Four factors determine a coin's
grade: strike, eye appeal, luster, and wear. So let's get started!
- Strike: To create the excused (raised) image on a coin, two steel dies with an incused (recessed) mirror image of a coin design crash together with a blank piece of metal, called a blank or planchet, inbetween. The impact of the dies hitting the blank is called the strike. The metal of the blank flows into the recessed areas of the die, creating a coin. Sometimes, however, if the dies hit the coin with greater force than usual, this creates a highly detailed coin that many collectors prize. This can increase the grade and value of a coin if combined with the three other factors. However, if the dies hit the planchet with less force than usual, this creates a weak strike, and brings down both the value and grade of a coin. A weak strike can sometimes be confused for wear.
- Eye appeal: Eye appeal is purely the visual appearance of a coin and can actually be shaped by the other factors. Eye appeal varies from person to person, and is solely a matter of opinion. If you like the way a coin looks compared to other coins of its design, that coin has high eye appeal.
- Luster: According to Coin Collecting for Dummies® by Neil Berman and Ron Guth, "Luster is the natural surface gloss imparted to each coin as it is struck." Luster appears as a bright shine, though fake luster can be created by cleaning and coin doctoring. Compare the two photos shown below. The one on the left is fake luster or the result of cleaning a coin, while the one on the right is a genuine, natural luster.
Wear: Though when it comes to coins, most people think wear means the deterioration caused on the surface of a coin due to friction, wear is actually a general term that refers to all natural wear and tear, such as dings on the rim. This is perhaps the most important of the four factors.
Wear on coins
Wear on coins
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