1921-S VAM 1b Thornhead Morgan Dollar with peculiar line thru date - crack or scratch?

So I walked into my college town LCS today showing one of my recent coin purchases, and didn’t come expecting to buy anything. However I looked in his Morgan Dollar tray for a bit. Noticed that a 1921-S dollar in there had a big die gouge between the leaf and Phrygian cap. Woohoo! I asked how much he wanted, and he said $36, which I paid.

Now I am trying to attribute which die state this VAM could be. 1b-6 looks closest, but there is something peculiar about this one. There is a die crack running from the rim at 6:30 through the 1 and 9 of the date before stopping at the 2. As much as I’m trying to call it just a random scratch… I’m kind of feeling it’s a die crack. No other piece I have found has this line.





@jtlee321 @Paddy54 what do you think?

 

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After looking at it a bit more… I am leaning towards scratch. Oh well. Enjoy my cherrypick, I guess.

 

Let me take a look later tonight...when I can sit and go through the 21 s vams...21's are a tough vams to match up at times.. I know JTlee would be a better set of eyes...but Ill get back to you Flip.

 

It's a 1B6.

 

Just seeing this, but I think Dave is correct. I have not tried to attribute a Thornhead in a while. But it does appear to be the 1B6b. Double check it for the 1B6a, as it seems to be a recent addition to the die progression.

 

1B-6 is what I came up with, probably b as well but I will check. It is the most common of the Thornheads but I still gladly took it for $36. I believe it would grade AU-55 or so. It has luster... but man 1921-S Morgans are ugly and weakly struck.

 

Definitely looks like a scratch.

 

The mint did absolutely no justice to Morgans original design when they re-hubbed for '21.

 

It looks like a die crack in the date. I can see where the crack starts near the rim before the 1 in the date and then passes thru the 9 and 2 then curves down to the rim between the 2 and 1 in the date. There also doesn't appear to be any disturbed metal in the date. If it was a scratch, there would be signs of at least some metal being pushed aside in the 192 of the date and there's none.

 

I looked it over several times and do not believe it to be a scratch either. It's a Morgan and definitely a keeper, you did well. Thanks for sharing.

 

I still say scratch. Magnified it looks like it ends before each number, actually skipping over the top of each number. The first numbers even appear to have scrapes on top of the numbers.

 

Die crack.........if it was a scratch then why would it not pass through the numbers?

 

'Solid pics' Ome.........

 

It's pretty easy to tell if it's a die crack or scratch. Hold a bright light to one side of the mark in question. If the highlight is on the same side of the mark as the light source, it's raised and is a die crack. If the highlight is on the farther side as the light source, then it's cut into the surface and is a scratch. This is another way to determine the difference between die polish and hairlines.

 

Feel this is going to be a show me Morgan’s thread. I enjoy trying to grade them

 

I like your eyes. That’s what I’m seeing

 

You tell them brother. I’m I just seeing coins better. I latched on to the die crack right away. Morgan are the only coin I feel comfortable grading. I suck at it but I really like to inspect them

 

Thanks

 

IMO die crack.

 

I love my Morgan 1921. Don’t know if it is worth much other then I enjoy it.