Different coin..different lighting..it's really rainy so this a good indoor activity today. Any comments on photo and grading are appreciated!
Looks to have quite a bit of scratches there, which are from age and cleaning, which unfortunately kills it's grade. Other than that, it has really nice, strong details, so I would have to give it an MS-63, due to the scratching Very nice over all! :thumb:
I would say ms60 - I agree with Ryan just way to many scratches and I can not really determine how bad they might be.
I agree with the scratches. One of the challenges I'm finding with taking photos is showing the luster and cartwheel effect. If you saw this coin, you would most likely say that it has never been cleaned. I do have other Morgans in this inherited collection which have been cleaned. One of my observations so far has been that cleaning eradicates the "cartwheel effect" and mint luster (frostiness). By the way, I graded this coin MS-63 with a plus. Being new at this hobby, I'm very interested how accurate my grading is... Thanks for your post.:smile
Keep in mind that the New Orleans mint had week strikes I take back on what I had said about it being cleaned, as for I'm defiantly not certain But there are a lot of scratches for it to go much higher than an MS-63
No problem about the cleaning comment..one of the things I'm finding out is how difficult it is to determine what a coin's condition is from a photo. For that reason alone, I will probably not buy any coins unless I've got the real thing in front of me. I agree with your comment on the New Orleans mint. My understanding is that the San Francisco mint over time had the best overall quality. Like my children, I'd like my coins to get high grades, but only if they deserve them!
Yes - I will admit morgan luster is hard to capture with luster. Keep it mind that I have seen Morgans with a slight cartwheel effect come back as cleaned. Not saying yours is - the only way I can tell some of them have been over dipped is to surround them with PCGS and NGC coins. Then you can see the slight color difference. The reason I went with MS60 was solely because of all the lint like scratches I see - it might very well be higher. The obverse I would say is a 63- but my eyes are immediately drawn to UNUM.Then on the reverse I was so distracted by the lint type scratches above and below the eagle I subtracted points for it. Don't get me wrong - this still looks like a nice coin. Based off what I see in some of the highlighted areas the luster is there and I do not think cleaned. I am just sure what to make of the little scratches I see.
I don't disagree with any of this..a neighbor lent me an PCGS MS-63 1881-S slabbed Morgan to help me compare with other coins. So, from the luster, cartwheel end of things I think the coin hasn't been cleaned and/or dipped. From the scratch end, they are fine scratches but definitely there. I think we're both pretty close on the grading. I can definitely see your point on lowering it to an MS-60 based on the scratches.
Thanks for your post..here & elsewhere. My neighbor/friend who is a gold coin dealer lent me a few MS grade slabbed Morgans for comparison grading purposes. They have certainly helped. Regarding this coin, after a week on this thread, looking at the comments and examining the coin, my feeling is that at some point the coin was cleaned with a cloth that left the light scratches. A clean 100% cotton would not do this, but an unclean cotton cloth might. A cloth with nylon and/or polyester blended with cotton could also scratch. Other than these fine scratches, the mint luster is undisturbed.
But the hair over her ear is flat! This indicates wear. I'd give it a AU58. I barely see the breast feathers but since it is stated that O's were weak I'll chock it up to that.
This post shows why comments on this forum are so valuable. After looking at this coin again..it's apparent there is very light wear on the hair above the ear. On the reverse, there is very light wear on the breast feathers which are weakly struck. As well, almost inperceptible wear on the left (your view) talon. On the "light scatches" much better news. When I re-examine the scratches and the photo, it's evident the photo exaggerates the scratches. The scratches are not from cleaning, but from contact with other things, be they coins or ? Apart from the very light scratches, the overall mint luster and cartwheel effect is excellent. As I've said before, I'm new at this and the reason for posting in the first place was to determine how accurate my grading attempts are. My initial grading was MS-63 which was not totally out of left field, but certainly over the third baseman's head. I think I was overwhelmed by the eye appeal of the coin which blinded me to the light wear. Thanks for your observations. I think your rating of AU-58 rating is accurate...
LOL so am I! I was just wondering if maybe others missed it or thought it was like that due to being a weak strick.
This coin is a high grade AU assuming the scratches aren't deep enough to keep it body bagged. I think it is a great coin and would gladly put it in my collection. And it has a good New Orleans strike. Ruben
No it doesn't. Especially with New Orleans minted morgans but I see frost breaks on the face and on the eagle. Ruben
It looks like a 60 or 61 to me, the excessive hairlining or scratches will keep it from going higher than that but it is still a nice coin.
It's sunny in the Northwest today (a miracle)..so I traipsed outside to take a few more pics of this coin..no editing of photos other than cropping.
