Mint state
Okay kiddo, so mint state is a way to describe how shiny and new a coin is. When coins are made at a mint, they can have lots of little scratches or marks on them from when they were made or handled.
But if a coin doesn't have any of those scratches or marks, and it looks like it just came out of the mint, we call it mint state.
So it's kind of like when you get new shoes and they're super shiny with no scuffs or scratches yet. Or when you get a new toy and it looks brand new and hasn't been played with yet.
Mint state is a way to measure how perfect a coin looks, and some people really like collecting mint state coins because they're so shiny and new-looking.
But if a coin doesn't have any of those scratches or marks, and it looks like it just came out of the mint, we call it mint state.
So it's kind of like when you get new shoes and they're super shiny with no scuffs or scratches yet. Or when you get a new toy and it looks brand new and hasn't been played with yet.
Mint state is a way to measure how perfect a coin looks, and some people really like collecting mint state coins because they're so shiny and new-looking.