Over the years About Uncirculated 58 graded coins have been called "Super Sliders," "Borderline Uncirculated," "Unc. with rub" or other interesting terms.

Coins graded AU-58 just miss being full Mint State because they have a slight amount of friction on the design high points. The difference between an AU-58 coin and an AU-55 piece, with the same level of slight wear, is usually in the number of contact marks on the coins. An AU-58 coin should have fewer contact marks.

Many coins deserve the AU-58 grade because they've been dipped in a light cleaning solution, have light friction or other minor detracting problems. However, a beautiful, originally toned AU-58 coin is often much more attractive looking than coins graded MS-60 or MS-61.

Morgan dollars grading MS-60 or MS-61, for example, may have large contact marks that terribly deface these coins. Other problems that plague many low-grade Mint State coins are spots, dark or blotchy toning, light cleaning, light scratches and even weak strikes.

How do coins develop only slight wear? Many Mint State pieces, especially early U.S. coins, have developed "cabinet friction" over the years from being taken out of and put back into coin cabinets, envelopes, albums or other holders that house them. Some of today's grading services have recognized this and are grading such coins as Mint State, whereas years ago these would most likely have been graded as AU.

Many AU-58 coins have sold over the years at extremely high prices in relation to other About Uncirculated and low-grade Mint State coins. Their buyers may think they have a good chance of cracking them out of their AU-58 holders to resubmit for grading in hopes of gaining a Mint State grade, making them worth much more money than as AU coins, or the coins are just simply more appealing.

Several examples that sold at major auctions during recent years illustrate this phenomenon. It's unclear whether such coins were candidates for crackouts and upgrades, or were just superb About Uncirculated examples with strong eye appeal.

Two such pieces are 1795 Flowing Hair half dimes that sold in 2006 in auctions by Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers and Heritage Auction Galleries. One coin was graded AU-58 by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. and the other by Professional Coin Grading Service (the Heritage coin). They each brought $12,650, which was the equivalent value for an MS-62 example, when typical AU-58 pieces were selling for between $8,000 and $9,000.

A PCGS AU-58 1826 Capped Bust half dollar sold in January 2007 in a Stack's auction for $3,220, which was equivalent to an MS-64 price. Another AU-58 example of the 1826 half dollar, again graded by PCGS, sold a year and a half earlier by Superior Galleries for just $1,265.

One final example is extreme, but illustrates the lengths people will go to for nice coins. A 1901 Morgan dollar graded AU-58 by PCGS brought $4,600 in a 2004 Stack's sale; the winner paid an MS-62 price. A dozen other AU-58 1901 Morgan dollars sold for between $1,100 and $1,900 around the same time.

Eye appeal often makes all the difference in the world for a coin's selling price!