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Message:: [QUOTE="GDJMSP, post: 1385179, member: 112"]Of course luster plays a part. But it is not the only part that matters. Nor is any coin that is graded MS62 required to be lustrous. And what you could never tell from a pic is that the luster is still there, under that grey toning. In hand you can often tell that it is, not always, but often. That's one of the things about grading. People always seem to think that if even 1 thing is missing, like luster, then the coin cannot grade MS. Well it can, and it should. For example, a coin can be relatively free of contact marks and hairlines. Normally if that were true the coin would get a med or higher MS grade. But if the coin has poor quality luster then then the lack of that luster is enough to warrant the coin being graded low MS - even though it is a very clean coin in regard to contact marks. And by the same token the coin have absolutely stunning luster, but covered in contact marks and again be graded low MS. All of the grading criteria play a part. Each criteria can be the cause of a high grade, or a low grade. It all depends. And sometimes it is the sum of the parts that cause a high grade, a medium grade, or a low grade.[/QUOTE]