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Is it Good?
Is it Very Good?
Is it Fine?
Is it Very Fine?
Is it VF or XF?
Is it Extremely Fine?
Is it Almost Uncirculated?
Is it AU or MS?
Is it MS-60 or MS-63?
Is it MS-63 or MS-64?
Is it MS-64 or MS-65?
Is it Red-Brown or Red?
| About Uncirculated: AU-50, AU-55,
AU-58 Some Mint luster will show. There will be a small trace
of wear visible on the highest points of the coin.
AU-50 Typical
Minimum: Some wear is present. No less than 25% mint original
mint luster. May have a few heavy contact marks, or many small
marks.
Maximum: Slight wear. less than 50% mint luster. A moderate
amount of contact marks.
AU-55 Choice
Minimum: Slight wear on the high points. A moderate amount of
light contact marks. 50% mint luster.
Maximum: Less than 75% mint luster. Very few contact marks.
AU-58 Very Choice.
Minimum: Slight wear on the high points of the coin. Only a few
light marks may be present. 75% mint luster.
Maximum: A virtual gem, with full luster. Very few or no contact
marks. The coin cannot be called mint state because of a very minor
abrasion.
NOTES:
Luster is the original mint surface, and can vary in appearance,
depending on the die state, from "proof-like" to "heavy cartwheel".
The color of the surface will vary from Red-Brown to Brown and is
not to be confused with the amount of luster a coin exhibits. A coin
with some Red-Brown coloration may be labeled as such, for
example, AU-50RB, AU-55RB or AU-58RB.
The strike of the coin is independent of the grade, but a poorly
struck coin should be downgraded to an AU-50.
Die wear is also independent of the grade, but a coin struck from
extremely worn dies should be downgraded to no higher than an
AU-55.
The highest points on the obverse is the hair above the eye and the
lower curl, on the reverse it is the ribbon at the base of the wreath
and the edges of the leaves.
{To tell if a coin is AU from MS, tilt the coin in a strong light and
look for breaks in the luster on the high points. The amount of color
should not influence the decision.}
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