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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AndrewDS1, post: 2327718, member: 76393&quot;]&#039;GEM BU&#039; is ambiguous.&nbsp;&nbsp; No general agreement on what it means, so it is meaningless except as a best guess.&nbsp; &nbsp; I&#039;ve heard some say it is the same as an MS65, but then why not put that on the slabbed coin??&nbsp;&nbsp; I just accept that GEM BU means it is a good condition BU.&nbsp;&nbsp; If you really want to know, you need to have it professionally graded with an MS or PF. </p><p><br /></p><p>BU should mean the coin was minted, but never released to the general public.&nbsp;&nbsp; So a guy who buys a monster box of BU ASEs is getting coins that haven&#039;t exchanged hands, except for the mint-dealer-buyer transfer.&nbsp;&nbsp; It just means a coin that wasn&#039;t man-handled liberally.&nbsp;&nbsp; Of course, coins rubbing against coins scuffs/dings them up, but they are still BU.&nbsp;&nbsp; Key word is &#039;uncirculated&#039;.&nbsp;&nbsp; Brilliant means little or no handling them (skin oils, etc.).</p><p><br /></p><p>There are lots of widely accepted terms (MSXX) and (PFXX).&nbsp;&nbsp; But, increasingly, I see new terms be flouted that aren&#039;t &#039;officially&#039; recognized.&nbsp; &nbsp; I think PCGSs&#039; &#039;First Strike&#039; is a sham, since they are NOT privy to when a coin was first minted.&nbsp; Even NGCs &#039;Early Release&#039; is misleading.&nbsp; It could be in the initial release to the suppliers and dealers, but the &#039;First Strike&#039; or &#039;Early Release&#039; could be the first coin or the 30Kth minted out of the batch.&nbsp;&nbsp; Or no clue as to whether it was the first coin with a set of dies or the last when the dies are wearing out.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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