Maryelise,
I'm a long ways from expert level, but have learned a ton since joining the C4OA and working closely with Rusty Goe to assemble the Rian's Bequest Carson City Coin Collection. Allow me to apologize in advance for the rudimentary answers...hopefully they will at least point you in the right direction.
BU = Brilliant-Uncirculated. This is a very subjective term used along with others to describe the level of condition for an uncirculated coin. The term is from the days prior to modern day grading and certification but is still used by some dealers and numismatists even today to describe raw, ungraded coins. I'm not sure what B with a number means...sorry.
Replica Coins - This is a HUGE subject including counterfeit coins. There is no quick answer for this other than the following which you should never forget...ALWAYS have an experienced, trusted expert inspect any coin you intend to purchase, before you commit.
A person must learn to apply "knowledge based collecting" principals to his/her coin acquisition process. This involves skills and experience far beyond you and I as beginning and intermediate collectors. However, with each experience and coin you handle and examine with a trusted expert, you'll file away another bit of knowledge for future use.
Rusty Goe has mentored me in this process for several years now and is ALWAYS generous with sharing his knowledge, especially when a person asks who is truly interested in learning. Last year, I took a course in counterfeit coin detection offered by the ANA. The course was helpful but underlined the need for loads of experience to deal with the issue of counterfeit coins.
Full Rims - One of the elements of grading is the quality and completeness of the die strike on the blank coin planchet. If the strike is weak, certain key feature and small details may not be clearly defined or brought out. The rims of certain coins are one such element.
Another example is the detail exhibited on Ms Liberty's head. The 20th century, Standing Liberty Quarter is normally found with "soft" or "flat" features of the head in most every year of the entire series. When a coin is found which has fully struck and highly detailed head features, the grade will carry the added designator of "Full Head", frequently doubling or more, the coin's value.
Every coin date/denomination has its own special strike characteristics, which are well known to numismatists. When a particular coin almost always exhibits weak strike characteristics in a specific area(s), that coin's grade description may carry the added designation of "full rims" or other important designation highlighting the fact that the subject coin is especially well struck without the usual weak characteristics expected for that specific coin date/denomination.
On Carson City coins, the eagle's neck and chest feathers, claws and clutched arrows are a common area to find either a weak or powerful strike, which in turn, will determine much of the coin's value. Ms Liberty's hair features, the elements within the shield and others are also well known features to carefully study for completeness of strike.
I don't venture into this realm but my instinct says, no, don't buy rolls expecting to find hidden treasures. Not only are you unlikely to score, but you will have paid a premium for the "alleged" virgin coin rolls, which after you break them open and inspect the coins, you end up with a large pile of raw (uncertified) common date coins with no way of recovering the premium you paid. But again, I don't know much about coin rolls and such so perhaps someone else will chime in on this subject.
Keep up the enthusiasm Maryelise. Carson City coins are a worthy and ever fascinating subject. Regardless of a person's financial ability to collect examples, it's an avocation that will provide great reward and enjoyment.
Belay Off
C4OA Lifer!
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