I have two Carson city Morgan dollars. An 1878 and an 1891 spitting eagle. Was wanting thoughts on grade and one has a rim nick. Wondering if it's bad enough for details or not?
The deal problem with both of them is that someone cleaned them with something very abrasive. Looks like steel wool was used!
The '78-CC looks like it has been harshly cleaned. If the '91-CC has been cleaned, they didn't do a very good job on it, but the rim dent doesn't look good either. I think both coins will Details grade. ~ Chris
I agree that they look cleaned. I would not bother sending for grading unless you want them authenticated.
It appears both of your coins are AU but cleaned. The retail on the 78-CC is approximately $220 and the 91-CC is approximately $260 uncleaned. Neither coin is a rarity that would be worth spending $50 or more on to have them encapsulated. Many collectors set a minimum value for a coin before they send it out to be encapsulated. It is also dependent on your cost of the coin. I myself set of minimum value of $500 if I want to encapsulate a coin and it must be a question coin such as an ag 1916-D dime. I see many coins encapsulated that are worth less than what they paid for TPG services. Example a 1934-S Peace dollar in Fine condition retailing for $40. I paid $35 for it. TPG grading to and from $50. Now I would have $85 tied up in a coin worth at most $40. Enjoy the coin collecting hobby, read grading guide books and learn die varieties for your own authentication and if you can, join a coin club or two and talk to other collectors. Not all coins need to be encapsulated.
I wasn't going to send them in. Just wanted an idea of how they would grade. I didn't spend a lot on them. I guess that's why. I have started buying slabbed coins. And am only getting those from reputable sellers. That's where I began to notice these looked problematic. But I thought it was more likely circulation marks not cleaning marks
So what if I packed it in my pocket? I don't carry change. It would be by itself. Do the cleaning marks go away? Obviously it comes down in grade. But could you pack it long enough that it got a fine or something? And lose the details grade?
Hi Derrick. You are referring to your coin becoming a pocket piece. As a pocket piece, the coin will eventually wear down but even cloth material will impart cleaning marks on the coin as it moves around in your pocket. You'll probably put your hand in your pocket at some time and your fingers will leave rub marks on your pocket piece. Cleaning marks don't go away. Your coins are genuine and currently would grade around AU. they will details forever. Best thing to do is put them in 2X2's to protect them and enjoy them. Some time in the future you might decide to trade them for a slabbed coin that you want for your collection. As you get older you might become obsessive compulsive and decide to complete a circulated date or date and mint mark set of Morgan Dollars. I tell young collectors you don't have to collect the best and at some time in the future you can upgrade. When I was younger my relatives would give me a silver dollar for different occasions. Cleaned, circulated, didn't matter. They are all part of my first complete set of Morgans and a remembrance of those relatives who have passed on. Coin collecting is a great hobby and a lesson in History.
It could smooth things out a little, but then they’re just going to be smooth cleaned coins. They still won’t straight-grade for the compromised surfaces. But they’re in good technical shape, at high AU. Somebody who didn’t know what they were doing tried to improve them like they were polishing silverware only to end up wiping the luster off them.
the 1878 looks fake to me they were way over cleaned no don't carry them in your pocket to get the scratches out that will just make them worst best you could do is send them in just to make sure they are real and best you would get would be details me waste of time
So...I have two 1878-CC morgans; both raw. One has the "B1" reverse; long center arrow nock as in this 1878-S ebay item 114053757778 which is a VAM 58) and one has a short (normal) arrow nock. I checked VAM world and I cant find anything related to the longer arrow nock. Im certainly no VAM guy (though some are neat, like the 'spitting eagle' VAM on the 91-CC. Any thoughts out there? I just find it interesting...and no explanation.
Problem is normal wear is mostly on the devices with little on the fields. So with wear, cleaning marks would disappear from devices but remain in fields. Maybe if you got it down to AG or P, it would straight-grade ... but don't count on it. Cal
Both xf details cleaned. I’d use them as pocket pieces. Eventually the cleaning marks will get blended out by circulation marks then put them in a paper envelope for a few years and they’ll start to look like something
I've got a 1994 ASE that was harshly cleaned. I've been carrying it as a pocket piece for at least five or six years now. It's barely made it down to VF in my opinion, and it still looks harshly cleaned.
The only pocket pieces I have are my cell phone, car keys and whatever change I get while I'm out shopping.