Options
Poll: Grading MS Coins -Whats most important ?
PawPaul
Posts: 5,845 ✭
There are Luster, Strike, Marks, and eye appeal .
What single factor do you think professional graders weigh most ?
What single factor do you think professional graders weigh most ?
0
Comments
A coin with great strike luster and eye appeal but with heavy marks won't grade better than MS61
A coin completely devoid of marks with great strike and eye appeal but with zero luster won't grade better than MS64
A coin with great luster and eye appeal, devoid of marks but horrid strike won't grade better than MS65
A coin with great luster, strike, devoid of marks but with minimal eye appeal won't grade better than MS68.
[edited to add: these are based upon my personal experience with examples of each in mind. Multiple examples of the first two exist. There's a gorgeous seated dime floating around with a flat strike in a PCGS MS65 holder. There's also a fugly trade dollar in a PCGS MS68 holder]
I would rate them this way...
1. Luster
2. Marks
3. Strike
4. Eye Appeal
~
"America suffers today from too much pluribus and not enough unum.".....Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
2. marks
3. eye appeal
4. strike
I think #3 & #4 are debatable, but luster is #1 everytime.
That being said, I've purchased beautiful coins with subdued luster, minimal marks and great eye appeal. Each coin should be considered on its own merits...
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
?
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
Make it 62 with outside chance at 63 when talking Mercury dimes. Otherwise I agree except with the 68 part which are never looked at period.
Ken
<< <i>sad as eye appeal plays second to technical attributes
An yet many posters here claim exactly the opposite!
<< <i>Id agree with TDN and BillJones on this one. >>
I agree with stinkinlincoln who agrees with TDN and BillJones.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
2. marks/eye apeal
3. -
4. strike
luster is #1 every time. 2 & 3 are about equal
After more then 50 years of collecting, I would have to agree with the above listing of preference
for high grade coins.
Camelot
But I.m sure we all have our opinions as to what's most important ........
yet the question here is what is the most important to PROFESSIONAL GRADERS ?
I had always heard and been taught that they deem LUSTER to be the most important .
<< <i>Sorry , but I screwed up the poll
But I.m sure we all have our opinions as to what's most important ........
yet the question here is what is the most important to PROFESSIONAL GRADERS ?
I had always heard and been taught that they deem LUSTER to be the most important . >>
Luster [including mint bloom] is extremely important - but sufficient marks override everything.
<< <i>"Eye appeal" is redundant when you consider that luster, marks, and strike already determines what the eye appeal of a coin will be. >>
It's nice to see at least one person here knows what to look for. And toning, whether attractive or overbearing, is another quality that will affect the overall eye appeal of a coin.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
<< <i>Depends on the series. >>
It does! Copper, nickel or silver, while one has stronger luster and tones better, other metals had strike problems. More quality 3 and 4 coins can be found in silver than copper or nickel. Consequently, the importance of the strike in the latter two metals.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection