This seems to be in pretty good shape, got a good deal on it. Commemorative slabs are kind of interesting to me. Same for GSA as well as hoard slabs, a little piece of history. GTG. I paid about MS 60 price for it, plus it's a decent VAM of some sort with several clashes. Haven't received it yet to look more closely. I may send it in the ANACs for a crossover grade, for lack of better terminology since it isn't graded. Might have them grade it on top of the original holder. Reverse looks like a typical New Orleans weak strike, but other than that, pretty nice.
Thanks. Seller's photos. The obverse is nearly flawless, the reverse has issues though with bag marks and a weak strike. I think I did okay on the transaction overall. (as long as the Post Office doesn't lose this one).
Based on the photos, it looks like an MS 64 to me. But if that were the case, it is odd that someone would send it in to be slabbed this way with no grade given that a 64 is around $500 on eBay nowadays.
And to add, this is technically not a sample slab. Those tend to need to have the word sample on the label. This is a bulk grading slab where a dealer was able to send a large number of coins at once where all would come back with that same label. There could also have been stipulations, like only put a numerical grade if the coin reaches MS XX, otherwise just put uncirculated.
I've got another NGC coin slabbed similarly. No grade, just labeled brilliant uncirculated. What I don't get, if they are going through the process of slabbing and authenticating straight grade, how hard is it to not assign a grade to it? It makes no sense to me. That coin is also very bag mark free and looks to be a high grader. I will be submitting both of them in to be graded
Usually it is quicker and less expensive to do it this way. Some of the big dealers or people that sell on TV will send 500-1,000 at once all like this. If each coin were to be graded it would take longer, cost more, and have all sorts of grades. This way all the holders look the same and the only grading to be done is determining that the coins are uncirculated.
Thanks for the reply. I'm always looking to cherry pick coins that are bulk graded like that. I just never understood the justification for that. I've seen plenty of coins graded by the top three that make me shake my head as to how that got graded as high as they are when I see some really fine coins that are authenticated but not graded, many times much better than ones with an assigned grade.
Usually it makes sense as the coins I've seen are MS 62 or at best MS 63 common dates. But occasionally a nicer one does sneak by so you can find better coins in these holders.
I'm struggling to understand what an 1887-O dollar has to do with the Pittman Act. It survived being melted?
I am at MS64, because if the coin was MS65 it would have been graded as such. This coin is from a bulk submission that didn't meet the minimum grade.
I agree that at MS 65 it would not be in such a bulk sub. Still even at MS 63, it's a date (87-O) that is worth $175-$200 (and at MS 64 we are approaching $500). So it is an odd choice of coin to send in like this. Maybe the submitter mixed it in with a bunch of 1887 Philadelphia minted Morgans which are more common.
That would be my guess as well. He probably submitted rolls and didn't check all the coins for mintmarks.
Did you forget who will be taking these photos? I'm very pleased with the score no matter what. It's a tough date for it's condition considering what I paid. The reverse is a little sketchy compared to the obverse which is usually just the opposite of what happens when rolling around in bank bags.
Me too. It was "celebrated" in 2018 when it was slabbed. The centennial of the date of the Act. It's another marketing ploy for sure, I have a hard time seeing how it adds any value at all.
Here's the NGC images if it helps someone grade it. Looks like a great score to me. I'm having problems picking out the VAM http://www.vamworld.com/wiki/1887-O_VAMs. A few have the same clash but not the same MM position. Your die crack through TES OF might help.
I looked under attribution for round O. Nothing jumps out at me either. Some are easy, some are headaches. This one makes my head hurt. There just aren't enough photos at VAM World, it's got a G clash, neck mark clash, both wreathes on either side are clashed. John at VSS (messydesk) can probably look at it for 30 seconds and nail it.