1884-S Morgan Dollar - the Nicest “MS60” Ever?

I guess I’m missing something, but this coin looks much better than MS60 to me. What say you?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353023417913

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

MS60 means “this is a problem coin, but it’s such a scarce Morgan dollar in UNC that we net graded it”.

 

Looks more like an AU coin but made MS60 due to clean fields to me.

 

From the pictures, that's bonkers. There must be something going on that we can't see. Major hairlines, maybe.

 

Exactly my thoughts... but looking at the price guide, this is a $500 coin in AU55 and a $9500 coin in MS60. Really?

 

Here's PCGS's pics a little larger than the auctions pic.

 

I see coin-on-coin hairlining. Thatwill bring it down

 

Indeed. The 1884-s is a tough one in MS. AU58 is around $1,700.

 

First you are basing your opinion on PCGS True View photos which are “glamor shots.” That makes the coin look the best that it can be. Even in that shot I see a rub on the eagle’s breast feathers and in the fields.

If you look at the shot of whole slab, the areas that look P-L in the True View look frosty. Given the huge jump in price from AU-58 to MS-60, I would be very leery about getting involved with this.

 

I agree. The coin looks decent even in the straightforward slab shot. I’ve seen MS63s that look beat to hell. This one doesn’t, at least from the photographs. I just wonder what’s hiding in plain sight.

 

There’s no way this is a MS60. To give it that grade shows a misunderstanding of how to grade. It’s at least a MS63. And that’s on a bad hair day.

 

There are quite a bit of hairlines visible, especially on the reverse, that aren't coherent enough to land it in a body bag, but are too numerous for a grade higher than 61. The coin isn't toned, so it would have been easy to see a luster break at the tip of the bust, front of the cheek, or eagle's breast that would land it in a 58 holder. Most other dates looking like this would have graded 61, but 84-S has its own rules. The flashiness of typical of 84-S. At the end of the day, PCGS chose to grade this $9500, and not $3500 or $14500.

 

Could have edge problems too ... something we can't see.

Cal

 

Ware and scratches alone PCGS was generous. The price is outrageous and grade does not make it either in my opinion. More like AU

 

Yeah the reflections are hiding a lot too in my mind. Pretty coin though but the price is a little bonkers. Its a AU coin givin a boost on the grade for the year and mm.

 

Hmm looks possibly cleaned to me

 

i agree

with you, i would of guessed at least 64-65 range imho