When I read about the grade of coins I see that wear is the most common denominator between grades. Sometimes I recieve a coin in change which I assume is a circulated coin because it is out in public and not directly from the mint. When I look closely it shows no signs of wear or even ding marks. So is this concidered a circulated coin or if submitted to a grader as uncirculated ? Dave C.
If the grader can spot any wear it's AU, if there's no wear then it qualifies for MS/UNC. I've seen many discussions about borderline AU/MS coins with weak strike, but you're talking modern coins so it should be pretty clear.
Good point micbraum, I can't see why any modern coin should be graded unless there is someting unusual about it. Maybe in five to ten years the grading would make more sense.
Circulated vs Uncirculated is not "where" the coin has been as much as it is the relative preservation or condition of the coin.
A circulated coin is a coin that has wear that stops it from being an uncirculated coin. A coin in circulation can either be circulated (less than MS-60) or uncirculated (MS60 or more). It is not the fact that you are finding the coin 'in circulation' but what state the coin is, which is measured by wear and loss of luster (i.e., metal wear). Just the act of handling a coin once from a new, uncirculated (in both senses of the word) from a mint roll that is opened and put in the till and then given out in change does not make it a circulated coin where it won't grade MS-60 or more.
