Wear versus cabinet friction?

coinpictures

How do you tell the difference?

I just received a Prussian 3-Mark piece today in an NGC MS64 holder. The tip of the moustache and the base of the bust exhibit what, to my eye, is wear. I can't believe that NGC would allow wear on an MS64 coin, so I'm assuming they considered it cabinet friction.

So how do you tell the difference? I always thought wear is wear, regardless of source...

coinkat

This is one of the toughest issues in grading and perhaps in numismatics...

This can sometimes be resolved based upon slight evidence of circulation in the fields. Also, look at the highest points of the design and see if it is either from the strike, how the coin was handled at the mint or if it is just friction from contact with other coins either from being in a roll or stacking. This is an issue for many coin series whether lite or dark.

There is an interesting thread on the lite site in connection with a coin that PCGS graded 65 that has afew folks bent out of shape.

I doubt that that your 64 suffers from wear associated with circulation

Ricke

I always figured 'cabinet friction' was just a fancy term for wear... I mean, it is wear - just wear resulting from a certain storage technique.

crito

Ammonia in sweat turns silver a dull grey. So if wear causes breaks in the luster then it's probably from circulation, if not probably from cabinet/bag/roll friction.

AuldFartte

<< <i>I always figured 'cabinet friction' was just a fancy term for wear... I mean, it is wear - just wear resulting from a certain storage technique. >>



It's wear in my opinion because, if I understand correctly, some metal has been rubbed off.