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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 2296558, member: 24314&quot;]TubeRider,&nbsp; This is one man&#039;s opinion:</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Loss of a coin&#039;s original luster is just that - no matter what the actual cause which we sometime don&#039;t know for sure.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. A loss of original luster can occur from chemical treatment, mechanical treatment (the hand of man involved), impact damage, or friction wear (rubbing of some kind from normal circulation).</p><p><br /></p><p>3. A loss of original luster cannot occur due to strike weakness (for whatever the cause [a new thread?].&nbsp; However, the original luster on the parts of the coin that are not fully struck will look differently than the normal luster found on the rest of the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Loss of luster from any type of cleaning USUALLY (some surface alterations are very sophisticated) leaves evidence behind (often microscopic) for those who know what to look for [another thread? Ha, ha.].</p><p><br /></p><p>5.Loss of luster from impact such as a bag mark leaves surface damage and is usually shiny until the surface is changed by natural ageing, toning, cleaning or coin doctoring.</p><p><br /></p><p>6.Yes Virginia, there is an obvious difference between loss of luster from friction wear and roll/stacking pressure/slide rub.&nbsp; You only need to learn what each looks like. Stacking is usually shiny until the surface is changed by miss-handling, actual friction wear or the methods mentioned in #5 above.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, actual friction wear is a back-and-forth abrasion (in varying degrees) from whatever the cause.&nbsp; It is the &quot;bad&quot; kind that usually will lower the grade.&nbsp; Again,</p><p>this all depends on how the person feels about the look of the actual surface, amount of rub, magnification and eyesight.&nbsp; Some consider any loss of originality wear.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Every collector must decide for themselves when there is enough loss of luster on a coin to drop it to AU.&nbsp;&nbsp; This goes for the TPGS professionals who also make allowance for a coin&#039;s composition, its value, and eye-appeal.&nbsp; Loss of luster in the field also provides clues to the MS/AU line. </p><p><br /></p><p>Regards[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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