Please guess the grade and also let us know what grade you think the coin should be (could be the same-depending on your standards). There is a TruView photo and an auction house photo (it’s the same coin).
Neat coin. I think PCGS went and said MS66. There are quite a few really nice 1881S's out there including a few MS68s. The toning is gorgeous but maybe the slight flatness of the hair lines above the ear, held it back. My personal grade would be 67 or 67+. Maybe it's just me, but I have feeling this one graded a bit lower than everyone thinks.
67 @ddddd , Is that at a Legend auction now or recently? I feel like I just saw that coin. BTW, look at how the Trueview minimized the field disturbances.
"Braveheart" Wait, someone has gone and removed the Certificate No., how are we going to give an accurate grade guess? Because of the toning, I'll go 67
It might have been at Legend; I haven't checked. It sold at several venues in the last few years. And the TruView is an example of why I don't like to use it or rely on it by itself.
I think you are overly harsh on true views. To me, way more times than not, they are by far the best images to buy from. I own about 30 coins with TVs and the only one I think is meh is an older cert when the images probably weren't as good as today. Admittedly there are times when they hide stuff but I think that's the exception rather than the rule and it's also unintentional. They are also pretty useless with proofs, but so is any image of a proof really. In general buying from ANY image is a risk. I really hope someday soon selling from images and videos ala instagram becomes the norm. Ebay needs to add that feature and maybe other auction houses will follow. Still not fool proof and buying in person can never be beat but seeing a video helps a lot. Here's an example with GC vs TV. I bought this recently from GC as a total gamble because look at the images. I was thrilled when it arrived and sent it to be TVed. The TV could not be more perfect holding the coin in hand and look at how different it is from GC. I will buy from a TV with confidence and very rarely be disappointed. Oh and here's the one I think is a terrible TV, makes a gorgeous coin in hand look pretty bad for the grade:
There are examples where the TruView shows a nicer photo. They do have a way of capturing the best case look. I'll agree that a TruView is safer to use than most photographs you'll find on eBay or various forums. GC tends to have better photos than most sources and I have rarely been disappointed with the look of coins I've bought from their photos. Coins that are smaller-like the gold dollar you posted-are more difficult to photograph. I can see those not turning out as well. I stand by my comment, I have owned coins (particularly Morgans) where the TruView hides the marks/hits.
I currently own 0 Morgans so maybe it's more often the case with them. I don't own one coin that I would feel I'm hiding something by selling it with only the TV though. Of all the major auction houses I would choose a TV over their images every single time (the ones I've bought from multiple times: GC, stacks, HA, David Lawrence, Legend (who now uses TVs I noticed)).
It might be mainly Morgans (at least that is what I've had the most experience with). This coin is my example; if you tilt it, then the marks were minimized, but they were there. However, the TruView made the hits virtually disappear (unless you click and zoom into the image).
MS 66. I agree that TruViews hide some issues of many coins, and are not “true” representations of the coin in hand. That one looks gorgeous in hand—quite a Morgan!