1881 S Morgan GTG & Vam

Lol, I have 10 '81-S and just one I have attributed as a VAM-13. For all I know it could actually be a VAM-19 or 26...

 

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You could have at least waited until the grade reveal...

Anyway, to explain my reasoning, the color progression on the obverse looks wrong to me. Morgans aren’t my field of expertise but the purple spots on the obverse look like nothing I’ve seen on a naturally toned Morgan. I’d love to be proven wrong, however - education is important. My grade would be 63 if PCGS did indeed give it a straight grade.

The VAM was more of a shot in the dark. I’m okay with the list VAMs (Top 100, Hot 50, etc) but with micro VAMs it’s a bit tougher. I like varieties so I attempted this one.

 

This 1881 s came about on an impulse buy....end of show watching a dealer friend packing up his inventory. The coin sat in his case and sparkeled beaming with luster. The tone in hand is more a neon then a deep dark rainbow in color. It has great cartwheel luster as mosr 80 s and 81 s do as in my book some of the best struck coins of the series.
In hand this coin looks to be an easy 65 plus coin ,however under a 10 meg camera lens that captures each nick and hit it looses the charm looking at it at arms length. It is very pleasing to the eye, one of the reasons it came home with me.
Another strange fact is the reverse has more hits and distractions than the obv.
Again nothing to deter ones eye to be disenchanted.
The eagel is frosty not heavy but enought to set off the super strike!
The image posted does not do justice as her face or the eagel does not have any hits !
More so lite scratches then deep hits or scratches...and of course made to look like more under the camera len.
If handed this specimen raw in hand I say an easy 66 even a + for the neon color.
I do believe this was under graded by at least 1 point, or no less a */+ next to its current grade.
As ddddd said depending on who sent it in and who graded it ,the number most likely be higher.
I chose the image above to demonstrate in hand the mark that on her cheek is a lite mark.....only noticeable if you tilt the coin around. And is again more so a lite scratch then hit.

Vam #7

 

Nice coin. I'll say 64/64+. As for VAM, it's not one of the 2 that matter so who cares. The pitting around the lower hair could help nail it down though..

 

whats become of you?

 

@Paddy54 , in your latest set of pictures, there is a large chatter mark on Ms. Liberty's cheek. It didn't really show itself in the other pictures you posted. So is it actually as noticeable as in the one picture or did the light catch it just right to make it jump off the coin?

 

I actually was gonna say the tpg gave it 64.
My grade was 63+, the boss - ED Wood emailed me, a bit ago. He graded the coin 64 on an Amazon Kindle flying over Maui in his private jet

 

I thought I explained that point...no not at all the mark isn't noticeable in hand at all,only if you use a 10 meg camera . To the naked eye even with 20/20 vision there's hardly any signs of those marks...the camera makes it look like she was in a razor fight.

 

Then I guess we can say Aloha to to Mr. Wood as volcano ash and jet engines don't mix well...
I will also add....scaryer than snakes on a plane!

 

@heavycam.monstervam is he flying SouthWest Air?

 

It's an 81s. If there's not a big chip in the wing or a bifurcated bird there's no point other than academic and I need to be in the mood and have an 81s in hand to VAM one. I'd rather attribute a 21 than an 81s from pics...

 

Paddy, that’s a hell of a coin and the toning looks natural too (in my opinion). I would have guessed 65, i.e. 64 plus a bump for eye appeal. I don’t think it would make 66, because it’s such a common year and there’s some chatter in the prime focal area. Are you going to submit it again?

 

No Mike most probably will flip it as is. Then again may just keep it...I have so many 80 and 81 s Morgans.... hard to say no to some beautiful strikes.