Mark on My 1883-O Morgan, what to do ?

I picked up this 1883-O Morgan at a great price, knowing there was a mark on the reverse. I loved the rim tone. The mark on the back looks to be a marker. Any thoughts at attempting to remove it or not removing it at all. Help with this a greatly appreciated.

 

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If it's from a marker, acetone should take it right off, and poses no risk to the coin.

 

I agree with the above post, but do not overdo it with the cleaners. Nice coin!

 

IMHO, the "Mark" on the "REVERSE" of your dollar is an impurity that was in the planchet when the coin was struck...DON'T TOUCH IT. The coin's surface is already impaired. Removing the black (often possible with "expert" conservation will still leave an etched-like surface. As it is, your coin is more interesting but less attractive. If you fool with it you will make it a :details" coin.

 

If it's an impurity in the planchet, an acetone soak will have no effect.

If it's a reactive substance on the surface of the coin, acetone might remove it, exposing surface damage underneath. It's hard for me to imagine, though, that doing so would leave the coin less desirable overall. (If the market preferred ink-marks to surface damage, people would be using markers to cover damage.)

I don't think any of us are proposing to remove the mark "at any cost" using aggressive treatments. Acetone is cheap, easy, and stands a good chance of helping; if it doesn't, you're no worse off.

 

Looks like a slag impurity error. They are, for the most part, considered a negative and can reduce the grade by a point or so but you can send it to ngc to get it into an error slab. Don't touch it. Whatever you do will only damage the coin.

 

Here's one I have. Check out the 5th pic down...

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/post-your-morgan-dollars.118394/page-103

 

Except, if you soak your coin in acetone it will remove any "skin" on its surface. So, if you must play with it, take a Q-tip, soak it in acetone, and "touch" it to the spot to leave a drop on the surface. If that has no effect, THEN you'll need to blend in the color of the surface that the acetone removed with the area around the impurity.

 

the 5th picture looks identical to the mark on mine, a marker no doubt.

 

I have not tried acetone on any of my coins, but I would love a friend help teach me the proper way. I have a nice MS63 Lincoln commem with some slight green spots on it, likely due to PVC contamination. I want to sell it sometime but would like to make it more presentable.

 

Do you think NGC will be able to define the mark as you say ? With the other comments being it is either a marker or impurity in the planchet. Oh the decisions decisions.

 

YES, either "struck thru" or planchet flaw" - why not put what you want on the form and the may comply and add "slag" because as @Cascade wrote, that's what this defect is called.

 

Not a marker. When the alloy is mixed and poured, sometimes little pieces of slag, the impurities that float to the top of the moulton metal that is mostly removed before the alloy is poured, get trapped in the moulton alloy. Then when it cools and is rolled into sheets the slag is trapped and becomes a permanent embedded feature in the planchet and conversely in the coin after its struck.

Think of it like trying to remove a rock embeded into hardened concrete. Sure you can remove it but you have to chip and gouge it out.

I plan on sending mine to ngc in the near future as well as PCGS charges an arm & both legs for error labels.

 

Was wanting to send it in along with a 1936 Buffalo and another Morgan I have that are quite nice. Oh what a tangled web we weave.

 

Absolutely, that is why I would not go with PCGS. I look at the additional charges they want and it's like, NO !

 

I think you're using "skin" differently from most of the people here -- they use it to refer to toning and surface texture, the stuff that accumulates over time and is destroyed by dipping (in acid or thiourea) or abrasive cleaning. Acetone will not damage THAT "skin".

The kind of "skin" you're talking about is what I call residue or surface contamination. Most people advise that you should remove that, before it starts to react with the coin's metal; as I understand it, TPGs can refuse to slab a coin if there's surface contamination.

 

Do me a favor and check it against vam 22a or more probably vam 36a... Either way I think you *might* have a killer vam here

http://www.vamworld.com/1883-O VAM-22A

http://www.vamworld.com/1883-O VAM-36A

Oh and @Dave Waterstraat

 

Well now, between your explanation and what Cascade said earlier, my question would now be. Do I damage the piece if I take a small amount of acetone on a Q-tip and dab it on the area to see what come of or does not ?

 

Quite possibly -- but it would be the Q-tip, not the acetone, doing the damage.

Wait for more informed opinions, because most of what I know is second-hand from people here anyhow. I've only used acetone on a few coins, and I've damaged one (by going after it too aggressively with a wooden toothpick -- it was a low-grade experimental subject).

I've been assuming this was actually a mark from a marker, not a planchet flaw, but I have no expertise to tell the difference. If it's in the planchet, acetone won't make any difference.

 

well guess what I just found. Trying to get a good picture but how about that Vam 36-A with a wreath clash. They are there checking on the rest.