Now that I have had time to gather myself in the hobby, and test the waters of many various outlets, I have found that (for my money) the best grades range between VF and AU - Specifically, XF (or EF). I have a few reasons for this: Lower grades usually carry enough wear that you can no longer fully appreciate the craftsmanship or artistic nature originally intended to be seen in the details. To me, uncirculated grades (or the various states of mint) seem to me like a classic car that has never had a mile on the odometer. Sure, it looks nice, but it’s never been used for the purpose it was created for. I know that UNC. is a technical grade, and not a true definition of circulation – but I like to know the coins in my collection have been held, and hopefully for the purpose the were intended for. Price. Pretty simple. Prices tend to rise at an exponential rate once a coin reaches MS 63 and beyond. Often times, you can afford three, four, or ten coins in XF for the same price as one coin that has been determined, for example, MS 67. When I purchase a coin in a decent grade of XF, I know I will never suffer from the drawback of ‘upgrading’. I will always be happy with its condition, and proud to display it with my other pieces. This might be different if I collected modern dates, but I don’t. I think that better grades of circulation strike a perfect bargain between the problems I see in #1 and 2. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, on a case by case basis. Collectors of modern commemoratives, for example, don't have to worry about #2, because there's a good chance the coin was never intended for circulation to begin with. On the other hand, for collectors of key date issues would find an enormous price gap between lower grades of circulation and those higher, and a VG example may be enough to satisfy the need to own the piece itself. But, in my opinion, for what I collect. Nothing beats XF. Personal opinion, of course!
let me start by saying "to each his own", and adding i am just sharing my opinion, not trying to demean or insult. i totally agree that XF is a great grade especially for new collectors (myself included) and collectors without a lot of cash to spend (myself included again), however there is something that always bothers me about the main justification people usually use for this : there's a few things people usually dont think of when they say things like this 1. coin collecting has gone on for CENTURIES. the US mint knows this Proofs, SMS, etc. in 1931 the mint upped the nickels produced at the SF mint to accomidate collectors, not the public. so even on business strikes its not always 2. preservation- when coins are encapsulated they are done so to prevent them from being held so they wont lose any "grade". people say they dislike cleaned coins because it removes "history" from the coin, yet they use a coin condom to dissallow any new history from being added TO the coin ( at the same time i read in another thread that grading services use pressurized air to remove dust, and NGC has a cleaning service). the main thing that i dont understand about the whole "history of the coin is that you will NEVER be able to discover the actual history of any coin, you can only think and wonder, which is a very daydreamy excuse to me unless you have a pedigree coin like the Siam Set or the 1933 st Guadens. 3.artistic qualities- i send you back to the 1st thing on your list even in EF you lose some of the detail and a lot of luster. EF coins are nice but a good MS66+ coin ( especially with attractive or no toning) is just a beauty to behold. again i agree XF is a WONDERFUL grade, i just have never liked the arguement
