I have one more Morgan to nab then I am going to take some time and focus on what I want to mainly collect next. I am still working on the Peace dollars, but this site has really opened my eyes to all sorts of possibilities. I suppose I want them all!
I'd call it AU-55 f I'm the images, but it may just be a weak strike. You would need to see if there are any luster breaks on the high points to determine if it is AU or MS. The high points are the Eagles breast on the reverse and the hair on the obverse. Judging by the hair just above the ear on the obverse isn't a very good spot because this may just be bagmarks, but the section of the hair above that should be pretty telling.
No Morgan dollars yet. May get a set of 14 different dates/MM when my mother in law passes on, along with 3 quarter eagles and two half eagles. It pays to be a good son-in-law!
I am happy to say I purchased a very nice looking XF problem free example last year along with an XF Lafayette $ for my type set.
Along with Daniel, I would love to have an Isabella quarter and a Lafayette dollar. Perhaps a trade dollar also.
Popular coins I don't own are basically all keys since I primarily collect U.S. types (1892-2009) and year type/proof sets (1929-2009). I sold off all my whole sets years ago when I needed money for food and rent after losing my job, regretably.
This is interesting to me since Lincoln cents are generally the entry point for U.S. collectors, at least, up till recent years. May I ask what coins you buy?
You choose food and shelter over coins? Two demerits for you @Daniel Jones. I got five when I sold off my Morgan collection when my kid was on his way. It included a PR-63 1895 and helped pay for my first house.
Sometimes under magnification you can see parallel lines that would indicate what people here call "harsh cleaning". Otherwise an overly bright or clean coin that shows wear is always suspected of having been cleaned.
I have owned many of them over time. But once I complete a type set, I'll keep it for a few years and then sell it to buy something else. I will cherry pick a few coins within the collection just to have as examples. With those exceptions, I no longer have Morgan dollars, (Saved all the CC mints) Peace dollars, Franklin half dollars (Proofs and business strikes) Walking Liberty half dollars, Jefferson nickles and all current mint sets. I do buy one silver proof set of coins each year but nothing else. I never tried to save any one cent pieces after the year 1900. I did obtain the few Indian Heads that were struck after. The same for all dimes and quarters. I was more intrigued with the classic coins and collected them instead. I have started to collect large size U.S. paper currency and fractionals. A few small size notes due to unusual serial numbers or errors. All the paper currency within the last 10 years.
I could have typed that myself. I still like adding Morgans' to my collection though. I just added one and a Peace Dollar over the weekend. Ssh. Don't tell anyone. I'm supposed to be following a budget, or something like that.