Hey Folks - I have here a 1890 CC I purchased raw a while back. I have about 20 Morgans, all raw, and in different conditions. Can anybody tell me what I should be looking for in this coin if I am trying to estimate a grade? Thanks, Scott. PS I am not sure the quality of the photos are adequate for this. I just snapped pictures inside using light coming in from the window.
The coin you have pictured wouldn't grade if you sent it in, and it has been polished. I suggest getting the 2010 Guide the United States coins, or redbook, it will have tips on things to look for on the first page for morgans. The main places for wear would be the hair above the ear, and the eagle's breast feathers. If your coin you have pictured wasn't polished, it would grade at AU53-55, but it is hard to tell from those photos If you are new to grading, I suggest you not buying raw coins, as you won't learn how to accurately grade them in one week. I suggest buying them graded by PCGS or NGC, until you learn what to look for.
While I am no expert in grading Morgans, I see some similarities between the MS grades. The more details in the breast feathers on the reverse the higher the grade, and minimal contact marks on the cheek of the obverse area indicate a higher grade. From the pics (not that good), I don't see anything that indicates the coin shown has been polished or cleaned.
I rarely find that strike is a major factor in TPG grading. With the Morgan series, contact marks are first and foremost. These coins are often market graded and bumped up when they have great color (toning) and luster. BTW, the OP's coin has definitely been polished. Good eye Travis.
Hard to say, I see no hairlines of a cleaned/whizzed coin, and it definately doesn't looked dipped. But, it's hard to tell from the pics since I also don't see any cartwheel luster, but that could be due to the lighting. The obverse field looks clean, it is odd that the obverse field and the obverse devices look the same, but it may to be lighting.
If you're interested in Morgans I would suggest buying Bowers Morgan Redbook guide: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Morgan-Silver-Dollars-Official/dp/079482269X he has a section on grading, and a ton of great info.
Thank you, and I agree with the strike statement, I have well struck O minted coins, and weakly struck ones, and they grade the same. Very true about that as well, they will get bumped for the toning every now and then, but a lot of coins are accurately graded, I would say all my morgans are accurately graded, maybe 1 or 2 there might be an argument for. Nuclearmind, I am by no means and expert on morgans, but I will make a few suggestions to you. Look at graded examples, and buy some, and buy some raw coins as well, go to coin shows, and learn about counterfeit detection and cleaning detection. Here are some examples of higher graded morgans, that I own. Here is a MS64, that is a weaker strike, and IMO is a quailty coin for the grade. Now here is a MS63 1884 O, it has a stronger strike, and yet is graded lower due to more contact marks, which proves Lehigh's theory that generally, TPG's don't grade them higher for the strike of the coin Lehigh, if you could post some of your morgans, yours are nicer than mine, and might show your bump for toned coins theory, and could also help him out with grading, as your pictures are better than mine. EDITED TO ADD: Polished coins will lose luster, but when they are not harshly polished, they will not show hairlines. Just because a coin has no hairlines, leads you to believe that it hasn't been cleaned? A coin doesn't need to have hairlines showing like crazy, although most cleaned examples will. When a coin is whizzed or polished it will lose luster, and if it is dipped, not over dipped to where it will lose its luster, but just dipped just right, it will keep luster, and make the coin look better. I am willing to bet, that this coin has been polished, and also looked nicer than before the polishing job.
Pretty much all of my Morgans are toned which may make learning the grading process very difficult. But I have no problem posting photos of MS63 through MS68 Morgans. I will try to incorporate as little toning as I can in the process. Sorry guys, I don't own any Morgans below MS63. I hope from these photos that everyone can see the progression and how the number of surface marks decreases as the grade increases.
Here is a quick pictorial guide: http://coinauctionshelp.com/How_To_Grade_Morgan_Dollars.html For alterations such as cleaning, polishing, dipping, http://www.pcgs.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=2316 and http://www.pcgs.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=2341&universeid=313 give a quick primer on altered coins. Learning to grade and to spot enhanced coins generally takes time, and effort. Average collectors need at least a year to gain any level of grading consistency. Looking at lots of coins to practice is a necessary part of the process. The ANA gives classes on grading, if a person has the time and money to do that. PCGS often brings their grading set to some of the larger coin shows. A person can spend some time looking at the set (through the case glass though, not in hand or under a loupe). I vote with the crowd on the pictured coin, AU details polished.
Sweet we have 2 things in common now.. LOL Nah, lol! The pictures help, as he can compare to other MS63's and see what we are talking about when or if we say that toners grade higher, and he can see a MS63 compare to one of your 65's, and go "hmmm"
I was looking through my coins for a clear example of a market graded bump for toning and thought for a minute that I actually do own an MS61/62. On second thought this coin would probably body bag without the toning, now that is a bump.
Leheigh, Are you saying the hit on the face of your recently posted coin is post mint damage? If so, I agree with the BB. It almost looks like laminations I've seen on other coins, but I dont know enough about those to say one way or another. Beautiful toning though! I also agree that the OP's coin is polished.
Believe it or not, those are gouges on Liberty's face. Although, that particular photo makes them look worse than they really are. Despite that, this coin was very lucky not to end up in a body bag.
Still a nice coin though... And besides the gouges, no marks on the face? Looks better than a 63, but took a hit with the gouges, but got saved from being body bagged due to toning.
