Lehigh96

New Orleans mint Morgan Dollars are notorious for having weak strikes. The example below is no exception. An 1884-O Morgan Dollar with severe flatness on the hair above the ear and basically no breast feather detail on the reverse. But does the weak strike really detract from the overall eye appeal of the coin. Certainly some will say yes, and others might say no. I want to know what you would say about this coin.

The obverse displays sea foam green intermingled with bright cobalt blue and violet in the center. Some blushes of magenta and orange gold can be seen on the peripheries. The reverse is essentially untoned. In addition the coin has full cartwheel luster that is not muted by the toning but not what one would call blazing either.

Imagine you are a grader at NGC, how would you grade this coin? Please give your grade for each element of grading (surface preservation, strike, luster, and eye appeal) as well as your overall grade and an explanation that helps us understand your market grade.




Furthermore, I would like to know everyone's opinion on the impact of a weak strike on the overall eye appeal of a coin.

spock1k

Avtaar naswer: I cant answer your question. i wont imagine being a grader at a TPG even if you gave me the coin.

Spocks answer : i need to get rid of the avtaar

Lehigh in all seriousness as far a si know NGC has never published what their grades mean so how can anyone honestly answer the question from a ngc perspective.

I do like the coin however

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Lehigh96

Have you been drinking (spelling & grammar)?

This is meant to be an exercise in fantasy, you don't need to know NGC's standards to participate. The objective is to give your opinion of marketing grading and how you feel the different elements of grading affect the end grade of a coin.

spock1k

mango juice u should try it u wont need any coinsafter that

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spock1k

please see we needed u on the other thread we are not going anywhere without ur photoskills on that one.

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Lehigh96

What thread are you talking about----Link Please!

spock1k

here

we nee du to fix the first pic

http://www.cointalk.com/forum/t51364/

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snaz

Assuming that isn't a scratch behind her head. I can't imagine it is.
I'd be willng to bet the nicks on her cheek are not nearly as bad in hand as they are n the picture. I would grade this coin MS66.
Great eye appeal, great luster on the obverse and especially the reverse, and who gives a hoot about the strike. They are almost all that way. Thanks for the thread Lehigh.

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Shawn

Canadian Small cents : 108/124 87% complete
Canadian Large cents: 44/56 78% complete
Canadian Small cents MS: 64/124 51.7% complete

kanga

In terms of grading that coin, the graders are good at looking at the flat spots and differentiating between wear and the original planchet surface.
(That's something I've GOT to learn before I get serious about buying raw coins.)
Couple that with their knowledge about the "O" Mint and they've got a good start.

I suspect they have printed guidance (and images or real coins?) on a year by year basis for all coins.
BUT it's only guidance.
After that comes their personal experiences and biases.
That's why more than one person grades each coin AND a final review is done.

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mark_h

I can't see the obverse well enough to make a judgement call on the photo. The reverse is very nice. I do not think there is any correlation between eye appeal and weak strike - in my opinion. Now if the obverse is an nice as the reverse - I think 64. Just too many (what look like hits) on the obverse.

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Just Carl

1. I am not a toned coin person so that would stop me from grading it
2. I would probably try to get rid of the toning
3. Great looking coin and so called weak stikes don't bother me at all.
4. I also stink at grading so you'ld hate any grade I'd put on that coin.
5. I like the coin except for the toning.

eddiespin

I don't know, Lehigh, isn't that a big scratch on the right-top quarter-panel? BTW, with that color description (sea foam green intermingled with bright cobalt blue and violet in the center; some blushes of magenta and orange gold), you missed your calling, I think, you should be an ad man.

But seriously, I think Mr. Spock has a good point about the TPGs. In fact, I'll go as far as to stretch that and say, sometimes, at least, I don't even think they have standards. Heck, if eye appeal these days is the mantra, all you need is, well, a set of "peepers" and an opinion. Who can't do that? I'm serious.

You're fantasizing, so I'll play along. Let me take another look at it, I can't see it as I'm writing this, hang in there for a few...

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mrbrklyn

I think it is MS66

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GDJMSP

surface preservation - there are too many hits in the prime focal areas (particularly obv) for the coin to be graded higher than 64.

strike - about average, thus no higher than 64

luster - it is there but also only of 64 quality. Even with toning the luster should not be so muted. Of course quality of luster is largely due to quality of strike so this is to be expected.

eye appeal - the toning is about all this coin has going for it. Pretty much everything else shades the coin in a negative light IMO. I find the marks behind the head and below the chin particularly distracting, to the point that I would pass on the coin at any price.

Overall, I would still grade the coin a 64, but it would definitely be a lower end 64 for the reasons noted above.


Eye appeal is one of those qualities where you have to be familiar with the known characteristics of a given date and mint so that proper allowances can be made for the same in regard to a weak strike. So no, a weak strike does not impact eye appeal very much with a coin such as this.

Conversely, a weak strike on a coin known for being well struck will greatly affect the eye appeal to the downside.

For those who are familiar with date/mint charcateristics I think this happens automatrically - even without thought on the matter. You just can't help it - it just happens.

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mrbrklyn

Are you contributing the break in tone on the obverse to bag marks?

Ruben

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