the grade of MS63

[MikeKing]

I don't know, but MS63 kind of bothers me.

It's like they are really MS62's that miss 64 because of some kind of 'hidden' or maybe not so hidden 'flaw'.

Maybe that's not always the case, but I've seen enough MS63s that I"m hesitant to buy a coin labeled MS63.

Yeah yeah, you can return a coin if there's a return policy, but I hate to return coins. It's a problem for me, the buyer, it's a problem for the seller. It's just a pain in the aXX.

yeah...63's bother me.

 

edite to add:

 

well, if 63's are 62's that don't quite make 64, and 62's are AU58's that are clean enough and untouched enough to make 62, then it makes sense that 63's are really high grade 58's ....

 

 

 

 

so maybe this is all baloney and the old saying still goes;

 

Buy the coin, not the holder

[WinstonWare]

Nice post Mike

 

Seriously though…

Do you have a specific series in mind? MS63 seems like a useful and legitimate grade in Morgan and Peace dollars

[MunkyMan95]

MS60 and 61 bother me. They're not good enough for MS62, but they're not worn, so they don't get AU58. MS60's and 61's usually have heavy scratches and/or some other problem.

 

That being said, I have purchased a select few MS60 and 61 coins which I see as cream of the crop for the grade.

 

The $2 1/2 Indian in my sig line is MS61, and the 1880-S $5 is MS60.

[MikeKing]

Bust Halves, that' about all I know at this point.

 

edited to add:

 

Winston...

 

 

you too buddy!

 

 

 

the problem is that a 63 is priced at 63 levels when I know there's a good chance the grade can be argued down, and great 58's are priced at close to 62 levels anyway, so it gets kind of costly when the lines between them become so vague.

and possibly not reproducable with resubmission.

 

[WinstonWare]

I’m never up in that area of Bust halves so I really can’t comment on that. Those coins are just a little out of my budget for now.

[WoodenJefferson]

It seems to be one of those "catch all grades" when not being sure just way to go, up or down from this uncirculated starting point.

 

It is also used for "average" uncirculated condition of modern coinage when speed means everything for the grader. Bang...middle of the road grade, not to high nor is it to low.

 

I'd be willing to bet that the MS-63 grade is used more times than any other Mint State designation, excluding ABC grading companies that is, hands down.

 

It would be interesting to find out if there are any statistics available to see charted out, the varoius grades assigned for a certain period of time.

 

edit: When responding to this thread the coins were generic in nature, for some reason now its denoting Capped Bust Half series which changes everything.

[rbrown4]

Oh my gosh, now you all are going to complicate my life even more. I do understand where you are coming from and I think the answer will differ depending on the coin/type. Perhaps I have a not so creative view/opinion but with my father's collection which is what I am documenting and grading as needed, he never worried about the "grade". Everthing he aquired he considere to himself as being on the equivalent of MS 62 or better. As it turns out he was more than conservative, but to me this represents the difference between somkeone that collects for quality versus value. He was not after value he was after good repesentative pieces that he felt were worthy of collecting.

 

Rey

[MarkFeld]

I think there are numerous perfectly nice representatives of any and every grade coin, just as there are plenty of pigs.

 

Here's an MS63 $2.50 Liberty, the type/grade of which I usually have no interest in, but liked enough to buy (I think it's been sold or would not yet be posting it here):

 

[TomB]

I believe CBHs are generally cruddy coins in MS63 and that many of them are truly not things I would call MS. However, in later series there can be attractive coins in MS63 holders that have a singular defect that holds them to that grade. Whether or not one can accept that defect is up to them, but the coins can have plenty of eye appeal and be true MS pieces.

[123cents]

I love the grade of AU-58 in CBHs if the coin actually has just a tad of wear and the price is right.

[bsshog40]

This is starting to make me wonder too. I have some buffalos that I graded G8, I'm wondering now if they are really G4's that just couldn't make that G12. Is there a G12? Man, now I'm really confused, theres some really small strings dividing these G's.

[TomB]

Isn't there a G8 summit scheduled this week in Germany?

[fcloud-migration]

I think 63 is like the real minimum grade for Unc. 60 and 61 can be pretty bad. 62 can be very nice or not so nice. 63 are usually solid and you know what you are getting sight unseen.

 

My pockets ain't so deep, so 63 is good for someone like me. We all have our minimums.

 

If you have the bucks, I would think 65 is the minimum acceptable grade. Near gem 64 are still short of gem.

[coinman1794]

I know what you are saying, and a simple soultion is to buy MS62s and 64s;)

 

Another problem with bust halves is MS61. Anything AU58 with clean surfaces is automatically MS61. 61 really is a catch all grade on Bust halves anymore. Personally, I miss AU58, which is becomeing increasingly forgotten. I think the reason AU58s have about doubled in price recently has to do with people realizing that there's no difference between 58 and 61.

[jom]

I've seen cruddy MS67 coins....I don't think this problem is limited to just MS63.

 

Of course, I think this really just accounts for the fact that a coin's grade is not necessarily the same thing as a coin's quality.

 

jom

[michael]

great thread also a question that is extremely hard to answer for me

 

I think there are numerous perfectly nice representatives of any and every grade coin, just as there are plenty of pigs.

 

i guess it is all on a sight seen basis for me

 

i love the ms63 grade if it is a coin like the coin mark feldposted on this thread with regards to small gold liberty coinage...... better than solid for the grade , original and great eye appeal and killer lustre

 

same with ms62 for smaller to medium sized gold coinage as usually ms62 are pigs or undergraded choice unc. coins

 

but again with different metal compositions and also coin eras and sizes and types is is a range all over the board

 

you got to take it on a specific coin by coin basis---but again as an example i have yet to see any capped busat dollars in ms 63 third parry graded holders that are truly unc with absolutely no rub

 

again it is on a sight seen in hand basis

 

all depends......................................

[Frank Provasek]

MS63 has been a recognized grade a lot longer than MS62 or MS64.

[James_OldeTowne]

There was a time - probably in the days before certification - where "MS-63" simply meant an average uncirculated coin, and MS-60 was the ugliest possible strictly-uncirculated coin. Unfortunately, yesterday's AU-55 is today's MS-60!

[cpm9ball]

well, if 63's are 62's that don't quite make 64, and 62's are AU58's that are clean enough and untouched enough to make 62, then it makes sense that 63's are really high grade 58's ....

 

That would be like averaging a set of averages that have been averaged.

 

Chris

[WinstonWare]

That would be like averaging a set of averages that have been averaged.

 

Okay who’s the joker that gave Mike 5 stars for this post

[cpm9ball]

That would be like averaging a set of averages that have been averaged.

 

Okay who’s the joker that gave Mike 5 stars for this post

 

I applied an average against the averages of all similar threads and came up with an average of.........................

 

It wasn't me!

 

Chris