Did I get a good deal? Newcomer to coins.

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to get your opinions on some coins I recently picked up. I'm just starting out with my collection and these seemed like some good ones to begin with. I got them at my local flea market and I believe they are a morgan silver dollar, barber half dollar, and a three cent piece. I paid $23 for a package deal of the three coins which seemed too good to be true since I believe the silver alone in the morgan is worth about that. Anyway I just wanted to get your opinion on them such as value, grade (best pics I could get with my camera, sorry), have they been cleaned, and the official names for each (especially the three cent piece). Thanks for any input and I can't wait to learn more from the site.

 

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The Morgan dollar has been cleaned, but overall melt-value wise, you did very well. The 3 cent piece definitely has some numismatic value added to it.

 

For $23 I would have jumped all over that.

 

i would say for them that you should easily be able to get around 45 for them all if you sold them so not bad at all !!!

 

Awesome score. While most "to good to be true deals" really are to good to be true, if you know your stuff and how to detect fakes or fraud, you can still really get amazing deals!

 

non_cents- how do you know the Morgan was cleaned?

 

Look around Liberty's face and to the left - there are scratches everywhere. Most visible on the last picture. Normally I can't see what others are seeing when they say a coin is cleaned, so I'm guessing this is an egregious example.

 

Lord Geoff- I think it would be easier to tell under normal light, but I do see your point.

 

Pretty much what Geoff said...there appear to be abrasion/polish lines that indicate the coin was scrubbed or polished, or otherwise cleaned.

 

I think you got a darn good deal. Be happy!

 

I would say that Morgan has been whizzed. But still a really good deal for what you got.

 

DUmb question asked in advance- what does "whizzed" mean? Is it standard practice for dealers to do this?

 

WHIZZED coins have been cleaned with a fast, rotary wire brush in order to simulate the effect of mint luster on a circulated coin.
And no one should do this to a coin. It is improper cleaning and in most cases severely degrades the value. You can see information improperly cleaned coins here:
http://www.ngccoin.com/details/improperly-cleaned-coins.aspx

 

Thanks. I had some semi-numismatic coins that were beginning to tones. Soaked then in apple vinegar for 2-5 minutes and they were as good as new. I know the internet is full of crazy cleaning methodologies but the vinegar worked great and this is after much trial and error with other techniques.

 

Most of the methodologies on this and other coin collecting forums would say to NOT CLEAN COINS

 

Not the best of ideas to use vinegar. It has acid in it and if (when) you don't get it all off it will continue to eat into the coin. 99.99% of the time it is best not to clean coins.

 

Gotcha. I just feel so frustrated when a 10-15 yr old coin becomes tarnished... like a Panda, or Kooaburra.

I've tried every method out their bessides "dipping " the coin.

 

If you must clean a coin, I would bet most forum members would say use Acetone and distilled water.

 

You are correct sir. Not to hi-jack this thread but look at my new post under Coin Chat about cleaning coins.

 

I think the morgan is fake.