1886 O Morgan Dollar

Discussion in 'What's it Worth' started by jamor1960, Feb 26, 2021.

  1. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    Hello all!

    A friend of mine sent me this picture this morning asking about this Morgan. Since I know very little about Morgan's and all their variations, VAM's, grade, etc... posting it to CoinTalk was the 1st thing I thought of. This is her father's coin and it was given to him by his grandfather, so I'm pretty sure its not fake. However, I'm asking you to check, just to make sure, then I need to know about anything else I can about the coin, including its worth, so I can let her know.

    Thanks greatly!
    Jim IMG_2324.jpg IMG_2323.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2021
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  3. potty dollar 1878

    potty dollar 1878 Well-Known Member

    $30-$40 if real it might be fake i don't like the looks and color on it
     
    Mkm5 likes this.
  4. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    Thanks potty dollar, I wasn't sure about the color either, but its been in her family for 60 or 70 years, that's why I asked. We will see what others think.
     
  5. potty dollar 1878

    potty dollar 1878 Well-Known Member

  6. Mkm5

    Mkm5 Well-Known Member

    Yes, weigh, ping, magnet test.

    It looks like it was artificially darkened/toned, and then brightened back up in certain locations, like they do with some poorer quality Chinese fakes.
     
  7. eddiespin

    eddiespin Fast Eddie

    I think it’s genuine. It grades around F15 and is probably a melter at around $20. I’d just hang onto it.
     
  8. Mkm5

    Mkm5 Well-Known Member

    Agreed.
     
  9. yakpoo

    yakpoo Member

    Personally, I'm suspicious of any silver dollar with that much oxidation on the surface. I doubt it would look like that if it were a pocket piece...or just sitting in a drawer.

    What gives me pause is the "6". The 1886-O has two styles of 6s: open or closed, but both ending in a knob, not flat like that. I'm not a Morgan expert; that's just my impression. Everything else appears as it should.
     
  10. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    +1
     
  11. Spark1951

    Spark1951 Accomplishment, not Activity

    ...the denticles are uniform on both sides, so I say it’s authentic. I recently graded a ‘84-O...it was F15 at PCGS Photograde (you can do this too)...your ‘86 has more wear so I think it’s no better than F12...go check for yourself.

    Unfortunately, the advanced wear makes it really hard to find VAM attributes and die markers, but you could go to VAM World to find out...jmho...Spark
     
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  12. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    Screenshot_20210226-115204_Blue.jpg
    Everybody grades a little different. But when the lines in the cotton bolls are this clear, I say it's gotta be at least F15. MHO.
     
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  13. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    I don't have it, so I can't weigh it.
     
  14. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    No worries. I was just trying to find out any info I can about it. All my friend cares about is if its real and if it has any value more than melt. I might go check out VAM World just out of curiosity.
    Thanks Spark!
     
    Spark1951 likes this.
  15. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    I'll ask her to try the magnet test.
     
  16. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    Hey everyone!!
    Just finished talking with my friend. It turns out that since the 70's, she and her family have tried numerous times to (are you ready for this?) clean the "tarnish" off of the coin!! So, that explains the the places where the where the toning has been rubbed off. When I was able to breathe again, after she told me about the attempted cleanings, I made sure to tell her that it is not a good idea to attempt to clean coins if you don't know what you are doing and to never use a cleaning cloth on them. :confused::banghead:
     
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  17. Mkm5

    Mkm5 Well-Known Member

    At least they have the coin, and it's history with the family. That's where the real value is in my opinion!
     
  18. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    Yep! I agree. And they are never going to sell it, so it doesn't matter what kind of condition its in.
    I'm just glad I was able to deter them from cleaning anymore coins. Her 10 year old son is showing an interest in coin collecting and I am doing everything I can do to encourage the habit!
     
    manny9655 likes this.
  19. manny9655

    manny9655 Well-Known Member

    I agree, F-15 for the grade. The 1886-O is one of the more common Morgan dollars. In that grade, about $30 to $40. It looks real to me, but I agree with the others here about the toning. I'm glad you discouraged them from attempting to clean any more coins!
     
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