Thoughts on this Morgan

I bought this last summer and posted some pretty sub par photos of it just to get some opinions. Some of the members here had said they thought it was AU but I thought it was MS. Almost a year later I still think it is MS--at least a 63.
Here are some much better photos of it.
Do any of you still believe this is an AU coin?

 

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It's awfully hard sometimes to differentiate between just the slightest bit of high point wear on the one hand and a somewhat incomplete strike on the other. The 1889 was a very high mintage, and more than a few were made with dies that were near the end of their useful lives. So this is a tough call, but given that it's a common date, it'd hardly be worth sending it off to be graded. If it has good eye appeal (which the photos seem to indicate it does), then it doesn't matter too much whether it's a high AU or an UNC.

 

I was thinking 63 before I read the post. But I am no Morgan expert.

 

I don't know. It looks AU63 to me.

Chris

 

Looks 64. Nice, round cheek.

Definitely not AU

 

Either it is weakly struck (quite possible), or there is wear on the eagle's breast, and in the highest spots of the hair. It could go either way--- a ms coin, or an AU 58.

 

It looks like an MS63 to me. I don't see any wear, just bag marks on the eagles breast. The fields look nice and original too.

 

I believe you got a technical MS63. Her facial marks put her there for me. Her die-state looks to be a little past-it, too, unless that's from a dip, but she seems to be reflecting decent. I don't know what she'll get from a TPG. A coin like that, you really need to see her in hand. I could go high-end MS63 for the market if that light is really bouncing.

 

Agreed.

 

Looks like a LDS coin with a tiny bit of rub , luster seems ok , I think the tpgs would give her a 63 . But by strict ANA 6th Edition grading she'd probably get an AU-58 .

 

Oooh love the white frost! MS-63 would be my grade

 

I just don't see a "weak" or "LDS" strike on her... She looks to be slightly above-average in strike with semi-nice fields and true luster. Her cheek is well rounded as stated by iGradeMS70. I could see a 64, but with the semi-heavy hits/bag-marks on the cheek, TPG's may see a 63. Either way, IMO its MS and a nice coin to bat

 

Dings are small and individualized, not as if she were in a knife fight. I would be very happy to pay a 63 price for this one.

 

Erik, look in the fields outside the wreath and in the field opposite the face, that's the die deterioration. In fact, that's probably contributing to the enhanced luster on this baby.

 

Strong luster, in no way, is a product of die deterioration. Maybe (in some cases) lack there of, but never would die deterioration result in the subsequently struck coins appearing more lustrous.

 

This looks like a real nice frosty MS coin to me. I don't see the slightest bit of wear or friction on the high points, however, this is just going by the pics. I would look for a break in luster on the high points if I had the coin in hand. That would be a pretty conclusive test to determine on which side of the spectrum (AU-MS) this slider falls in. Good luck! and again nice coin! :thumb:

 

I still don't think so. Nice coin, but either the weakest MS strike I have ever seen from a non-New Orleans coin, or there is some wear. Sorry, but I could buy either low level MS, or a solid AU.

 

Could you please explain why you think it's a weak strike or better yet "the weakest MS strike" you have ever seen? I'm just curious and respect any answer you give. Breast feathers are not the only indicator in determining strike from what I have learned...and the OP's coin does not look like a weak strike nor does it show any wear to my eyes. Thanks :smile

 

You already responded on page one...

No need to reiterate.