GTG: 1904-S Morgan Dollar

What would you grade this coin? It's in a PCGS holder, likely late 90's/early 2000s blue label.

 

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AU-Detail (Cleaned)

 

It does look cleaned with all those scratches.

 

I say AU 53 if it straight grades. That's a tough cookie to acquire! The scratches are in a random sequence so maybe they give it a pass from circulation, in other words it doesn't appear to be systematic intentional wiping. I've seen PCGS straight grade coins with more trauma. It's a nice coin considering the rarity in that condition. Oh, and one of the "scratches" through the date isn't a scratch, nice die crack.

 

XF details

 

From the photo, it appears that enough luster is clinging to the stars and other devices to qualify it as a low AU (50 - 53) but it appears to have enough wear to qualify as an XF (40-45) or lower. To me, the scratches don't suggest cleaning but a rough life through circulation. Cleaning is certainly a possibility, though. Since others are saying details, I'll say it straight-graded at an XF 45 just to be contrarian. A details grade will not be surprising, though.

I look forward to seeing what PCGS' opinion was.

@Barney McRae - I'm with you on the nice die crack.

 

AU Details - Polished just to be different.

 

I was going to call it AU50-53.. but on closer observation of the obverse, most of the scratches could easily be called "circulation" but on the ear to the hair, there is no question that it is cleaned.. so I have to say
AU details (sowwy)
On a side note, I would happily add that piece to my morgan set (04s is a hard puppy to find nice and affordable)

 

AU details cleaned was my first thought and I'm sticking with it

 

AU details also.

 

XF details

 

AU-50 and maybe details... there aren't many scratches but the bulk of ones that are there look directional. I wouldn't turn that coin away though!

 

XF Details

 

Actually I think that's the result of a very weak strike there that didn't eliminate lines on the planchet, or perhaps die polish. Here's one on Heritage with similar lines (a different direction) that notes the weak strike https://coins.ha.com/itm/morgan-dol.../a/1258-4566.s?ic4=ListView-Thumbnail-071515#. The lines even extend across the cheek and jaw.

Here's a blowup of that area so viewers don't have to work too hard.

 

Here's the reveal:

 

Why oh why do they even bother doing that.

 

So I was right, or I wasn't. As well as lots of others.

"
92
Cleaning
Holdered
Surface damage due to any form of abrasive cleaning. "Cleaned" covers a wide range or appearances, from a grossly polished [I'm right!] coin to one where faint hairlines can be seen only at a particular angle or in only one area on an otherwise perfectly normal coin. This is perhaps the most frustrating of all the No Grades"

No kidding.

 

I'm fairly new to sending off coins to PCGS. It seems like there was a "Genuine" option (for another fee). I was wondering what that was for. I'm still not sure why, is this in lieu of being in a details holder? Or is this back in the day when details coins sent back in body bags, before they gave a general category (XF, AU, MS, details?) At some point market pressured them into following ANACS with the graded details designation, when that was, I don't know.

 

I believe this was the first time that PCGS transitioned from "body bags" (details coins returned in a flip) to actually holdering them. Eventually they started beinga bit more specific by including UNC/AU/XF/VF...etc details (they have not gone to the degree Anacs has of doing a number for details grades).

There are also special bulk rates for dealers at PCGS and NGC where they can have all coins below a certain grade (that the dealer sets) come back in just a genuine holder (or something like Brilliant Uncirculated). This option costs less. However, I don't think this particular PCGS holder is one of those examples.