1898 Morgan, MS or cleaned?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Seattlite86, Mar 3, 2020.

?

Is this Morgan a problem coin?

  1. Yes, cleaned

    10 vote(s)
    90.9%
  2. No

    1 vote(s)
    9.1%
  1. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    Not my coin, but I'm curious what you think. The seller listed it as "luster, cartwheels, UNC"
    FB_IMG_1583252233268.jpg FB_IMG_1583252229163.jpg
    @physics-fan3.14 @micbraun
     
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  3. Islander80-83

    Islander80-83 Well-Known Member

    I'm in the dipped column.
     
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  4. sambyrd44

    sambyrd44 Well-Known Member

    Cleaned there does appear to be hairlines in the fields.
     
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  5. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    I agree it looks dipped... just wanted to be sure before reporting the seller.
     
  6. micbraun

    micbraun coindiccted

    Cleaned. I don’t think there’s enough luster left for a straight grade. Why is there a need to report the listing?
     
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  7. YoloBagels

    YoloBagels Well-Known Member

    Improperly cleaned, dipped too much/too long. I don't think the title is misleading enough to have the listing removed unfortunately.
     
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  8. mynamespat

    mynamespat Well-Known Member

    When I zoom in, it looks like somebody used a smudge brush on the picture in front of Liberty's face in an attempt to smooth some hairlines.
     
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  9. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    Because he's advertising them as mint state with luster. I'm concerned that he's dipping his coins and listing them.
     
  10. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    These are all coins listed by the same seller, but not listed as mint state...
    FB_IMG_1583285383559.jpg FB_IMG_1583285386544.jpg FB_IMG_1583285370297.jpg FB_IMG_1583285373089.jpg FB_IMG_1583285416670.jpg FB_IMG_1583285419598.jpg FB_IMG_1583285398398.jpg FB_IMG_1583285401330.jpg FB_IMG_1583285437114.jpg FB_IMG_1583285439993.jpg

    I think @GDJMSP and @desertgem are probably the two most knowledgeable on what dip does to coins. Do these look dipped to you?
     
  11. bradgator2

    bradgator2 Well-Known Member

    Glares, unfocused, at an angle.... I simply move on from sellers with garbage pics like that.
     
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  12. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Photos aren’t good enough to tell.
     
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  13. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    My first thought also.
    Yeah, they look like the surfaces are altered somehow, but he may just not know how to take photos.
     
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  14. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    So if I understand correctly you think the listing should be reported because you don't think the coin is MS. Is that correct ? If it is correct, good luck with that !

    I mean, I don't really keep up on the rules ebay has anymore because they've changed them so many times that it's kinda hard to do for somebody that doesn't use ebay. But if memory is correct you are not allowed to list a coin as having X grade unless the coin is in a certain group of TPG slabs. Well, based on what you report he hasn't listed the coin as having a grade, he's merely called it MS - and unless I am mistaken, that's not against the ebay rules.

    To be honest, as others have said, based on those pics there's no way to tell for sure. BUT - since 80% or more of all older coins have been dipped at some point in their lives, it's a near certainty that yeah, they've been dipped.

    But even if they have been dipped, so what ? I mean literally tens of millions of coins have been dipped and graded by NGC and PCGS as being MSxx. I mean, there's wrong with dipping coins, it does not prevent them from being graded MS. It is only when coins have been over-dipped that it matters. It is only when a coin has been over-dipped that it is classified as having been harshly cleaned.

    And as I said above, based on those pics, there's no way to tell if those coins have been over-dipped. In other words, there is nothing to report. And if ya do, I suspect ebay will simply ignore your report.
     
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  15. atcarroll

    atcarroll Well-Known Member

    That's what I was thinking. The coins might look better in hand, but the pics aren't good enough for me to buy based on them.
     
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  16. jgrinz

    jgrinz Senior Member

    Dipped / Dipped with residue and more dipping
    MS could be ,, would they grade possibly
    Is it against ebay policy no
    Are they worth buying .. up to you / ME no
    Have a good day
     
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  17. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    I wanted to come in and say "nope, you're wrong," but I went through eBay's listing policies and could not find anywhere it says you can't sell a cleaned coin as MS. If you bought that coin described as MS, and found it was cleaned, you can file a SNAD claim because the coin is damaged, but nothing prohibits listing it that way in the first place. That's kind of screwed up, if you ask me.
     
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  18. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Well Paul does dipping qualify as cleaning in your eyes ? It sure does in mine. And thousands of coins that have been dipped are sold on ebay every single day. And a very high percentage of them have been slabbed and cleanly graded by NGC and or PCGS. What I'm getting at is, there is a huge difference between a coin that has been dipped (cleaned) and one that has been harshly cleaned - a night and day difference.

    Also, you can't tell one way or the other if that 1 coin has been over-dipped and or harshly cleaned just by looking that that picture. And none of the other coins are even listed as MS, so that leaves them out.

    Now if someone were to buy that 1 coin, and they thought it had been harshly cleaned - in their opinion - then yeah they could file a claim and try to get their money back.
     
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  19. micbraun

    micbraun coindiccted

    I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Luster is kind of subjective and maybe the coins do have some remaining luster. Who knows.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2020
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  20. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    Thank you everyone for your input. I apologize for not clarifying that this isn't an ebay listing, but one from a smaller group of folks that has a much larger admin to seller ratio. I think the seller is being dishonest and his posts should be scrutinized. Unfortunately, the photos are just bad enough, that I can't make a 100% determination. I agree with @GDJMSP that a good number of older coins are cleaned, and I also consider dip to be a manner of cleaning. The issue is these seem recently dipped, and if not properly dealt with (which I believe I see residue on some of the others), they'll only get uglier. I've alerted an admin that I believe the coins have been dipped and sold as UNC; the admin said they would look more into it. That's all I can ask.
     
  21. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Sorry, not taking that bait. Your eyes and my eyes are irrelevant. You and I both know that "cleaned" in current hobby terminology means "harshly cleaned," and the result is a damaged coin. "Dipping," or "chemical cleaning" is regarded as acceptable, and not considered "cleaned" or damaged.

    This is my final word on the subject here.
     
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