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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;rmpsrpms, post: 2857940, member: 31773&quot;]Late MDS / early LDS dies get the highest grades. This is because new dies don&#039;t produce much luster, and luster is the most important quality in achieving a high grade on common coins. Luster happens because as a die is used to strike coins, the coin metal moves outward radially, imparting a small amount of wear on the die for each strike. Eventually this movement causes flow lines in the die, and those flow lines are then struck onto the surface of the coin. The flow lines are the reason for the luster. LDS /VLDS coins can have booming luster and also get high grades, but at some point the mushy details start to take away eye appeal, and this limits the ultimate grade level. </p><p><br /></p><p>I go through a lot of BU rolls, and occasionally I run across VEDS coins, ie ones that were struck from brand new dies with almost no striking wear. These coins are very &quot;flat&quot; looking, with lots of small imperfections in the fields, and very sharp edges to the devices. I love this look, and prize these VEDS coins above all others, but if I sent them in for grading they would not achieve high grades because they have almost no luster. They are almost like proofs in appearance, but without the benefit of the dies having their imperfections polished-out.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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