I’ve never seen a coin graded MS* before but I just saw this coin on APMEX and I’m curious what it means? How can a coin be better than Mint State? Or does it mean it’s close to proof like or something like that? Edit: I posted this in the wrong forum. I meant to post it in the Coin Chat forum. If an admin could please move it there I appreciate it and I apologize for accidentally posting in the wrong forum.
* (star) is an ngc designation they add to grades. It doesn’t mean better than MS nor is MS a simple grade they do. Hadn’t seen that on ancients before but it has a bunch of meanings for them from eye appeal to one side cam one side pl etc
For ancients I have no idea but maybe yes? I am a bit surprised if they are using that on them given the general style grading they get.
Yeah it surprised me too. I’ve also noticed most Ancient coins are in NGC holders and rarely in PCGS ones.
Pcgs doesn’t do ancients, they do some middle age stuff but Roman and things like that they don’t do. ANACS does those as well or used to anyways.
Ahh ok that makes sense. Yeah I saw a 15th century Spanish gold 2 Excellente coin in a PCGS holder but that’s about it. That must be the kind of stuff you meant when you said Middle Ages stuff.
Yea they seem to go back more now, can’t remember if they ever went further early on, but it seems to be a bit hit or miss on what they’ll do for middle age. Ancients don’t really lend themselves well to grading but maybe one day who knows. NGC has some good people doing them that do their best but their guarantee doesn’t even apply to being real for those so I struggle to see the point with those. I don’t think anything should be graded if it won’t be covered to be real
