A) my wife showed me 5 Proof coins (forget if walkers or peace) for $25 for the set, and said "Gee that seems cheap.) But I didn't by them because the box and attending "certification docments" said they were struck by "The national Mint Corp" or somesuch. I felt perhaps they were not legal tender coins. Could you enlighten me on this? b) Confronted with some nice Morgans in 2X2's today, I had to decide between a 1889 New Orleans mint, or a 1921 D. The 1889 was priced at $22.50 and the 1921 at $24.50. They were both bright,clear coins. Having been watching too much tv auctions, I thought the New Orleans worth more, however the dealer mentioned 1921 as the last year they made the Morgan. The 1889 was perfect, but the breast feathers of the eagle were smooth. On the 1921, It was brighter still, and I could see every V in the breast feathers. Bought the 1889. Which would you have bought?
You made a good call on both a and b, in my opinion. I've never heard of the National Mint Corp. before and would probably steer clear unless you just like the tokens they make. Second, the 21D Morgans are a dime a dozen and are usually very easy to aquire cheaply in superb grades, as they mostly sat unused even more so than other dates. The NO minted Morgans are a real challenge to gather, especially in nice grades. I've managed to collect all of the NO Morgans except the 95o, which is getting next to impossible to find in above XF these days. So, I may be predudice in my thinking the NO's are a better buy than late date D's in Morgans, but still, you chose well in my opinion. Guy~
Thanks for making me feel better. My coin was marked Vf, but I'm just starting out. I feel that collector/hobbyist/dealers with lots of experience, often grade their coin one grade lower than I would have graded it...so I'm happy with my purchase.
From what I have seen, most dealers grade on the high side. The way you described yours it sounds like it is a VF. besides, you can't go wrong since you only paid a few dollars over melt. Nice grab :kewl: stainless
NOT I agree with Stainless .. It's better to assume most "sellers" whether they be collectors, hobbyist, or dealers will tend be on the high side of the grade. Best advice .....do some studying, buy a few grading guide books and even the playing field when it comes to buying raw coins !! Good luck in your collecting:thumb:
National Mint Corp. Aren't those the guys with the twin tower coins advertised on TV? You were wise to pass....
Post a photo if you can. From what it sounds like maybe your coin is cleaned. A coin grading VF shouldn't be bright..... Speedy
You know, I think you may be right. A lot of coins down here are cleaned before they are sold, and if they have no wear, dings, or scratches, they look awful good. However, while bright and silvery, they don't have that 'New mint glow", and under the glass, this coin has a little dirtlike residue where the writing is on the rim,evenly dispersed around the writing.
