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Message:: [QUOTE="RonSanderson, post: 23896975, member: 77413"]I think the Circulated part of the scale arose when so much of coin collecting was about pulling coins from change to put in albums. They were all circulated - and wear was a good way to say which were more beat up or more pristine. If, as has been said, the Uncirculated scale is independent, then that is where other concerns can be accounted for. How many dings, dents, scratches, scuffs, discolorations, and so on - all those things that a circulated coin is just assumed to have, and that an uncirculated coin should not (but does, of course). Too bad there has to be a judgement call about which scale to use for any particular coin. Here’s my example: <ul> <li>If you take a quick look at the jaw and cheekbone, it looks like a luster break - so there’s wear.</li> <li>If you look at the field at the back of Lincoln’s head, there is a silver toning that extends up onto the hair. There are a couple of other spots as well, such as near the UST. So wait, maybe that isn’t wear on the jaw after all..</li> </ul>Which is it, an AU or an MS? The choice could change the grade by several levels, say from AU58 to MS65 - and the value would swing wildly. (From $300 to $1200.) That is why I would much prefer a single continuous scale without one particular factor (the perception of wear) outweighing all the others.[ATTACH=full]1547052[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]