GTG: 1883 Morgan Dollar

Do you want to learn to grade Morgans, or do you want to be right? Hey, no big deal to me—I have been collecting these things for over 50 years. My GTGs are educational—I don’t do it just to solicit opinions.

 

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Well I got the assigned grade. I'll agree that the photos clearly hid the PL. Nice coin. Good luck with the bean submission. Please share again later.

 

63, and I'm not a fan of the toning. Lots of marks on the obverse keep it from a higher grade, IMO.

 

Missed this. Agree with assessments/comments as have many like it...even a few rather baggy 64PLs and even a 65DMPL (all PCGS)...but just from the photos strictly on PL (not grade), this looks much more PL than the 1883, to me.

 

Looking forward to the CAC results... A green bean seems like a no brainer. Fingers crossed for that coveted gold bean...

 

That is the photographs, my friend. The person who listed this (the 79s) on eBay turned up the contrast. Besides, as I said, there are different types of PL coins, and different degrees of cameo.

Like this better? This is the same coin, with exposure changed, and contrast boosted. The original picture is accurate—this one is not.

 

I agree. The reverse looks like a MS 65 but the obverse is a tuff call. If I saw it in a 64 slab I'd be ok with that. Proof like is a tuff call based on the pictures. That is something best to judge in hand. I have a number of high end Morgan's that are PL but it's hard to tell by a picture. The 1883 has a great strike and frosty. If I saw it raw and offered as choice BU I'd buy it no questions asked. It's to bad they don't grade them the way ANACS did in the early days. They would grade each side of the coin. You would a grade like 63/65 or 64/66.

 

Dilettante that I am, I was hoping I would have learnt something useful without spending a whole lot of time looking something up. I have to assume, Mr dude11, that your assumption is that we ALL know what PL is or even DMPL or DNC, aka D & C mean.

 

PL is Prooflike. It means that the Morgan has the appearance of being like a proof coin, despite being a business strike.
DMPL is Deep Mirror Proof Like. It is a higher degree of appearing Prooflike, with deep mirrors, and a strong cameo like appearance. Thus it looks something like a cameo proof, while being a business strike.

 

I dipped mine and am very disappointed as they looked better before I dipped.

 

Told ya. Dipping can kill that incredible look in the fields. With highly reflective, Prooflike Morgans one must be very careful. Sorry it destroyed what I am sure was a beautiful coin.

 

Thanks. It sure did ruin a pretty coin and I'll never dip again.