I recently posted my thread on how to buy my first $5 Liberty gold. As a total newbie i want to thank all of you for your advice. Now for my next question. Because I am new to this business, I believe I am going to go "slabbed". I am not comfortable with my grading so I think for now this is the safest bet for me. I am not so concerned about the date, but just want a nice MS 61 Liberty. What is a fair price from a dealer selling a slabbed MS 61 slabbed coin? I really appreciate all your advice !!!
Grey Sheet (Ask) for With Motto $5 Liberty is $395. $450 would be a reasonable price from a dealer. In AU-58 Ask is $305 (and will probably be a more attractive coin than the MS-62).
Not sure if $5 gold is the same, but high AU coins tend to look nicer than really marked up 61's IMO. Somewhere between $350 and 2k for a type coin per Coinage mag. Jan 2009
I would look for a coin with a nice clean surface. Eye appeal is important with gold. Some of the coins can look "dirty" even if they are uncirculated.
I completely agree with buying a high AU coin over a low Mint State coin. The bag marks and scratches on a low Mint State coin will be way worse than the wear on an high AU coin.
I disagree. AU coins do not automatically look better than low mint state coins. However, it is sometimes possible to find an AU coin that looks better than a low mint state coin. Sometimes the MS coin looks better. You have to look at the coins and compare what you get for what you pay.
I agree with you Cloudsweeper. I guess I over-emphasized my main point which was that AU coins can look nicer than low grade uncirculated coins.