In your opinion, can brown copper or darkly toned coins be called BU?

Gonfunko

On ebay, I often see sellers describing Brown Lincolns as "Brilliant Uncirculated". To me, Brilliant Uncirculated implies just that - Brilliant Uncirculated. However, most (not all) brown coins are significantly lacking in luster and therefore brilliance. The same could be said of darkly toned coins where the toning obscures most of the luster. Is it just me, or is calling these kinds of coins "BU" an oxymoron?

Edited for spelling.

coinguy89

It seems to me that it is a bit of an oxymoron, I however just use mint state, never brilliant uncirculated. I might call a coin brilliant when describing it. I see this too though. A lot of lincolns lacking a great amount of luster are being called brilliant when they're dark brown. But they are still uncirculated. So from there I don't really know where to go. They've got half of it right.

FatMan

It's just generic lingo. Go check it out on the PCGS glossary. Anycoin never circulated is considered Brilliant Uncirculated.

mgoodm3

BU isn't that useful a word anyway. I love brown MS copper.

wam98

I agree that the word brilliant to me would make me think the coin was just that. Brilliant, not brown.

coinbuf

But what about a coin like this? Looks BU to me and PCGS aggrreed grading it MS66



Chris

Gonfunko

<< <i>But what about a coin like this? Looks BU to me and PCGS aggrreed grading it MS66



Chris >>


That cent is close to BU IMO. It has plenty of luster, but the luster has nonetheless been slightly impaired from how it was when the coin was red.

coppercoins

I don't call anything other than red cents BU...but that's a personal preference. I also only use the term with rolls because BU to me is an attribute not a grade. When selling single coins that are uncirculated I use the grade, which is always termed as "MS".

topstuf

Brown can be brilliant. Just like a waxed brown car.

In copper "red" means something else entirely. In fact, most "brilliant" copper I have seen is brown, but usually called "glossy." The red on copper (early) is sorta powdery matte looking anyhow.

Baley

In your opinion, can brown copper or darkly toned coins be called BU?

No.

ColonialCoinUnion

<< <i>In your opinion, can brown copper or darkly toned coins be called BU? >>



No. But this isn't as much of an issue as it was, say, 20 years ago. These days the terms Brilliant Unc., Choice Unc., etc. are essentially obsolete, having been replaced by MS numbers and BN, RB and RD designations.

I'm not saying this is good, bad or indifferent, but it is what it is.

kieferscoins

BU is the old school grading. Most dealers grade on the MS scale and #'s. A MS-64BN copper is "BU" technically but the BN tells you it is BN. Much easier with RD, RB and BN then a generic BU for MS-63-70.

Cameron Kiefer