FDC
: (Fleur De Coin)
: This is a French term which literally means : "Flower of
the Die". It describes a coin in the highest state of preservation. It can be
used with PROOF coins exclusively struck for collectors, or coins produced for
normal circulation. The strike should be faultless and well centered. Design
details will be razor sharp. The surface of the coin and the rim will not show
any Detracting
Marks.
Appeal: Silver coins may feature an attractive
Patina or Toning (see below). Bronze coins must be virtually fully
Brilliant.
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GEM
UNCIRCULATED :
Far more often than not, this will be
the highest grade a collector can realistically expect to encounter, as
opposed to the above mentioned "super coins" referred to as FDC. A "GEM"
Uncirculated coin will be almost faultless with a strong, but not
necessarily absolutely perfect strike. The design may show just a hint to
die-wear but such wear should be minimal. Detracting Marks are of
a highly insignificant nature. Virtually Full Lustre or Mint Bloom will be
evident. Patina or Toning may be present on both silver or bronze coins.
Strong Eye Appeal is present. With bronze coins, the degree of
Brilliance remaining may have a significant influence on the
value of the coin, but not its grade. It is not
unusual to find a GEM grade bronze coin that has fully toned.
Paradoxically, toning (or lack of Brilliance) is less acceptable
to collectors on bronze coins than an attractive tone (Patina) on
a GEM grade silver coin. To express the amount of Brilliance
remaining on a bronze coin, some dealers will use a "%" as an indicator
after the grade. Thus, GEM - 50%B (or 50% Brilliance) refers to a
coin retaining half its
Brilliance.
Below are pictures of gold sovereigns in PCGS MS64
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CHU : CHOICE
UNCIRCULATED :
Sometimes abbreviated to CHU. Describes a fairly well
struck coin but some weakness in this area is acceptable. A CHU coin will
be free of any significant Detracting Marks and still retain a
considerable degree of Mint Lustre. Pleasant Eye Appeal is present.
Below are pictures of coins in PCGS
MS63
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UNC :
UNCIRCULATED - TYPICAL : As the name
would imply a coin which has not been circulated in the commercial sense
and therefore shows no wear. It may however have been struck from a die
nearing the end of its useful life, and not all of the intricate details
of the design may be formed fully on the coin. Moderate but
not excessive Detracting Marks from the production
process may be evident in the fields and on the rim. Fairly attractive
Eye Appeal should be present.
Footnote: Excessive
Detracting Marks or other major imperfections must
either be mentioned in addition to the grade or if reasonable, the grade
itself should be lowered into the EF Range, to be in keeping with the
values given in this guide.
Below are
pictures of gold sovereigns in PCGS MS60 to MS62
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aUNC : ALMOST UNCIRCULATED
: Similar to above but with faint traces of wear on the
highest points of the design. The coin still shows a reasonable degree of
lustre. Coins in aUnc condition might even have more eye appeal
than uncirculated coins as they might be a very sharp strike and have
minimal bag marks despite showing very minor traces of having been handled
or circulated.
Below are pictures of gold
sovereigns in PCGS AU58
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EF
: EXTREMELY FINE :
Generally speaking, this grade describes a coin
which shows some light wear that is barely noticeable to the naked eye.
However, care should be taken to give due consideration to the striking of
the coin in the first place. Be careful not to confuse a soft strike with
what might otherwise appear to be wear.
Below are pictures of
gold sovereigns in PCGS AU 50 to AU 55
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VF
: VERY FINE : A
Coin in this grade will show distinct signs of wear which could not possibly be
due to a soft or weak strike. Most of the lustre will have disappeared and the
high points of the coin will be completely missing. Some very slight rim damage
may be present in the form of tiny indentations (as opposed to significant
nicks). Overall though, the coin should still
be generally pleasing to the eye with most of the major detail still quite
sharp.
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F : FINE : By now the coin exhibits
extensive evidence of having been circulated. The general design is easy
to recognize but most of the significant parts of the design have worn
away. |
VG : VERY GOOD : A
rather misleading term to describe a coin which is anything but in "Very
Good" condition. In fact the entire surface
of the coin is practically devoid of significant detail although the basic
design and the date will still be
readable.
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