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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 3515647, member: 24314&quot;]green18, posted:&nbsp; &quot;Thanks to Doug, I can now &#039;get you&#039; with a <i>smart bomb</i>........&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>What is a &quot;Smart Bomb used for?&quot;&nbsp; I&#039;m definitely NOT SMART so where can I get one?</p><p><br /></p><p>Jaelus, posted: &quot;<b>I think you&#039;re missing my point</b>, which admittedly is largely a thought exercise, but follow what I&#039;m saying here:</p><p><br /></p><p>Take a coin that leaves the mint as MS70. For this particular coin, MS70 <i>is mint state.</i> The coin then enters circulation and acquires hits and hairlines, reducing the coin to MS63, however, the coin has acquired <i><b>no wear</b></i>. <i><b><span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">My point is, this coin has to be by definition not mint state. It is not in the state it left the mint!</span></b></i> It is circulated, and has acquired detrimental surface conditions from circulation resulting in a poorer state of preservation. Yet we call this coin both uncirculated and mint state, neither of which are true, which is why <i>both</i> terms are meaningless unless you&#039;re talking about a sealed mint product.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><i>I understood exactly what you wrote.</i></span></b>&nbsp; <i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">That&#039;s why I wrote to correct you and TRY to get you thinking like the rest of the 99.8% of numismatists in the world.&quot;</span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">Coin grading is a simple operation, very easy to understand and apply</span> as long as eye appeal and value ARE NOT CONSIDERED in the beginning as you learn/are taught the basics (&quot;true&quot; technical grading).&nbsp; The rest (commercial grading as practiced by the TPGS and dealers) comes later.&nbsp; </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">This is all explained in <i>Penny Whimsy. </i><b> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 128)">READ IT!</span>&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie26" alt=":bookworm:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp;&nbsp; </b></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><b>MINT STATE:&nbsp; <i><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 128)">Free from any trace of WEAR!</span></i></b></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">We can all write silly things as: &quot;As soon as the Proof coin is taken off the die and gets hairlined in the tray (ready to be put into a set) IT IS NO LONGER MS...&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">The fact is, I can take that coin from the press and drill a hole through it and it will still be graded &quot;technically&quot; as <b>MS, with a hole</b>!&nbsp; I can also take that coin and spend it and if I see it months later and cannot find any trace of luster loss on its high points or field - it has miraculously remained in MS condition!&nbsp; </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 179)">MS-60 is similar, beat up yet showing no friction wear.&nbsp;&nbsp; Unfortunately, grading terms and standards have &quot;evolved.&quot;&nbsp; Johnny-come-lately &quot;numismatists&quot; coupled with several old and powerful dealers are responsible for this evolution.&nbsp; That&#039;s one reason we are having this discussion</span>.&nbsp; <i><span style="color: #b300b3">Unfortunately, I don&#039;t think any opinions will be changed.</span></i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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