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Message:: [QUOTE="cdcda, post: 45831, member: 941"]To further clarify, there are two classes of coins struck by the United States Mint - regular business strikes and proofs. Proofs differ in that they are minted specifically for the collector/investor market and are struck with specially prepared dies. Business strikes are intended for circulation and are graded on a numerical scale from 1 to 70, 1 being the worst possible condition and 70 being the best. On this scale (referred to as the Sheldon Scale) designations of 60-70 are for coins that are considered to be in a Mint state - lacking any signs of wear or use. This does not mean that they never entered circulation, it just means that they lack any signs of wear or use. I say this because you will often see a coin with a grade of MS (Mint State) 60 or better that has obvious signs that it went through a counting machine. This signs are technically wear, but given the overall state of preservation of the coin, it is still assigned a grade of MS60 or better. For each coin series (Lincoln Cent, Jefferson Nickel, etc.) there are established and generally accepted criteria for assigning numerical grades to a coin from that series. For Mint State examples, surface preservation, strike, lustre, and eye appeal are the basic factors which determine where between MS60 and MS70 the coin falls on the scale. Proof coins, since they were designed for the collectors market and packaged before leaving the mint, are normally found in grades of PF60 - PF70. Again, proof coins are graded on the Sheldon Scale from 1 to 70, but unless you are talking about an older proof coin, it is unusual to find one with signs of wear that grades less than PF60. For older proofs though, you will see coins grading PF55, PF53, etc. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

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