The term, "Brilliant Uncirculated" means what to you?

[braddick]

I always thought of a Brilliant Uncirculated coin as being bright, white (mostly) with commerical unc. surfaces overall. Say, your mid-range MS62/MS63'ish Morgan.

 

I was surprised then to stumble upon the following Morgan, NGC graded as BRILLIANT UNCIRCULATED only to see that it sure doesn't appear so.

 

LINK to NGC "Brilliant Uncirculated" Morgan dollar offered on Teletrade

 

Perhaps, all these years I had it wrong?

[harvey8542]

Could it be due to the normal bad strikes of the new orleans mint?

[gmarguli]

BU means MS60 or better to me.

[TomB]

I always interpreted the stand alone term BU to mean MS60-MS62 without appreciable toning.

[pendragon1998]

I always interpreted the stand alone term BU to mean MS60-MS62 without appreciable toning.

 

More or less what I consider it to be. Certainly without appreciable toning.

[MAULEMALL]

I always interpreted the stand alone term BU to mean MS60-MS62 without appreciable toning.

 

More or less what I consider it to be. Certainly without appreciable toning.

Well now I always thought it was 60-63..

Without any regard to toning..

[physics-fan3.14]

I usually think of BU as meaning MS-63-64. Unc is anything lower, and Gem means MS-65 or 66. Superb means 67 or above. The below link is a Coin World article about the subject. I never necessarily assumed that these automatically meant white, but that connotation is kind of there, I guess.

 

http://www.coinworld.com/news/050905/bw_0509.asp

[jtryka]

I always thought of BU as the MS-60 to 62, Choice BU as MS-63 to 64 and Gem BU as MS-65 to 66.

[RGT]

I guess that I always thought of it in much the same way as you. I recall way back in 1974 when I first started collecting I used to buy coins from an elderly gentelman who lived down the street from me. He worked at a racetrack in his younger days and saved out a lot of coins over the years.

 

I remember asking him once what "BU" meant that he had written on some of the 2x2s and he told me it meant "Beautiful Uncirculated".

[Revenant]

To me:

BU = 60-62

CH BU = 63-64

GEM BU = 65+

[bsshog40]

I've just always taken it as just being a clean uncirculated coin. I really didn't think that toning fell into this category either.

[MikeKing]

I always thought of BU as the MS-60 to 62, Choice BU as MS-63 to

64 and Gem BU as MS-65 to 66.

 

ditto

[braddick]

Thanks guys. I get the numerical grading part... we all agree Uncirculated is somwhere in the MS60/61/62'ish/low 63'ish catagory.

My concern lies in the definition of "BRILLIANT". Does BRILLIANT also mean 'toned'? I thought 'brilliant' meant... well... BRILLIANT?

[WinstonWare]

I’ve always taken it to mean that I shouldn’t buy the coin.

[gmarguli]

My concern lies in the definition of "BRILLIANT". Does BRILLIANT also mean 'toned'? I thought 'brilliant' meant... well... BRILLIANT?

 

From 3 dictionary sources:

 

bril·liant /ˈbrɪlyənt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bril-yuhnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

1. shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous: the brilliant lights of the city.

2. distinguished; illustrious: a brilliant performance by a young pianist.

3. having or showing great intelligence, talent, quality, etc.: a brilliant technician.

4. strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright: brilliant blues and greens; the brilliant sound of the trumpets.

5. splendid or magnificent: a brilliant social event.

 

bril·liant (brĭl'yənt) Pronunciation Key

adj.

 

1. Full of light; shining. See Synonyms at bright.

2. Relating to or being a hue that has a combination of high lightness and strong saturation.

3. Sharp and clear in tone.

4. Glorious; magnificent: the brilliant court life at Versailles.

5. Superb; wonderful: The soloist gave a brilliant performance.

6. Marked by unusual and impressive intellectual acuteness: a brilliant mind; a brilliant solution to the problem. See Synonyms at intelligent.

 

 

brilliant

 

adjective

1. of surpassing excellence; "a brilliant performance"; "a superb actor"

2. having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence; "some men dislike brainy women"; "a brilliant mind"; "a brilliant solution to the problem" [syn: brainy]

3. characterized by grandeur; "the brilliant court life at Versailles"; "a glorious work of art"; "magnificent cathedrals"; "the splendid coronation ceremony"

4. having striking color; "bright dress"; "brilliant tapestries"; "a bird with vivid plumage" [syn: bright]

5. full of light; shining intensely; "a brilliant star"; "brilliant chandeliers"

6. clear and sharp and ringing; "the bright sound of the trumpet section"; "the brilliant sound of the trumpets" [syn: bright]

[Oldtrader3]

Pat: I always interpreted BU as "beat up" from the days of "BU" rolls that were always BU60/61.

[rrantique]

I always interpreted the stand alone term BU to mean MS60-MS62 without appreciable toning.

 

Same here ,key word [font:Arial Black]Brilliant[/font] ,Tom. (thumbs u

 

I don't think it means "Butt Ugly".

[stev32k]

Am I the only one that thinks the coin looks circulated? I know the New Orleans mint had strike problems, but that goes beyond a weak strike. Looks like an XF coin to me and I would never pay unc money.

[cpm9ball]

Okay, let's take a step into the modern era. No, I'm not referring to modern coins, I'm referring to the period of time. BU means that a dealer has submitted 500 or more identical coins and specified that no coin lower than MS66 be encapsulated. Those not meeting this requirement are returned and the dealer puts them into rolls or albums and sells them at inflated prices.

 

Chris

 

 

[MikeKing]

I’ve always taken it to mean that I shouldn’t buy the coin.

 

lol lol

 

you are SO funny you stinker!

 

I don't know what 'they' meant when the term was originally used, but I've come to accept is to mean the approximate grade level despite toning. Michael would probably know how this term originated.

 

Michael? Where art thou Michael???

[WinstonWare]

I’ve always taken it to mean that I shouldn’t buy the coin.

 

you are SO funny you stinker!

 

 

[bsshog40]

This is the definition I would believe Greg. Taken from your post.

 

shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous:

 

NO TONING!!

[michael]

BU to me means beat up/butt ugly and barely ms60 ish

 

 

 

 

[TJ'S Coins]

I associate sight unseen BU with an overly dipped, white coin without luster.

[bsshog40]

I have a Gem BU jefferson, but it didn't come with toning. Darn!!!

[WinstonWare]

BU to me means beat up/butt ugly and barely ms60 ish

 

 

Agree. That's what I was trying to say in other words.

[World Colonial]

I always interpreted the stand alone term BU to mean MS60-MS62 without appreciable toning.

 

I believe you are correct. Stack's appeared to use this term for the raw coins they sold before they merged with ANR. Choice BU was MS-63, Very Choice BU MS-64 and so forth.

[SLQS-migration]

bu=butt ugly

[Coin]

In a TPG holder ? MS 60-63 bright shiny

In a sales ad or the 'Bay" ? BORDERLINE UNC

 

The moniker 'BU' has been abused way too much in ads to the point of having the same meaning as AU55/slider UNLESS used in conjunction with a graded example wherein it magically reverts back to the original and intended Brilliant UNC , IMHO.

 

[James_OldeTowne]

I have always understood that traditionally, "brilliant" need not imply "white", and surprisingly, it needn't imply "red" for a copper coin, either.