I recently purchased these notes because I liked the look of them and they fit in nice in my collection. After looking at them in hand I couldn't figure why they only received a 55 grading. The corners are sharp and the notes are well centered. There are no creases or fold lines visible. All opinions, thoughts and views are appreciated.
Without any reference to how notes are graded, I'd think it might be the centering on one and the reverse edge staining on both.
Both notes have some minor handling to the left and right of center. It's often hard to see the handling on AU notes through a holder, let alone through the internet. Here's a good grading guide with photos: http://www.panix.com/~clay/currency/grading.html
did you try using a nice bright LED light in a darkened room, illuminating the note from behind to see the imperfections?
OK, upon further review I guess the staining on both notes accounts for the 55 grade. Also on 1 in the light at a certain angle I saw a faint verticle line down the center. I still like these notes and for the price I'm not disappointed. Thanks for all the input.