Picked up a nice collection of high grade Morgan dollars last night, here is the first to make it into pictures - although I am not quite sure they do it justice. The coin has proof like surfaces but lacks cameo contrast. Appears to be a VAM-2 with very noticeable doubling in the legend on the reverse and a heavy polishing mark beneath the first 8 on the obverse. To my eye, it's a very nice MS64 DMPL. Comments...
It looks like a nice coin but it is really hard to tell much from the pics! Try taking more pics with another background and try a different lighting set-up and post the new pics. As is, the coin appears polished and dipped but I doubt that is the case and it is just the pics. Frank
I wasn't sure from the pics, but I was going to say the same thing, either polished or whizzed. Maybe it's just the pics though.
I agree with Frank. The detail wants to tell me it's original surfaces, but the way the color and lighting is in the photo, it would be easy to think otherwise. PL coins are a nightmare to photograph at the best of times. Guy~
Yes, they certainly are difficult to photograph. I used to use a Canon PowerShot G3 which did an amazing job of photographing almost any coin, but alas it appears to have failed me and at the moment I am forced to use utilize a home grade Sony that doesn't seem to do coins justice no matter the lighting. I can tell you that the surfaces are original, the coin has most certainly not been dipped or polished. I'll try to get some better photos.
See if this helps - The coin is definitely not polished, cd would know. Not sure it would go DMPL though, the reverse doesn't seem to have the same reflectivity the obverse does. And as noted, the frost is kind of light. Definite PL though. And I'd say it's an easy 65.
It's a tough call on MS64 versus MS65. There is a light mark on her lower cheek and a small mark in the field left of the eagle's wing that don't show up well in the photo. Think if the coin was sent out, on a good day it might come back MS65. As for PL versus DMPL, that's a tough call as well. From a reflectivity standpoint, it makes the grade no problem at all but it does lack the cameo contrast one would normally look for in a DMPL. I think, that being the case, you might be right that were it to be sent out it may well come back a PL.
I'd think it would get in 65 plastic myself, the TPGs are somewhat less critical of CC Morgans, and I have a 64 in my hand right now that's MUCH baggier than that coin.
I'd say an easy 65.......it is obviously a nice coin. edit: Is it just me or do CC's tend to get some leeway? GD, your pic improvement helped bigtime.
As I have finished the collection of Abe, I may stray back into familiar territory, the mighty Morgan.......thats all I did for a long time, DMPLs and toners......The CC tends to be a very " romantic" coin and I have seen them slabbed and said to myself HUH?????? they graded that a 65???????
I think, more then anything, this thread might serve to highlight the importance of good photography and software. In days past, I used to photograph my coins with a Canon PowerShot G3 4 Megapixel camera. I then opened them in Adobe Photoshop on my Mac laptop and adjusted them for color, curves, etc. I did no editing beyond that. The photos posted here were taken with an 8MP Sony camera that has nowhere near the same ability to pick up detail in a closeup. While it has a Macro function, it's only of limited usefulness. As for editing, I need to install an alternative to Photoshop to adjust the photos after they are taken. Were all of you to see this coin in person, I would bet good money that none of you would put it at MS66. There are two marks that hold it back that simply do not appear in the photos. Interestingly, in another thread I photographed a coin which has marks which were brought out and appear FAR more prominent then they are to the naked eye - or under a glass. In fact, you really have to have the glass to even notice them. So, completely by accident you have one coin which is looking better then it should and one worse. Try translating that into buying on eBay or by photo!
cdcda...I have a Sony 8 mega camera, I'll tell you first hand, it is the hardest darn camera to learn I have ever messed with. I just now am getting comfortable shooting copper with it after timeless experiments and trashed pics in the recycle bin, then to start on these quarters, it is like learning it all over gain. Silver, gold and copper all require different settings, lighting techniques and methods. It really makes you understand how good some of these picture guru's really are. Circ's, BU;s, toners...proofs...I am pulling my hair out
