What Does MS-69 Mean?

An MS-69 Mexican Silver Libertad in a PCGS Holder.

Mint State 69 is Used for Nearly Perfect Coins

When a coin receives an MS-69 grade, it is almost in a perfect mint state, but one or two detracting features keep it from the MS-70 grade.

What is the difference between MS-69 and MS-70?

A grade of MS-70 is the highest score a coin can receive and indicates perfection in regard to blemishes, strikes, and luster. Meanwhile, an MS-69 rating is near-perfect but has identifiable disfiguring, like a hairline scratch. For instance, in the above image, the silver Libertad might have only a small hairline that prevents it from reaching an MS-70 grade.

An MS-70 coin will typically be priced much higher than an identical coin with an MS-69 grade. Some collectors may prefer to purchase lower grade coins and let their numismatic collection appreciate as their coins become more scarce.

How do coin grading organizations define MS-69?

PCGS describes coins in this grade as “Virtually fully struck with minuscule imperfections visible upon close inspection.”

NGC states that an MS-69 coin is “A fully struck coin with nearly imperceptible imperfections.”

One thing the grading scale does not consider is the relative scarcity of the coin to be graded. This factor can determine the value of your coin as much as the grade can. If your coin did not receive an MS-70 grade, this is not the final verdict on how much it is worth.

Quick Guides to Investing

Step 1:

Why Buy Physical Gold and Silver?

If you are concerned about the volatility of the stock market, you’re not alone. The extreme highs and lows of the stock market often lead investors towards safe-haven assets, like bullion. Historically, the Precious Metals market has an inverse relationship with the stock market, meaning that when stocks are up, bullion is down and vice versa.

Step 2:

How Much Gold and Silver Should You Have?

This question is one of the most important for investors to answer. After all, experts suggest limits on how much of any types of investments should go into a portfolio. After deciding to purchase and own Precious Metals and considering how much money to allocate, one can then think about how much and what to buy at any point in time.

Step 3:

Which Precious Metals Should I Buy?

With the frequent changes in the market and countless Precious Metal products available, choosing investments can be difficult. Some want Gold or Silver coins, rounds or bars while others want products that are valuable because of their design, mintage or other collectible qualities. Also, collectors may shop for unique sets and individual pieces for their collections.

Step 4:

When to Buy Gold & Silver

After considering why, how much, and what Precious Metals products to buy, an investor’s next step is when to buy them. This decision requires an understanding of market trends and the impact of economic factors on precious metal prices.

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