AU (about uncirculated)

How to read it

PCGS describes an AU coin as one that at first glance appears uncirculated but on closer inspection has slight friction or rub. The four numbers measure how far the wear and the loss of luster reach. At AU 58, PCGS says the coin may need tilting towards the light for the friction to show and less than 10% of the surface has luster breaks; NGC calls it slight wear on the highest points of the design, with full details. At AU 50, PCGS has luster disturbances on 50% to 100% of the surfaces and wear on the high points easily visible to the naked eye, and the ANA has traces of wear on many of the highest parts of the design with some original luster still present. The next grade up is MS 60, the first with no wear; below AU 50 comes extremely fine.

Also searched as: about uncirculated, AU 50, AU 58.

About or almost uncirculated

Both names are used for the same four grades. The ANA's standards, NGC and CAC Grading say about uncirculated; PCGS gives almost uncirculated as another name for each AU grade, and an ANA blog article uses almost uncirculated.

AU 58 and MS 60

An AU 58 can look better than an MS 60. PCGS says the grade "borderline Unc" equates to AU 58, and that in many cases the reverse of an AU 58 coin is fully mint state; the ANA describes AU 58 coins as typically very well struck, with almost unnoticeable wear. NGC's MS 60 has no trace of wear but numerous abrasions, hairlines or large marks. What separates the two grades is wear: MS 60 has none, however many marks it carries.