Damaged Morgan Questions

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, if not apologies.

I'm new to collecting and trying to soak up as much as I can along the way. I picked up this 1889-CC Morgan recently. It clearly has some damage but that made it a bit more affordable as it's obviously a rare one. I am sending in my first batch to NGC this week and deciding whether to send this in with everything. My questions are:

1. I assume this damage makes the coin unable to have an official grade. If there's even a tiny chance it can get graded that's a major bonus but I have zero expectations of that and knew that ahead of time.

2. If it's ungradeable would NGC still put it in a slab so I can at least know it's authentic? I'm planning on holding onto it for a long time and just want to know it's legit and that's well worth the NGC fee to me again even if it can't get an actual grade.

Appreciate any help, hope to be active around here.

 

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If all is as you say, there's no harm in sending it in. It might get straight graded, or more likely, details graded. Either way, it'll be in a slab.

 

Your thinking is pretty much completely correct. It's unlikely that large a chunk taken out of the coin would get it into a "straight" slab, even in that circulated condition, but an 1889-CC pretty much must be in a major TPG slab to have liquidity in the marketplace. Too many fakes, too much money at risk.

Any chance of seeing the whole coin? Refer back to my last sentence in the previous paragraph.

 

^^^ Thanks for responses. Here's pictures of front and back . Let me know if a closer look anywhere would help, it's tough to get good pictures in the cases it seems but hopefully these are okay:

 

I consider that a 50/50 shot to straight grade in the VG8 to F12 range.

 

This is great to hear! My expectation (and somewhat even my goal) was for VF Details so any chance at removing the details portion is a huge bonus.

 

Detail-wise I'd call it a F+, and very decent looking. My leaning is that it won't straight grade though.

 

I tend to agree with you, based the full-face images.

My greatest worry was identifying the die pair by way of helping authenticate the coin. It's a Far Date with what appears from mint mark placement to be the VAM-2A reverse, making it VAM-6. None of this is certain, though, based on these images. There are identifying marks on the reverse which might help, if you can get then sharply-focused - a die crack should be visible through STATES OF, and there's a prominent die scratch between the eagle's right (viewer's left) leg and the tailfeathers.

 

That certainly is a coin that will benefit from a slab confirming its genuine, details or not.

 

Do these images help? Having tough time getting anything closer to focus.

 

Not really, but the color on the lower feature probably masks that die scratch anyways. As for the crack, have a look here:

http://www.vamworld.com/1889-CC+VAM-2A

The cracks I'm speaking of are illustrated there. Pay no attention to the obverse on that page; yours is different. The VAM-6 I'm theorizing is a later die state than that coin, meaning those die cracks will certainly be there (if the remaining detail on your coin is sufficient).

Either way, there's nothing really glaring telling me your coin is a fake, and we could discuss it until the cows come home, or you could submit it and be sure.

 

Appreciate the help, it's definitely being sent in!

I'll update thread when I get the results.

Thanks for all the responses, got a little sweat here which is more than I expected.

 

With all due respect; I wouldn't get my hopes up of a clean grade. It's NGC's call as to if they want to deem it acceptable, but such damage should rightly be an automatic disqualifier. Good luck either way.

 

Good luck

 

Let us know how it comes out!

 

thanks everyone, it's on the way to NGC

will update thread with results

 

Popcorn's on me.

 

There are coins with worse damage that end up in straight graded slabs, but not sure how this one will come out. The location of the damage matters a lot and right on the date is not a good location IMO. The likely cause of the damage is also considered. If it is deemed to be circulation damage it would probably grade cleanly.

 

I fairly recently sent in a 1893-S with plenty of "issues" and it straight graded VG8. It has to be a net grade because just based on straight wear, it was higher.

 

I'm just glad to know I have a chance even if not a great one, that was all I could hope for.

Does NGC typically email results once they're determined? If so about how long normally does that take after they receive it within a week or so typically?