I found this Morgan with the second reverse (parallel top arrow feather with concave breast) and the seller did not mention the second reverse. I did spot the second reverse (thanks Red Book) and pursued it because of the reverse. The coin is bright and CLEAN, but with no signs of abrasive cleaning. It does not have the bright luster, but is it not bad. With a little wear on the breast, or just a poor strike, I would call it a high AU, and not necessarily a MS. I got it for $27. Is that a good deal? It also has a mint mark cud (I have been trying to work that into a conversation since I read it on the other thead ). Does a mintmark cud hurt or help value? What do you think? Was it worth it?
$27 isn't too bad on a second reverse dollar. The pics make the coin looked whizzed or polished. Could just be the pics. If it is indeed polished, well that kills the value.
That whizzed look you mention I think is because of the lack of luster. It does lack luster. I have looked at it very close under 16x magnification, and I cannot see any evidence of whizzing; not that I would know exactly what I was looking for. But there are some light nicks in the fields. Under 16x, there are some fine scratches, but nothing with any uniform pattern to them. They just go in every different direction. I would think that whizzing would leave uniform circular patterns. Would it? It has little or no luster, so I would not be surprised to find out that it had been dipped. Or maybe it is just AU. You can see different levels of 'shine' in connecting areas of the reverse field. I would think that if it was whizzed it would be more even across the coin, instead of the way it is uneven. Notice on the reverse, around the "In God we trust" motto and you can see the different levels of shine. Around the motto, it is darker. In the field it gets brighter. Plus, there are some areas that contain very fine scratches that I would think whizzing was intended to take out. If nothing else, I can sell it on ebay, and advertise the "second reverse" component. What about the mint-mark cud?
I can't see the cud in the photo. The pics still look like a polished or whizzed coin. Like I said, it could be the pics. My laptop doesn't like photos for one reason or another. Whizzing if done correctly will leave marks in every direction. That way it doesn't give itself away easily. AU coins should still have luster. Lots of luster.
I would have to say that - by whatever method - the coin has been cleaned. Look at the obverse and reverse both, in particular Liberty and the eagle. See the frost on both the major devices ? Notice how the frost is only evident in the recesses while the high points appear a dull grey. Now look around the edges of the devices and in particular the legends. See how much darker the surface of the coin is the closer you get to the device or letters ? This leads me to believe the coin has been cleaned. Or most likely - as Nd said - polished. Polishing a coin does exactly what we see with this coin. The high points appear grey and the protected areas show original surfaces. This is because a cloth cannot reach down into those crevices - it only brushes across the top of the high points.
Thanks. Should I return it for a refund? Or sell it "as is" on ebay? I don't feel comfortable selling it knowing this. But to some people, it might not matter.
If you can get the refund, do it that way. I commend you on your honesty. A good customer is harder to find than any coin. If you can't get your money back, offer the coin with the notation that it has been cleaned. You may still get it sold. Remember that your word and integrity are all you have in the end.
You know, it is really not about a good customer, because at best I am an ebay buyer\seller. It is more of a 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' type of thing. I got it off ebay, and the sellers return policy stipulates that if the coin is "not what they said it was.....". I guess since they said it was a 1879-S, then I got the coin they claimed. Plus, it was loose in a small manilla envelope, not a flip or 2x2 that shows if it had been opened. I think I just ate $27, or whatever the difference is between buying it and honestly selling it. I have always said that education ain't cheap. But then again, every serious collector needs a specimen of a coin that was ruined by schemers. I now have that specimen. .
Every coin can be used to educate others. We own many coins that have been altered, cleaned, whizzed, polished, buffed, dipped, acid treated, fakes, and the list goes on. We use these coins in our educational programs. Use your coin to save their cost of education.
