Help Grading GSA Morgans

Most of the GSA dollars I have seen in the MS-61 to 63 range. It's rare to see a really high grade one. These coins were stored and bags and moved around now and then. Every time they were moved and dropped, the coins could pick up marks.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

My opinion suggested they were rinsed before GSA encapsulation. Thus over time became like you see it.

 

Wow, did you know about the coins, Pub ? Presumably, your parents knew you were seriously into coin collecting so I would expect they might have mentioned they had these coins ?

Also nice that you had 48 years of safety in the SDB. We had some threads here about how if you lose stuff in a SDB, you are out of luck: theft....bank closings...bank take-overs and name changes...etc.

My father has 2 gold coins (graded) he purchased with me years ago. He has them hidden in the loft and I told him to write down where they are so whenever he passes on (or I or he needs to find them), we know where they are !!! He's 85 and while he doesn't have Alzheimer's (thank god), he doesn't remember stuff as easily. No idea where those 2 coins are....if not in a bigger box, they could be anywhere in the loft and it could take hours to find them, assuming we could.

 

I collected coins as a teenager but didn't give the hobby a second though until two years ago. So, while I knew about this stuff, until Mom passed it never factored into my thinking at all.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going through them now looking for the VAMs.

 

Does anyone know if GSA coins were processed ( dipped or cleaned) before being placed in the holders? I have always assumed they were just pulled out of the bags and holdered. I think the coins posted are 62-63 imo; the one with brown tarnish looks like it has some abrasions but to me does not look "messed with."

 

Could have sworn I heard of them getting a bath. Perhaps the ones you talked about that were in circulation then packaged in GSA's.
Thanks for your info, interesting

 

[QUOTE="GDJMSP, post: 4685169, member: 112"I used the term "messed with" because what you are calling abrasions - they are scratches, put there by human hand.[/QUOTE]

I agree. The coin you are referring to and one other in this 10-coin lot have hairlines like you would see on a wiped proof. Now, whether that's because it was circulated or because someone in the mint or mint's employ wiped it off with a cloth rag before encapsulation is a question for wiser heads than mine.

 

It's possible that whoever put it in the holder at the GSA used their thumb to try to wipe off whatever the discoloration is.

 

I understand from reading about the GSA packaging and sales, the coins in the cardboard presentation boxes ecapsulated in the hard plastic were being marketed by GSA as uncirculated. Circulated coins, GSA encased in a soft casing and were sold specifically as being circulated. Did they make mistakes? It's the gummint and they did millions of coins so I'd say yes.

Gotta look at the coins, not the holders.

 

My unprofessional opinion. I can be wrong, I'm just getting into this VAM thing.

"worst" is 1884 CC VAM 4B
"avg" is 1884 CC VAM 2
"best" is 1884 CC VAM 6

my opinion, save some money, send them for grading and attribution to ANACS. PCGS doesn't do 1884 CC VAM attributions. I think NGC will only do the VAM 2 but not the pther two. ANACS does the most and will grade them, they certify any verifiable VAM and in my opinion, graded fairly, while NGC then PCGS respectively, will grade them harsher in general because of their higher standards to meet. (personally I think people pay the more believing PCGS is possibly undergraded vs. NGC, and have the perception than ANACS is overgraded because of it) anywho....

Of course ANACS resells the cheapest price of the 3 grading companies, but they will put the VAM on the slabs for a lot of VAMs the other companies won't do it for, if it's a verifiable VAM, they will put it on the slab label.

Also I'd say they will likely come in MS63-MS64 wuith ANACS. I think the "Avg" coin is staining from storage before it was put into the holder for the worst of the detracting marks and may even clean up nicely as far as the streaking, but maybe not, hard to tell from the picture what that's about, but might have been some bag staining from moisture at the vault before it was holdered, like a dried coffee ring on a counter, maybe it blots off with some distilled water.

 

I don't send many coins in for grading, but when I do I take them to a trusted dealer who typically suggests PCGS, but in the case of the GSA Morgans, suggests NGC. As others here have said, the NGC certification leaves the holder intact and so that it will fit back in the original GSA box. The other advice is to only send in the coins you think will get a MS64 grade or higher. Raw GSA 1884-CC Morgans go for about $200 each as do the ones graded MS63 or lower. You start to get a pop above $200 with the MS64 grade and of course getting a MS 65 will be very sweet! As for attributing the VAM varieties, I do that myself with a sticker. Not sure how others feel about getting the VAM attributions when sending out for grading.

 

Thanks for sharing and sorry for your loss.
Like most here, Worst 62-63, Average 63-64, Best 64-65 maybe PL.
IMO

 

I thought all the GSA coins came from long-lost Morgans which were uncirculated ?

 

Some Morgans in the vaults were coins that had seen circulation and then put in the vaults to back the paper currency, so they were circulated. Apparently if the Morgan dollar showed toning, it was considered by the GSA as circulated. So...you pretty much have to ignore how GSA labeled the coin and use your own eyes.