Is it just me, or does this coin look like it's been cleaned? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3938618545&indexURL=1#ebayphotohosting
Not necessarily. There must be other explanations for the hairlines on both sides, and the scratches on the obverse, especially that one in front of the eye!
At first glance I'd say yes - but Roy is correct. There are other explanations that would result in the coin looking the same. As to which it is - in hand examination would be required to decide. At least in my opinion.
My vote is for "probably." It has that cleaned look, and even if it wasn't cleaned, the fact that it looks cleaned would prevent me from being interested.
Its very hard to tell anything definitive from a scan, but it appears that there is PVC on the coin, giving it a cloudy greenish cast. PVC is easily removed. However, there also appear to be numerous disturbances in the fields indicative of an AU but hard to be precise without seeing it in person. There is only about a $10 difference in greysheet bid between Au and Unc anyway.
It looks to me like it may have been cleaned, but I definitely don't think it's BU. There is wear evident in stars on the right and in some of the hairlines. I would grade it AU at best, possibly EF45.
speaking of grading everyone. How does a relative newbie like myself get better at self grading? When I look at new coins, from the mint proofs or unc's ect... I usually find some flaws in every coin. This leaves me confused about buying at times or what I may actually have. Many proof and minst set coins have spots on them but they are untouched so what is the grade? Older coins like Morgans are even more perilous for people like me. So whats a guy to do? I would really like to develop this skill somehwat has I enjoy the hobby and beauty of the coins. Thanks...
One way is to get the book; "Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United States Coins", and study it over and over, then refer back to it any time you have a doubt. Another good book is "Photograde", by James F. Ruddy. Yes, the quality control standards at the Mint leave a lot to be desired. That's one reason why I stopped buying from them. Now if I want a certain modern Mint product, I will buy it on the secondary market from a trusted dealer who will assure me that it is a problem-free item. The grade? That would depend on the individual coins, but it really doesn't matter. The point is, defective merchandise, is just that; defective. Always buy your coins from a reputable source that will guarantee the quality and accept returns for purchases that you are unhappy with. Developing a skill for grading uncirculated Morgan dollars isn't easy. Each issue (date/mintmark) has it's own individual characteristics. The first thing you should do is to learn to differentiate between circulated and uncirculated. Study the books I have mentioned, and then buy a couple of specialized books on the series you are interested in. There really are no shortcuts to learning. There's also a lot of misinformation out there. For instance; someone said that the Liberty nickel, in the auction above, was circulated because some of the stars didn't show full details. This, of course, isn't true, but it just goes to show you that you can't believe everything you read. Take your time, learn all you can, and never be afraid to ask questions. You will make some mistakes, but as long as you learn from them, you will benefit. Good luck!
bullionboy...one good idea about how to learn to grade is, after you read a grading guide and have studied a particular series, go to a coin show, but leave your checkbook at home. This way you can look at hundreds of coins and not be tempted to buy them. Its very easy to spend money - its much harder to get a great coin for your money. Looking at lots and lots of coins is the best way to get better and better at grading them. Pick a series, read all you can find about it and then look look look at lots of those coins. Its amazing what you will learn.
Learning to grade initially is not that difficult - do what has already been suggested. What takes time is becoming good at it. Skill in accurately grading any series of coins requires much experience. You literally need to look at and grade for yourself 10's of thousands of coins from a given series. This is not as hard to do as it sounds - but it does take time. Read all the coin forums and participate. Look at as many quality pics of coins slabbed by the top grading companies as you can find on the auction sites. Go to coin shows and do the same. And practice grading your own coins. Your skills will develop and your grading accuracy will increase as you do this. Just remember - grading from pics is quite different from grading a coin in hand. It is still good practice to do so though.
I appreciate everyone's input. Many of you are pro's or long time collectors so I don't plan to get to your level anytime soon. It would be nice to at least have an idea of what a coin may grade. The older coins are realy scarery, because the chance of them being cleaned. At least grading services can help a newbie in this case.
Learning to grade is no different than learning any other trade. Time and experience are the biggest factors. Now I feel confident in my grading skills for most U.S. coins and I am rarely off by more than a point on most issues. Cleaning is a whole different area. So many of the 19th century coins have been cleaned with very few exceptions. The common belief is that 80 to 85 percent have seen some form of cleaning. This taboo about cleaning coins is relatively new. Most of the museum coins were coated with wax. Spotting a cleaned coin will take much practice on top of grading. Always follow your instincts. It is far better to pass up a good deal than to be burnt on a bad deal.
