Whats the difference in grade between MS69 and 'Brilliant Uncirculated'.

As a complete new collector, can someone please tell me the difference in grade between 'MS69' and 'Brilliant Uncirculated' and would the difference be worth over $600 on the same coin available in either grade?
thank you
Green Sovereign

 

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Brilliant Uncirculated is a general term that means the coin is in Uncirculated condition (MS60 and up). MS69 is a technical grade, that means the coin is just short of perfect or MS70. Brilliant Uncirculated or B.U isn't technically a grade like MS69, so yes the difference could eaisly mean $600.

 

thanks Raider

appreciate that

 

Too be honest with you I have no idea.:headbang:

 

It used to be the BU was reserved for grades around MS65 but as stated above it is now generalized for anything between MS60-MS70.

The difference in price between an MS60 coin and MS69 coin can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to just a few dollars depending on the series.

 

I have never heard "BU" being associated with grades anywhere near as high as MS65. In my 30+ years in the business, and longer as a collector, I have always seen it associated with lower grade (approximately MS60-62 range) uncirculated. And of cousre, sometimes "sliders"/borderline uncirculated coins are sold as "BU". Often a "BU" coin is fairly described as "B(eaten)U(p)".

 

As I remember Unc was for lower grade uncirculated (60 - 62), BU was middle grade (63-65).

 

"BU" stood/stand for "brilliant uncirculated", but not necessarily any better than uncirculated (MS60).

 

I always thought B.U was the general grade for uncirculated, and there were grades with-in B.U. Something like this: Basal B.U (MS60-MS62), Choice B.U (MS63-MS64), Gem B.U (MS-65), Superb B.U (MS66-MS69), Perfect B.U (MS70).

 

We seem to be forgetting that uncirculated can be Red, red-brown , or brown. I recall 30 years ago, that Unc included the RB, and Bn ; BU the red uncirculated.

Then BU or Unc was evolved into MS60-62, Choice BU or unc 63-64,
Gem BU was 65 or better. I don't recall there was a Gem unc (brown)

 

Whats the difference in grade between MS69 and 'Brilliant Uncirculated'.


Generally about $1,000

 

All of the above just demonstrates the principal difference in meaning between "MS#", which refers to a specific grade for which there are defining standards; and generalized terms like "Lovely", "Nice", "BU", "Gem", etc., which have no explicit definitions or generally accepted standards, and are pretty much pure hype.

 

I always believed that MS grading is ANA/TPG standard, like VG-8, F-15, AU-58 etc. Before TPG I believe Photograde and Brown&Dunn was the standard, such as CH-VF, EF, CH-AU, etc. Could be wrong though.

 

It can mean something or nothing!

BU is/was supposed to mean a general description of a coins condition in MS-63/ MS-64, maybe MS-62 through MS-65 though with caveats before grading companies and the the 70 point system was adopted. To be more technical a "pretty darn good coin for the series" or "a keeper. It was/is supposed to be a coin with flash of some degree of original luster intact and not many marks or detraction's.

In the market it can mean a coin from AU-53 through MS-63 (super AU-53's that have been thumbed and not very nice MS-63's to be sure) but rarely a super nice 64 - in other words the very fact that it did not have definitive parameters is/was the problem.

On the other hand a graded MS-69 is a money making machine for the TPG companies - it is generally modern coins that have been submitted to try to attain a MS-70 to make big money for the submitter. I mean think about it just how often do you see a 2X2 with hand written MS-69 or 70 on it and if you see it just how hard do you laugh? There is no real MS-70 in coins. It is a myth and has sure caught a bunch of fish out there hook, line, and sinker. There most likely is many Proof 69's and maybe a few 70's but no Mint State unless Special Mint sets or specimen type coins that are attempted to have been made almost perfect.

"By attempting to quantify and leave no room for doubt as to the exact grade of any coin has left us with as much confusion as ever in the long run!"

There are thousands of AU-58 coins I would rather buy than MS-60, 61, 62, or 63's.
Please try to learn what coins look great no matter what the grade.

 

BHP3rd - this reminds me of an earlier thread about whether there should be an AU-63 grade - yes there is some wear, but it sure is purdy!

 

Used to be that an uncirculated coin was UNC if it had any toning or BU if it was uncirculated and with it's as-minted luster (Brilliant was the operative word in the designation).

 

Yeah, generalization in an area of set grades. Kind of like AU being around the 55+ category.

 

Way necro thread, but still appropriate......Mark Feld gives some solid info......

 

brilliant uncirculated, when stated this way, is ms60, some nice points away from ms69 which is next to perfection.