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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Fallguy, post: 2911607, member: 84739&quot;][RE: &quot;rascal, post: 1111631, member: 29239&quot;]</p><p><br /></p><p>While not speaking to the issues being raised about the particular coin under discussion, I must disagree with your statement of, “. . . is it really hard for you to understand that all coins when first made have mint luster and what do they look like after a few years . They sure as heck will lose that luster.” “Luster” has nothing to do with how a coin looks; how shiny a coin may look as it’s lying on a table. In fact, a coin that has been highly polished can be very “Shiny”, but will have no “Luster”.</p><p><br /></p><p>Luster is the differential reflection of light from the nearly microscopic ridges on a coin. These ridges come from the flow of metal (from the planchet) across the face of the die during the striking process, which eventually forms many microscopic grooves on the die face after the die has struck many coins. A brand new die will impart no luster making ridges on a minted coin; as the die ages, it will develop more metal flow lines (grooves) and impart more luster making ridges on a coin; at some point the die face may be polished and what you will see on the coin will be “die scratches”, with very few flow line ridges . . . that is until the die has once again struck some number of additional coins such that the flow line grooves will once more appear on the die, and the resulting ridges on the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Given this, a truly uncirculated coin that is stored in such a way as to protect it from environmental forces, that could erode the flow line ridges on the coin, will never lose its luster. In the final analysis, a coin that displays “luster” will continue to display luster unless the metal flow line ridges that produces “Luster” are eroded away by mechanical or chemical means. If I have oversimplified, or in any way misstated the process, I’ll be grateful to be corrected.</p><p><br /></p><p>Semper Fidelis[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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