1900-O VAM 29A Morgan - Grade ?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by nesvt, Nov 29, 2008.

  1. nesvt

    nesvt Coin Hoarder

    Anyone want to guess how this will grade? The full coin images are scans. I sent it to PCGS a few days ago.

    It's a VAM 29A Top 100 coin. I think it looks XF45. Dealer had it marked AU in the bulk junk bin.

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  3. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    I think it is AU and it is some junk. The o's can't be exptected to have full breast and hair strikes.

    RUben
     
  4. mark_h

    mark_h Somewhere over the rainbow

    I would say VF35 or XF40 - I bounced between the two grades. Just looks a little flat on the color to me. And I am not sure about the weak strikes the O mint mark is famous for. Nice coin by the way - I take it the die crack is what makes it a vam-29A?
     
  5. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    infact I think it is an MS 63, but I'd need to see the luster. I don't see any wear, but Doug sees wear when I see luster breaks.

    Ruben
     
  6. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    its a scan, not a photo.

    Here is a scanned Mint State Coin to compare

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  7. nesvt

    nesvt Coin Hoarder

    Doubled 00, near date, and the die break makes it a 29A; though it's just the die break that separates the 29 from the 29A. There's a similar die crack on another 1900-O coin (35A?), but it is very common. Recent sales of the 1900-O 29A in XF have been around $400, and $800 in AU (but I want to keep it). The coin has a lot of crud, but I didn't want to do anything more than multiple acetone baths.
     
  8. Speedy

    Speedy Researching Coins Supporter

    I think it will come back XF. No higher as too much wear--

    Speedy
     
  9. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    what did you pay for it when you fished it out of a junk bin? How did it get there ?
     
  10. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    I'd say XF40.
     
  11. AdamL

    AdamL Well-Known Member

    I'm thinking XF-45.
     
  12. nesvt

    nesvt Coin Hoarder

    The dealer had three small buckets of circulated common Morgans. They were separated by grade (G/VG, F/XF, AU). This was in the AU bucket. It was marked $20, but he sold it for $16.
     
  13. jazzcoins

    jazzcoins New Member

    I also say an XF40 not to much luster to the fields and some wear on the breast and harlines. the focal areas

    Jazzcoins joe
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  14. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    OK Speedster...show me wear that can't be contributed to as weak strike...

    Ruben
     
  15. Speedy

    Speedy Researching Coins Supporter

    Ruben,
    All you need to do is study this set, and look at alot of UNC coins and circulated coins to tell the differents. This coin hasn't been MS for sometime.
    When a coin is not UNC it is very hard to say if something was the cause of a weak striek or otherwise, and alot of the time it has to do with luster, and just knowledge of the coin. Since it is a scan we can't see how much luster is left on the coin.
    I'm guessing there is a very little luster left on the coin---read on to see why.

    I'm pretty sure (as sure as one can be by viewing photos only) that the coin is XF and no higher.

    That being said---I've marked just one or two places in red to help you.
    As it has been said over and over again---look for the dark, discolored spots on the coin that come via wear. If the coin has a weak strike the flat places will STILL have luster. The discolored spots come from wear.

    Case in point---look at some of the hair....the hair that is protected by other parts on the coin. See how it is ligher, and shows up? I'm going to bet that in hand that is alittle bit of luster showing.
    Now look at the flat area above the ear. On O mint coins we all know that the spot above the ear is spot that is almost never fully struck and therefor is almost always flat.
    This was/is the case with this coin....but note that it is dark. Not like the hair that is protected.
    With that in mind I call that coin circulated. Since there doesn't seem to be much luster, and with alot of wear spots I can't go higher than XF.

    Speedy
     
  16. AdamL

    AdamL Well-Known Member

    I like Morgans. And I kinda have a thing for the New Orleans ones. We all know they are notorious for a weak strike. But the coin in these pictures has much less detail than your common unc but weakly struck O-mint Morgans. I have seen alot of 1900-O's too, and I have a nice NGC slabbed MS-63. From my experience, even though this date is a weak one, they are no were near weak enough, IMO, to account for the amount of detail missing from this coin. Thats just what I beleive. I can't wait to hear what PCGS says though.
     
  17. coleguy

    coleguy Coin Collector

    I'd say XF old cleaning. The reverse shows a lot of stuff in the tight spaces and nothing in the fields which says cleaned to me. But still, a nice buy.
    Guy~
     
  18. tdec1000

    tdec1000 Coin Rich, Money Poor :D

    Guy, just about every morgan you come accross has been cleaned at one point in time. The extent of the cleaning and how it was done is the difference. Cleaning is not always bad as long as it is done correctly and by a professional.

    BTW to the OP, this coin is a very nice XF40 IMHO. As to the VAM assigned I would question if it is not just the common VAM variety that is similar to the 29A. Just a thought, have you emailed photos to any of the Vam GUYS on vamworld or to Dr.Fey

    Still nice coin! and every bit worth $16
     
  19. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member


    Thanks Speedy!
     
  20. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    I will say XF40 as well. I can't believe this coin is AU, I don't even see a hint of luster on the coin. Unless the photo is hiding something, it is definitely XF.
     
  21. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    As has been noted before, both wear and a weak strike can appear as a darker color. However, there is a difference between those darker colors. The color of an area weakly struck is lighter than the color of an area that has wear. With experience you can recognize this difference readily.

    There is also another way for those without that experience to readily tell a weakly struck coin from one with wear. Instead of looking at the high points on the devices - look at the fields. There is no such thing as a coin that shows a weak strike in the fields. So if a coin shows a darker area in the fields than the surrounding surface you can count on it that it is wear.
     
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