"Condition: Uncirculated" - buying on ebay

[NightShift79]

i was looking at some geocoins on ebay and noticed that, in addition to stating that they are "brand new" and "unactivated" (which i understand), some of them had their conditions listed as "uncirculated". what exactly does this mean?

[+Nochipra]

I believe it means no history on them like "discovered logs".

[Cydriver]

That is an option to select that Ebay chooses, which applies more to real money coins. It is so people doing a search for coins can narrow the search down to uncirculated coins. Doesn't really apply to geocoins, but it's the closest option to 'unactivated'.

[ATMouse]

Everything that is sold on ebay must conform to a category. It's necessary in the listing process.

 

The category that is used to sell geocoins on ebay includes ALL coins and paper money. Geocoins are in a subgroup "Exonumia", BTW. The vestige meaning of "money" as a medium of exchange remains and in the case of geocoins, creates the section where a seller must fill in when he or she lists one for sale: circulated or uncirculated.

Edited November 1, 2007 by ATMouse

[NightShift79]

thank you very much for your input.

[YemonYime]

Yeah, I just discovered that category myself with my recent auctions. Kinda see the merit in it, and it wouldn't take long for them to change that to "activated" and "unactivated". They'll pick up on it eventually.

[+Renegade Knight]

Uncirculated would track the same as with real money. Never issued for general use. Taken stright from the mint and into the collection.

 

So an uncirculated geocoin would be bought, and then offered for sale without ever having been inside a cache, or taken and fondled at events.

 

That's how I see it and it's probably not the exact technical answer.