Goldfinger's Shiny Silver Friends

Some of my smaller $$$ amount -- but larger total quantity -- of silver coins. From the 1970's as a young kid, to a few odd purchases made in the last decade, to recent stuff where I actually did some -- SOME !! -- research before buying.

First up....an 1898 MS-64 PL Morgan. I'm not an expert so please praise or criticize the coin or grade as you see fit, I have to learn. I saw a rarer date or similar date mintage-wise but it was a Stack's MS-66 coin and cost over twice the price so I had to pass.

 

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Without the $$$ to buy some bullion or Saints, I sometimes get some silver. And sometimes I'll buy premium stuff, rationalizing it if I like/love the coin and the total $$$ amount involved isn't that large. What I do with small $$$ is different than if I was going to invest a much larger sum (hope to have that problem in the future )

I bought this at the recent Westchester show, which is every 3 months in the NYC area. It's the Enhanced Finish & Reverse Proof 2013-W American Silver Eagle set, MS-69. I LOVE the finish on both of these coins, the Reverse Proof looks really good on an ASE.

I have these in MS-70, too, and can't tell the difference. Except the extra savings in my wallet.

 

That Morgan is a solid MS64. One could ask for a bit better strike, but, all in all, a nice coin.

 

Thanks...can you elaborate on the strike deficiency as you see it ?

 

Looks like the eagle's breast is a little weak, and there may be a tiny bit of softness on the hair strands directly below the ear. Either one of these could be due to lighting, but neither one is really severe. Like I said, a solid MS64 coin.

 

Thanks Paul....I take it you agree with the "PL" designation ?

 

Too hard to tell on PL, but you can check to see if you see a clear reflection in the fields from 2-4 inches away. It does kind of have that look, but I can't really evaluate from the pics.

 

OK...BTW, you do know you can blow up the picture to fill your monitor ? I just found that out myself, just wanted to make sure everybody here knew that. Click twice to make it extra-big.

 

Nice Morgan. From the pictures, I think it was pretty well struck. It's not "hammered", but still a decent strike. Look at the hair definition above the ear and the eagle's breast feathers as indications of a well struck coin.

From the angle of the photo, a couple of the contact marks on the cheek are a little distracting, other than that, I think it's fairly clean. Hard to tell PL from the photos. The fields do look like they have some depth, so I'll assume PCGS got it right.

I agree with the grade of 64.

 

Thanks JP !!

 

Here's a better pic of the 2013-W Enhanced Finish ASE:

 

Here's something I got on Ebay, one of the Uncirculated Morgan Dollars released in the early-1970's. A guy in CT was found a year ago selling counterfeit ones with packaging made to look like the original 1970's plastic and foam. Gotta be careful....

I guess the TPGs now will rate stuff in the OGP because these are popular with a blue NGC ribbon around it with a rating. I'm not sure how this would grade, I guess low-60's based on my other Morgan but feel free to narrow it down for me.

 

I am a big fan of the GSA hardpack Morgan's. I only collect the CC's at this time. For some reason, they are more liberally graded. The one in your post looks to be a 62-63.

Most common CC's are: '82, '83 and '84. They are readily available in grades up to 65. The get a little more scarce in 66, but they're still out there.

 

My Newest Pal: an 1884-CC Morgan Silver Dollar....MS-66 and CAC, too !

Some of the Morgan experts here have suggested going for a somewhat more rarer mintage and forgoing a super-high grade and/or CAC. 1881 (S ?) was mentioned, I have to check. Feel free to chime in with other possibilities, I have the Bay State Coin Show and the Parsippany/Westchester Shows coming up in the next 2 months.

 

Someone tell me I'm not an idiot for paying over 50x the intrinsic value for a coin.

I paid much less percentage-wise for my $20 Saints. In fact, the absolute value of premium on the Morgan is almost equal to the COMBINED premium on my 2 Saints combined.

This huge premium on some Morgans, even for an MS-66 CAC, for coins with tons of high-60's graded coins, continues to elude me. Everyone must collect them !

Will next try and get some of those years some Morgan experts here suggested.

 

50x melt? That's what, $600? I'm no expert, but Numismedia fmv lists 1884-CC MS66 CAC at $1100. Also, it's a really nice looking coin.

 

That is one CLEAN reverse on that 1884-cc!!

 

That'd be one hell of a deal

 

I believe Morgans are the most widely held of all coins. It's also one of the most widely collected. Simple supply and demand.

 

Is that accurate ? Wow, maybe I got a good deal....I paid about $800 as I believe.

I thought silver was $17/oz. figured it was almost 50x that amount....OK, a bit less.

Just never paid that high a premium for any coin EVER. Wish I could say I did for some Saints, as that would imply I hit the Lottery !!