When is a low grade acceptable?

I believe it to be okay to settle for a low-grade/damaged coin when either of the following two criteria are met:

1. Buying a higher-grade coin is financially unfeasible. (This does not cover “it is cheap and I want it now”; that always leads to regret.)

2. The coin is prohibitively rare, and you may not get the opportunity to obtain another one in any condition.

 

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I fall into #1 and I know that. I will never let my collecting prohibit taking care of my financial responsibilities which is why I believe a low grade 1916-D would be appropriate for me.

 

I’ll buy lower grade anytime time my heart desires. Well worn coins can look pretty cool.

 

I know once I get a chain cent and if I get a small eagle quarter and half they won’t be in the highest grade unless I win the lottery

 

I had a similar answer in another thread today with how I enjoyed the history that goes with a worn coin. I appreciate Depression era coins and I always wonder how important this nickel or whatever was to someone just trying to get thru a day at that time. I have the same interest in WW2 period stuff.

 

New to rare coins in general, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I generally feel patience on your behalf will pay off. Save and search until you finally see that one coin that speaks to you enough that the price becomes secondary. If you're going to look at it as a crown jewel of your collection, then you're going to appreciate the best one you can find. There have been many excellent replies to this question, I just wanted to add my .02

 

I usually don’t go below G04. Just buy what best fills the hole per your budget.

Buy it right and don’t be the end user.

 

A low grade is acceptable when you decide it is acceptable! It's your collection, build it how you want.

If you want your collection to only contain EF-40 coins, then that's what you've decided. If you want to flex that a bit and go lower on key coins, then that's your decision. There is no right or wrong here.

My personal policy is, if I'm building a set, I want that set to be as evenly matched as possible. If everything is EF, a G or VG key date is going to look out of place and I'm not going to be happy with it. But that is my personal decision and my standard for building my set. I buy what I like - only you can decide what you like.

 

Sure. I do it all the time, gleefully.

 

That is likely what I will try to do. All of my Lincoln Cent key dates are MS62 or higher except my 1914-D which is XF45. However, I absolutely love my XF45 14-D...more than a lot of the MS examples I see. There's just something about it.

 

When is a low grade coin acceptable? When it fits your budget and you, as the collector, decide to buy it for your personal collection.

 

Sometimes it just makes sense financially. I would venture to say a lot of us could not afford a $20,000 MS example of a coin...however some of us could purchase that same coin in a lower condition for $1,000. It's just a fact of life.

 

My 1877 is just an AG, and I appreciate it as is.

Nothing wrong with that

 

I do it all the time lol

 

We should have added pictures of what we consider acceptable with our current budgets.

 

Buy the best you can afford....whatever that may be.

I've never had to settle and only collect MS coins but I do find myself collecting 63s and 64s rather than 65s and up, when it comes to early walkers. I find there is much more value for my buck, in those grades, and they are still very eye appealing. Some are actually better or at least equivalent.

 

Sometimes lower graded coins are better for your particular need.

You or someone you are showing your coins to may want to handle a coin.

Lower-graded Saints or Morgans can be subsitutes for gold or silver bullion purchases.

AU58 (or lower) coins can be better looking than MS-graded coins.

 

Would rather have an honest worn one like this than one in higher grade with rough surfaces

 

when it is a 1901 S Barber quarter

 

I’ve sold higher grade coins to buy lower-grade coins that I like better.

Thats not really your question...... but it’s not so different. Don’t get so fixated on a grade. Buy the coin in your budget that speaks to you. I even have a few “problem” coins that I like quite a bit.

I’d like to own a mint-state $3 gold piece but I can’t find one I like better than the AU58 I already have..... at least not in a grade even remotely affordable. We all have a budget and we all have access to a limited pool of coins to choose from.