and this is my opinion coming directly from me without influence from others...

AU58!

jonesy

AU58's are MS64's with a little wear. A MS60 is a horribly stuck MS coin. AU58's for me please.
Glenn

ms700

Prefer a pq ms60 than a pq AU58. Once a coin is circulated it can never go back to being a mint state coin.

PQpeace

I just bought an 1895-O Morgan in au58....
if not for a tiny rub on the obverse,it would be a 65pl....so in this case.AU is a much better looking coin.
I have NEVER seen a 95o in 60-2 that has any eye appeal..
still looking,
Larry

solid

Interesting question in regards to registry points.

I kind of like Jim's idea of awarding a star for special AU58 coins - perhaps those that
would grade MS63 or better if not for that slight rub should get the star.

Registry bonus points could get complicated, and might have to be based on a given
coin's relative rarity in MS grades. If a coin is truly rare in MS, maybe that AU58*
should only get the points of an MS60 coin. On the other hand, if a coin is relatively
common in MS grades, why not give the AU58* the points of an MS62?

Irregardless of registry points, I'd much rather own the AU58 PQ coins for their
better eye-appeal and enjoyment of ownership versus the beat up MS60's.

On a favorable day at PCGS, a select few of them might even become MS64's once
again...you'd never see an MS60 going back to MS64!

Ken

LincolnCentMan

I think most experienced collectors would prefer AU-58's to MS60-62. The irony is, many times there's a big price jump between AU and MS. Of coarse, on those dates, the AU58's are worth substantually more than a lower end AU.

David

jonesy

AU58 is a MS64 with a little wear!!
Glenn

jonesy

Speaking of AU58's, I'd like to congratulate the S.O.B. that outbid me at Bowers & Merena on the 1919D AU58 Buffalo Nickel last month.
Glenn

mbbiker

I would take the AU-58's because chances are the submitter sent it in hoping for a 64-65.