Brilliant Uncirculated

BU is a catch-all acronym to me. Something invented by HSN. Also ' Gem Perfect or Choice BU ', ETC. Stick with the
Official ANA Grading System grades: AU-50, AU-55, MS-60, etc. Look at the pics and judge for yourself. If the pics aren't good STAY AWAY, AVOID IT, or request better pics.

 

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Brilliant Uncirculated is minimum of MS60, so don't assume anything higher unless you have good photos and a return privilege.

 

For me personally, I think the word is synonymous with "uncirculated" and given all of my buying on Ebay that term literally covers the MS spectrum. I've gotten probably an equal number of coins that were lower MS and those that were GEM++ that were all described as "BU."

 

Not unless HSN has been around since the 1950's.

 

Those terms were not invented by HSN. Far from the truth. Those grading descriptions are what we used way back when TPG"S didn't exist . If you find anyone using them today to describe a coin , run the other way and fast .

 

Agree with others, BU used to be a legal meaning that it is an uncirculated coin without impair luster. With TPG'ers freely slabbing circulated coins as 62's or 63's, this definition is meaningless in the coin market today. Its sad how the TPG'ers completely destroy our numismatic grades that have been used for a century or more, but that is what collectors want I suppose, they keep sending them money.........

 

That is a complete overreaction to the TPG practice of slabbing coins with very minor high point wear as mint state coins. The fact is that wear can occur without the coin ever circulating. Whether you call it roll friction, cabinet friction, or any other similar term, grading these coins with high point wear but undisturbed fields has absolutely not destroyed the meaning of uncirculated or the grades that have been in use for a century.

In fact, I challenge you to find an example of a coin with obvious wear in a mint state holder by NGC or PCGS.

 

I am referring to the NN article by a TPG grader. He stated unequivicably that "old" collectors should forget everything they know about grading, and every day circulated coins, not cabinet friction or something else, is being slabbed 61, 62, even 63. We had a post about it a few months ago. This is what I thought I was seeing, but to have a grader freely admit it distressed me.

 

If it is that common, then post an example of an obvious circulated coin that is in a mint state holder. Or at least, post an excerpt from the article that you read.

 

http://www.cointalk.com/t130595-3/

Mmarotta was nice enough on page three to paste a link to the article.

 

So anyone who disagrees with you is guilty of not having an open mind! Please, you are the most rigid thinking person any coin forum in the entire world. Maybe RICKO and his hatred of toned coins on the CU forum holds a candle to you.

The grading process has evolved and it is accepted by the numismatic community that under certain circumstances, it is okay to have high point wear and still call the coin uncirculated. You are claiming that most of these coins that are graded in this manner are actually circulated coins. If that is the case, then it should be easy for you to post some examples.

 

"Older numismatists will need to temporarily suspend everything they learned about the uncirculated grade to understand my column because the standard for that grade has changed. Today, coins with an obvious amount of friction wear and loss of luster (formerly AU-55) can be commonly found graded as high as MS-62. A few of these coins my even rate the MS-63 grade if their eye appeal is exceptional. Much depends on the coin type – its age, design and alloy."

"Now, let’s zero in on the MS-61 and 62 grades. We can ignore a loss of detail on the high points either from circulation wear or the quality of the strike on these coins because, using present-day standards, strike or a little wear does not take a coin out of the MS-62 or 61 range."

For those who do not wish to read the article. This is coming from a TPGer, ANA course teacher, and well respected in the numismatic community. This is what I was referring to in my earlier post. I cannot post an example Lehigh since I refuse to buy circulated coins as BU, and anyway have stopped buying US coin a while ago.

 

Yes you can grade them, and it does not destroy the meaning of uncirculated (A coin having no wear whatsoever), because they can be graded AU which they are. To call them Uncirculated or MS is to say "Here we have a coin that has no wear, with wear."

True, but it used to be it wasn't accepted by either collectors or TPG's. Hence a change in grading standards has occured.

 

If the high point wear occurred from one coin touching another, that is not circulation. Perhaps instead of arguing that any coin that has wear should be deemed circulated, you guys can focus your efforts to change the definition of the term uncirculated. After all, a coin that exhibits roll friction, shows metal displacement (wear), but has never been in circulation.

And I admitted in the other thread that the acceptance of roll and cabinet friction in the grading process is a change in standards.

 

I think bulk submitters to NGC have the option of having all MS 60-63 coins come back as BU instead of with a number grade. It's a way to make it sound better; provides a marketable ambiguity to lower quality dealer submissions.

 

Another reason i asked is because i have an NGC slabbed coin that says Brilliant Uncirculated. The labels on it look nothing like NGC slabbed coins i've seen recently. I've had this thing for 6 years. its perfect minus the few contact marks in the fields. It has no wear at all that i can see at all...and trust me, i've looked hard. Should i send it off when i subscribe to a grading service and have a number put on it, or leave it alone? I had a reputable coin guy look at it not long ago and he said easy MS-64. Thanks for all the input.

 

I'd like to see a photo of that coin in that NGC holder.

 

there ya go