Hello. I'm fairly new to coin collecting and am hooked. I recently purchased a Morgan Silver dollar on Ebay. The fella selling it said it was polished but in very good condition. AU-MS. I received the coin and it is as advertised. My question is: Is there a way to remove the polished, shiny coating so the coin looks more natural. I've just started collectiing Morgans and want to put it in my Dansco album. The problem is, it looks too clean compared with the others. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Short answer: probably not. Can you give a link to the auction? Based on what you've said, the seller did describe the coin accurately and it sounds like a case of caveat emptor. Until I see any evidence to the contrary, it looks like an unfortunate reminder of why buyers need to be very diligent. I am curious about the "AU/MS" description, though. Did the seller give that description? If so, I'd love to see it.
Welcome, Robert. I might suggest that you look for another example. It sounds like you'll probably never really be happy with the one you have. In my opinion, original, and problem-free coins are a joy to posess. Good luck!
If the coin has been waxed, or coated with some kind of organic grease, a bath in pure acetone (not your wife's acetone-based nail polish remover) would probably work, but that's absolutely the only "home-brew" conservation that should be attempted. If you do, be very careful in handling it by the edges only, preferably while wearing white cotton gloves, and positioning it so that the plastic slide won't contact the coin and create friction or rubbing. Seriously Robert, before you buy any more coins, buy (or at the very least go to your local public library and read) some books. You can also dig around in the archives here and find some threads discussing the cleaning, storing and handling of coins. You'll find some very good links and references in the FAQ section here. Oh yeah, welcome to the hobby and the forum.
He advertised the coin as MS63. It may be close but I sure don't know. I feel he was truthful in describing the coin and thats why I got it at a premium. Based on what little I've read, ie: full feathering on the eagle's wings and some breast feathers it IS in pretty good shape. I don't know why anyone would want to polish it. I don't know how to post a picture.
I'm a little confused. Are we talking about a coin that has been polished, as in "buffed" with an abraisive? Or are we talking about a coin that is coated with a clear paint?
Never buy problem materials. Coins, banknotes, Depression glass, whatever you collect, something has to be extremely special to overlook a problem. Coins are common enough, millions and billions made year after year. Silver dollars exist in astronomical quantities in Mint State. There is no reason to buy a problem silver dollar. As for eBay, it is a poor place for a beginner to learn the hobby. Save your money for coin stores and conventions. You will be much happier in the long run. Join the ANA. You say that you are collecting silver dollars. What BOOKS about silver dollars do you own? "Buy the book before you buy the coin," said Aaron Feldman.
The coin is buffed or polished to a bright reflective surface. There are no abrasions on the coin. Jody, its really mirrored like the Jefferson Nickel you use as a sign in picture. You guys are giving me some good advice about how to get started tho. I think you are right, ebay is not the place to start. I have never been to a coin shop or coin show. Guess I better start. The only book I have is the 2004 Redbook on U.S. coins. I have just purchased the latest Coinage magazine but I have nothing specifically talking about Morgans. Can you suggest anything, CohibaCris? You folks are great. I should have joined this forum a long time ago. I'm on a Honda car forum and just happen to think, hmmmmmmmm. is there anything like this for coins; so here I am. What a great forum. Lots of information. Thank You!!!
Robert, You sound like you're on the right track now. Yes, you have been given some very good advice. (these folks are great, aren't they?) About your polished coin; If it has beed buffed, you may not be able to see signs of abraision with your naked eye, but believe me, they're there. One thing you'll need, as you collect coins, is a good loupe. (magnifyer) Then you'll be able to see a lot of things that you couldn't before. Now about "problem" coins. That term refers to a wide range of things, but mostly it means that the coin has sustained some type of damage, whereas a "problem-free" coin is totally original and undamaged. Now, I won't tell anyone not to buy problem coins, as long as they know what they're getting. It's not up to me to decide what someone else can afford, or where their collecting interests lie. The only thing I can say, is that I have some problem coins that I would not have been able to afford had they been problem-free. (I am a collector, not an investor) So, Robert, I hope you'll continue to join in our discussions, and remember; collect what you like, and never spend more than you can afford to loose.
I will get a good loupe. It sounds like it would be very helpful with some of the coins I already have. Thanks jody.
Sure thing. Three books you absolutely must have as a collector (and a collector of Morgans). The Red Book - the new one is out Tuesday. Terrific information about coins in general, but be careful about valuations based on this book. Photograde - an absolute for anyone who is interested in grading or learning how to grade coins. The Official Red Book for Morgan Silver Dollars - the primer for Morgan collectors. Now, when you are ready, I can turn you onto a really cool book, but these three are must reads before proceeding past the initial interest stage. You can sink a lot of money really fast into Morgans. Be really careful. It will take your eyes some time to get used to looking closely at coins. Spend time whenever you can at a dealer's shop, coin show, etc, trying to solicit knowledge. I probably wasted at least a few hundred on coins that were not worth buying for long term purposes, but it taught me a valuable lesson to trust my own knowledge and enhance it whenever I can. Cheers!
I am a rank amateur, and am well aware of my very limited knowledge about coins. That is why I am here. BUT, I have bought nearly 60 Morgans on ebay in the last two months. I sold several of the lower quality (educational) ones. If I may share the lessons I have learned, perhaps it will help you avoid some of my learning experiences. 1) do a search here on "ebay", and read every post about it. I started a couple of threads just so things will be "on the record", especially about emails from ebay. I forwarded one spoof email to ebay and they verified it did not come from them. It was one of those that tell you to click the link and log in; the great minds here called it "Phishing". 2) there are always good Morgan dollars up for auction, so don't get into the last minute bid war. There will always be an even better deal in the future. Be patient. Decide what you will pay, bid accordingly, and don't go higher in the last minute. 3) read the feedback 4) search for "Morgan" and look at the coins 3 or 4 days out. This gives you time to look through the sellers feedback and check the red book, study the pictures, and ask questions. 5) if it sounds too good to be true, it is 6) only pay high dollar for PCGS or NGC certified coins. 7) spend all the time you can looking at the posted pictures - pay close attention to scratches, and bag marks - pay close attention to the hairline and cheek on the obverse; and breast feathers on the reverse 8) search through the "Whats it worth" forum here and read the discussions on grading Morgans. I started a thread in that forum ( http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?t=1680 )where some of the great minds here were able to spot a whizzed coin I had bought. They provided a good description of how they determined it. Read every thread here about grading, and every linked article about it. 9) only buy from people with return policies 10) Look very closely at pictures of graded coins. Spotting what will and will not grade high. I save good, clear, large pictures to my hard drive so I can go back and look at them later. It is all about grading. 11) Bookmark the auctions you win, then when you get the coin, you can compare the coin to the picture and description. This is a good learning tool. 12) Beware of (heavy) "toning". People can artifically tone a coin several different ways. Toning can be used to cover up blemishes that hurt the coins value. I don't know if an expert can spot artificial toning from a picture, but beware. 13) Don't hesistate to ask questions here. These folks here are great and are happy to help. 14) Only buy from a good picture. Or only pay "high dollar" from a good picture. Some pictures pick up the "cartwheel" and luster, some don't. In these picture, you can see how the luster picks up the light. I have found such a picture to be a great indication of the quality of coin. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3918950422&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39466&item=3919619715&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3919625943&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3918951042&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3918646875&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39466&item=3918580611&rd=1 These do not pick up any luster. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39466&item=3919873646&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3919211570&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11979&item=3918995816&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39465&item=3918999092&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39466&item=3919298017&rd=1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11979&item=3919876199&rd=1 A poor picture does not mean a bad coin. It can be a matter of the equipment used. These pictures are okay if you are talking about $15-$25. But when you get up in the hundreds, then they can make a difference. Again, I am a rank amateur, and maybe some of the great minds here will chime in and help you avoid pit-falls. These are things I did not know when I started buying on ebay, and wish I did. Ebay can be a lot of fun, if you don't loose your shirt.
