Help Grading GSA Morgans

My mother of 96 recently passed away and in going through her safety deposit box, I found twn GSA Morgans, all 1884 CCs, in the original boxes with certificates that my father purchased back in the early 1970s, presumably directly from the government. They've been sitting in the SDB for the last 48 years.

Morgans are definitely not my thing but I have tentatively graded them. Can some of you Morgan experts put some grades to these three that I have selected as representative of the worst, average and best of the lot?

The selection is based only upon bag marks but the streaking you see appears only on the two coins shown, not on any of the rest.

 

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Condolences on your loss, Pub.

 

Condolences. I’d say the worst is 63. The average is a 63, maybe 64. The best is 64, maybe 65, maybe PL.

 

The “worst” one also has an obverse clash.

 

Thanks for the condolences. She passed as easily as anyone could and while she was in an assisted living facility she got to see family through the window a couple of days prior.

The "best" definitely has potential to be PL but it might be on the bubble.

 

I'm very sorry for your loss. My best guess would MS 63 for all. Nice coins by the way.

 

Sorry for your loss. They are in the 63-64 range, typical of GSA CC coins.

 

The one you have listed as “ave” is a Vam2. The one is doubled just above the upper point and lower crossbar and the first C in CC is doubled on the left inside.

the one you have labeld as “best” is Vam6. Same Reverse as above with the doubled C with some sweet fine polishing lines. But the obverse is different with the left 8 doubled on the right side of the lower loop.

 

Is the circled portion between the chin and lower lip the clash you're referring to? There are two or three of these in the lot of ten coins.

 

IMO, 64 on the best one, 63 on the other two.

 

So far, everyone's grades are pretty close to what I had judged them to be.

Here's another question, do you think it's worth sending them in to PCGS or NGC to be graded and certified? My thinking is it's not but there are wiser heads out there than me.

 

yeah, there, plus under her throat, and behind her bonnet. They are not worth anything but I love them.




vamworld has an awesome pic with the opposite side overlays:

http://ec2-13-58-222-16.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com/wiki/Clashed_dies

 

Very sorry for your loss

If you do get them certified go with NGC particularly if you have all the original documents and box . NGC does a wonderful job with a Label on the original holder vrs an oversized holder or crack out.

 

"Worse" is a VAM-4b - Somewhat rare

 

You have my sympathy. I think they will range from 62-65.

 

Condolences on your loss.

 

I'm also in the 63-64 camp on these.
Maybe the best can squeeze out a 64+/65 (if given the "CC bump").

If grading, I'd only pick the ones from the "best" batch (unless one of the vams is worth something...I'm not sure as I don't follow those). NGC would be my choice since they put a ribbon around the holder (which means it can still be kept in the original packaging). PCGS slabs the entire holder in a bigger holder and ends up being more bulky (and won't fit into the original box). Plus, if some are close to PL (or one-sided PLs), then you might see a star from NGC (which would add more value).

 

Yeah, I looked at that one closely also. To me it looks more to me like rinse residue over heavy die polish lines. Definitely not sure about this one either

 

I can see why you'd think this given the streaks on the reverse and I'm not refuting it but I'd like to point out that:

- These were purchased from GSA by my father in the original sales.
- There is absolutely zero evidence that the plastic holder has been opened nor evidence of any attempts to do so.
- They were held in an interior closet of the same air-conditioned house in a metal lock box until 1993 when they were transferred to a bank safety deposit box where they have resided ever since.

So, other than handling at GSA and their contractors up to the point of encapsulation, I can't see where there would have been any opportunity to mess with the coin.

Honestly, I don't care if it's been messed with or not - there isn't enough money in these Morgans to really care about it. I'm just curious why you think its been messed with.

There is another Morgan in this batch of 10 that has a patch of something between the date and bust. Looks kind of fuzzy and maybe "gluey" and would definitely impact its gradeability IMO so maybe whoever was encapsulating the GSA's was careless or sloppy? Anybody know anything of the QC that went into the distribution of these things, just as a matter of academic interest?