So I mentioned this coin in a recent thread, and I just want to know your opinion on it (authenticity of toning, grade, other comments). I practically stole it from my lcs (I feel a bit guilty ps. obviously I didn't actually steal it but you get what I mean) and I'm thinking of sending it out to NGC in hopes of hopefully getting a star grade or at least a higher grade. My estimate is around MS65, although the obverse is banged up like a normal average Morgan dollar, the toning and the quality of the reverse add some points back. The reverse really is spotless, I only count two very small hits but otherwise untouched, you can even see the die polishing hairlines, so there is very little wear either. Thanks for any input! By the way if you're interested in knowing my method for photographing this coin: I set up two lights to be below the lens and as close to the rim of the coin to eliminate the dark spots caused by cartwheel luster. Since I only had two lights, I set them both at the top (at 45 and 315 degrees) and then both at the bottom at the same angles. Then I put the two images into a program called StarStax, which is usually used for astrophotography, to stack the two images and get the nice overall lighting that squeezes all the color out.
The photo is a bit hard to read with the lighting used. The way the coin is presented, the fields and cheek look clean enough for a 65 (and even a 66). However, you describe the obverse being "banged up like a normal average Morgan"....given the date (which graders tend to be more picky with since so many come nice), I'd guess a 63 or 64 is more likely. The color could bump it up to a 64 holder even if it was a technical 63.
That program isn't giving us the look we need to give a grade. It is obviously washing out the contact you are describing. Can you just take some basic clear photos? By, the way cartwheel luster is an important factor when grading a Morgan.
Yeah these aren’t the best photos I could have uploaded, I took them last night more so to get the toning, I’ll get some better photos with luster etc this afternoon. For now, the hits in talking about on the obverse are just the gray marks on the cheek and a few in the fields, and for the reverse it’s just the two above and below “in god we trust”.
Here's a better photo of the obverse, I didn't take the reverse because it's pretty much the same as it is in the original photo. Thanks everyone for your comments!
