Strike or Luster

[MikeKing]

Which is more important to you in a coin

 

 

[msmhappy]

 

buy far, the strike!!!! a full strike on a coin will for the most part bring out the luster!!!!!!!!

 

mike

 

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dont forget!! collect proof sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[leprecoin]

as I buy most coins online and not onsite,

My decession will base mostly on strike.

I found it extreemly hard if posibille at all to get a good opinoin on the luster from a scan/pic

the most disepointing is when the coin is cleaned, most times it wont show at all on a scan.

[aem4162-migration]

strike

[EZ_E]

Both strike and lustre play a tremendous role in the coin's eye-appeal but I feel that luster is king. I have a very nice 1870 Liberty Seated dollar graded AU-58. It's strike is great but greatly lacks in lustre because of its dark toning. I think that lustre is like paint: they both cover a multitude of sins.

[Hoot]

This is a very interesting question, and it has differing outcomes with various series.

 

For example, with buffalo nickels, strike is a per-issue consideration. A specific example would be, if you're looking for the strike of a 1913 T1 on a 1918 piece, then you'll look all your life, as it does not exist. Or if you're looking for a full strike on an issue from 1930 or 31, then you'll have to look all your life. You have to know each and every date and mint mark combination to know what to look for. Full strikes from 1917-31 are quite rare on the Denver and San Francisco issues.

 

So, where does luster come into play? For each issue, luster plays a big role with what kicks the grade from choice to gem and from one gem grade to the next. Luster is the key for grading high-end buffalo nickels. Without it, an MS67 struck coin will not make the grade and will take a 66... with one exception: 1913 T1 nickels. For 1913 T1s, there is a strange phenomenon that is seen with many well-struck pieces: they actually have less luster than coins more poorly struck. It must have to do with metal flow and the development of flow lines. Flow lines simply must be less prominent on better struck pieces. This is an interesting consideration when it comes to the characteristics of dies and how they are employed at the Mint.

 

I would be curious if HR Saints are similar - the better struck, the more subdued the luster. Don't really know.

 

Lots more could be said.

 

Hoot