I have a few mid grade expensive MS coins in my set but it's become clear that, at least for my set, toned sliders are a lot better. Mostly because I can afford a rarer date that will increase more in value, two, the wear is hard to spot especially on a toned coin, and three, I have a lot of holes to fill, and I'm not rich. I just purchased an anacs au-58 1892 barber quarter which was amazingly toned and I'm gonna crack it for my album once it gets here. Then, maybe in the future, I'll replace it with a nice AU semi-key. Anyway, that's my thought for the day.
Oh yeh!!! Sliders (AU-58 and -55) are great coins to build a collection around. You end up with a set that looks MS- (except to the pros), but at a fraction of the cost.
You made me curious, so I went and checked my type set. My type set is my pride and joy. It breaks down this way: Total of 82 coins MS - 19 coins AU - 47 coins XF - 13 coins VF - 3 coins That means about 57% of my typeset grades AU. I didn't break it down further (58, 55, 53, 50)
In many cases an AU58 can have much better eye appeal than say an MS60 or 61. A lot less contact marks with just a hint of rub.
There's nothing wrong with sliders. They're usually beautiful coins and we all like beautiful coins. Bruce
I concur! I will take an AU-58 over an ms60-62 any day... most MS-60's are UGLY! here is one of my favorite au-58's
Sliders are coins that are so close to being mint state that they can fool most people, usually they grade at AU-58. they just "slid" past mint state...
The term comes from the days before coin albums. Many collectors back then kept their coins in flat wooden trays with square or circular holes that they could place their coin in. The holes were often lined with something like velvet. The holes didn't keep the coins tightly in place, so they slid around as the trays were pull out from or pushed into cabinets that held them. So as the coins slid around there was friction even with velvet. The friction was just enough to break the surface finish on the coins taking them from MS to AU-58. Naturally they ended up being called "sliders". Nowadays the cause is often different but the result is the same.
kanga; while i have heard this one before, and is the origin of the term, why would a lot of the AU-58 coins i see have faint wear on both sides of the coin?
I agree. Coins always seem to be priced so that a higher grade coin costs more than a lower grade coin. If there is such a thing as a bargain coin, AU58 might be it.
Because the previous owners often did not replace the coin back in the tray with the same side up all the time.
I guess that makes sense, but i wonder what percentage of "sliders" where worn this way? is it possible for a coin to enter circulation just long enough to get "58"-ed? regardless, AU-58 is still one of my favorite grades... if i can;t afford high grade MS
Of course, and many times that is the reason for an AU grade. But to the trained eye wear from circulation has a different look than cabinet rub. And no I can't explain it, it is one of those things that you have see with 2 coins side by side in order to understand it. And pics seldom work for this.
Doug: I understand what you mean. There is a different 'look' to the cabinet friction coin vs the lightly circulated piece. [note: 176 to go].
