Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Is The MS69 American Silver Eagle Worth The Price?

Arguably the most popular silver bullion coin that exists, the lovely American Silver Eagle coin was first released in 1986. The MS69 silver eagle grade is one of the highest available. But, is that high grade it worth the price you'll pay over and above a plain vanilla silver bullion eagle? That's what we'll address in this article...
First, let's define what the MS-69 grade is.
MS69 stands for "Mint State Brilliant Uncirculated." It is one of the grades used by two of the most popular independent, 3rd party grading services - the NGC, which stands for Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and PCGS, which stands for Professional Coin Grading Service.
If you are truly serious about purchasing a silver eagle with a high grade, it is essential that you stick with these reputable grading services!
A coin graded by these services can receive a score ranging from 1 all the way up to 70. MS70 is the absolute highest grade that a coin can receive. A coin that is graded MS-70 is absolutely perfect. There are some grading services that will not assign a MS70 grade because they claim that an absolute perfect coin cannot exist.
A coin is graded based upon several different factors. These factors include:
1. scratches
2. polishing
3. nicks
4. rims
5. other blemishes
The MS-69 Silver Eagle is a coin that is almost virtually flawless and perfect in condition. When purchased the coin will be encapsulated in a slab that has been sonically sealed. This is done in order to certify and protect its high grade.
The MS-69 grade is only guaranteed if the coin is kept in that slab. The coin will be labeled with the grade, grading service and coin type which for example might be PCGS MS-69 Eagle. It will also include the the mint mark and unique serial number.
Even though the silver American eagle is a super popular coin, they're aren't many available in the highest grades. This is due to the minting process itself. Even the simple act of handling the coin can very easily cause things like minor scratches that would disqualify them from receiving the MS-69 grade.
So now that you know what a MS-69 American Silver Eagle is, you're probably wondering if they are worth the extra cost?
That all depends upon why you are investing in the coin in the first place. If you are buying silver eagles simply for the bullion, I believe you would be better served buying plain vanilla eagles in uncirculated condition.

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