INS Thought we could discuss this one.

Pickin and Grinin, asked: "Being in the grading game back in the 80's.
What kind of company were they? And how did their grades compare to the other TPG's?"

You got that right. Grading is a GAME. A necessary and very important protection "game" for those who rely on it.

I worked at INS when the ANA moved to CO. INS was the first TPGS beating out the ANA's service by several months. This coin was probably graded before 1986 and possibly before the ANA's MS-65's became MS-63's. I may have graded the coin. NCI, ANACS, and INSAB were the major TPGS's. Back then There was no DMPL designation and only PL or Semi-PL was used. Today this coin might may not make PL and might reach MS-64 depending on the strength of its mirror so those guessing MS-63 for its "modern" grade would also be correct.

 

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You are right on, dude! Your evaluation on that Morgan is perfect. In OGH days, it would have been a 63 for certain. Nowadays, it knocks on gemhood’s door as a near 65. I still get a 64 feeling about it, and that date is still graded beyond hard, even today.

 

Nice acquisition! I love those old photo cert holders. I think I still have a couple somewhere. As far as the grade on the label? It probably says 65, but I would based on the images, say 64 today. The 1879 - 1881 Morgan's produced in San Francisco are just gorgeous! Unfortunately, because of that, they are graded on a different level. But, that is a great reason to buy them! You simply get a better coin for a discount.

 

Although I do agree that these should keep it from a 65. The Mirrored fields do accent them way more than they are. Honestly

 

The copyright on the reverse says 1988.

 

I no longer worked at INSAB in 1988. Now, I'll guess for sure it was graded
MS-65 PL by Charles Hoskins.

 

@Pickin and Grinin I thought you were going right for perma ban from your thread title. Glad you thought differently.

 

They were actually quite reputable. There were some people from ANACS who didn't make the move to Colorado and created INS.

What you have to know of the time is that grading was very technical, based on the ANA Grading standards.

It's hard to map today's market grading back.

 

I have been in trouble before. The worst words in the American dictionary started as three capitol CASE letters.

 

I think that everyone wants to see that clean, bright and frosty, cheek that is known on a recently dipped P:
The fields reduced of haze.
There are many reasons that I call Grading a game.

 

How does this look? Covered the excess slab and changed a few things with the set up.

 

@Pickin and Grinin from the handful of these I've seen, all seemed to be 65PL on the slab. I think it was a reasonable grade back then but likely doesn't meet the PL standard nowadays. That's my view from the photos; what do you think based on the in hand look?

 

The specimen in hand looks so much better than most including myself could capture without any prior knowledge of photography. Most of these as well the photo grade slabes tend to be under graded. A few of this era slabbers have no grade listed, just that the coin is genuine.....which I have found to be the best cherry pickin ever....so far a 91 spitting eagle and an 80/79 both vams top 100 vams.

However as a collector who had come up in a time of coin clubs , swaping ,trading, grading coins....
There will always be a discrepancy over a grade or condition .....between a buyer/seller, or two individuals who are trading.
What you got here is a very nice piece of Numismatic history, well struck,nice fields,and frosty devices.
Kept as is... I'm sure that it's value will appreciate as is...and this is the coin that in a dealers case that yourveye will either focus on or keep coming back to....this is a coin that is purchased by a dealer atv9 am.... and the 3rd customer purchases it.
I know as 3 others I sold to a dealer friend ....lasted only 30 minutes.....he sold all 3 !
I kept 2 for my collection... and will buy more should I be in the position at that time they are available.
I advise anyone who runs across one of these types of slabs....to give it a good going over...before you pass on it....because its not in a slab that is the top 2 TPG.
Its a gem Phil enjoy it.... its history more ways than one.

 

As far as the Technical grade it got. I would say that the fields are definitely within the PL standards of today. The coin also has a real nice looking cameo to it. I can only go off of how I grade MS65.
The bag marks in front of the nose and mouth would definitely keep this one below 65 IMO. Even though the marks really aren't that distracting. Combine that with the frost missing on the eagles breast. I would call this one a MS64PL.

The grade on this one doesn't really matter as much to me. It is staying in the slab as long as I own it. The coin is a good reference to the Technical grading used in the past, and the original MS60, MS65, and MS70 grading scale. I bought the coin/slab for it's history and will add it to the no line fatty's, Rattlers, and soap box slab collection I am putting together.

It's a marvelous coin, and will fit nicely into the collection.

 

I agree completely.
Also to add Thanks for being reasonable. I find these older slabs every once in a while, but the dealer always sets the price too high...
Thanks for not beating me up on it.
PS.. I will be photoing the nickels soon.
Spent last weekend at 2 funerals...
Both of them from off the street pain meds.
Please ya'll we are losing folks too young to the Fentynl crisis.

 

Pickin and Grinin,

You certainly know your grading history.

Many members might be shocked to know that at one time Mint State coins were graded either MS-60 (Uncirculated) or MS-65 (Choice Uncirculated). MS-70 was never used. The other grades we use today came later and MS-65 was renamed "Gem."

 

No shocked, I was collecting through that era.

 

Can't "Like" this, but couldn't agree more.

 

I only added the MS70 because it was a part of the original Sheldon 70 point grading scale. I don't think that MS70 was used until they started grading Moderns?

 

Meant to post these, for anyone that was wondering what the whole slab looks like.