1883 0- Morgan VAM56-Arrow Shaft Gouges- Reverse. The darkened spots by the P & R in PLURIBUS on the Obverse - is this environmental damage and if so would this effect the coin being able to be graded? Its a borderline MS65/66 in my opinion but with these darkened marks, how much of a problem would this present?
Those look like carbon spots and the coin looks MS64 at best, based on Liberty's cheek, the spots and the abrasions to the left of her brow. Also, the coin appears to have been dipped already, so the spots are probably there to stay.
Thanks! Even with those marks on it , it can be gradable. I personally never clean any coins. How can you tell if this coin was dipped and is that a good thing or bad thing?
If the coin was dipped, I don't know what it looked like before hand, to have an idea whether it now looks better or worse. Dipping can improve or hurt a coin's appearance, and different people have differing views regarding whether it is a "good thing or bad thing". In many cases it is a matter of guesswork/speculation as to whether a coin has been dipped or not. Because the way the spots stand out and the surfaces are so free of toning, my guess is that it's been dipped. But I'm only guessing. Yes, based upon the images, I believe it's gradeable, just not as an MS65 and maybe not as an MS64.
i agree w/ mark feld, as i do not believe this coin will get an ms64 designation. due to the photos, i am only basing it on the upper field markets, the spots vs the overall appearance. i cannot give a complete opinion w/o seeing pics of the overall coin. at best, from my opinion, i can only give it a 63 w/ qualifications of viewing the luster and full coin image. the strike is average at best for the new orleans date, so i cannot boost the grade for that. the chances the coin has been dipped at some point, may be at least 80+% only my own opinion. thank you for sharing your coin steve
