I believe this is what most of us think, here on the dark side. That, plus historical context, and of course «if I can aafford it» pretty much makes up a coin purchase for me.
And then there's considerations of style. The grade could be perfect, but if the style is poor, then the coin is no good.
the way I would explain this: If you have a car, from 50 years ago, still in pristine condition, with original paint smooth and bright, any you have a similar 50 year old car and the paint is faded and dull, which would an average person prefer to have? Both may be desirable vehicles, but the one best preserved in as close to the condition as originally made, tends to be more desirable and thus valuable. Why? Because it was taken care of. An item that has been taken care of, tends to be worth more. There are collectors that value originality very highly. This is similar in ancient coins as well.
I gotcha, My son and I are about ready to hot rod this one. 54 Ford f100. Keeping the patina, and updating the running gear.
What a remarkable project ahead for you and your son. On a bit smaller scale, I spent 3 months restoring my 1964 Schwinn Speedster during Covid - the same bike I got as a kid. About that paint and the pristine thing... As with a lot of valuable antiques, leaving the patina as is can enhance the value tremendously for those who enjoy history it can reveal. Again, as the Romans say, when it comes to taste The finished product below. The full story here: https://californiachaparralblog.wordpress.com/2021/06/02/the-schwinn-therapy-to-calm-the-mind/
Yep. Here’s the 1961 Fender Stratocaster of the great Rory Gallagher. My point is that context is everything. That is why I’m utterly fascinated by coin hoards. Without a social or historical context, a coin is just a nice shiny object. Knowing that a coin comes from a specific coin hoard, for example, better helps to give a coin that context.