Grading Tutorial on Morgans

Hello again. I was hoping the knowledge base on this forum could guide me through their thought process when it comes to grading Morgans. I just received a coin today and would like to know thoughts not only on grade but also thought process. I am at a point where I can discern wear on breast and hair high points, etc but am very much a novice when it comes to luster/bag marks/cleaning/etc. I photographed the coin in multiple lights so as to give a broad representation. Thanks for helping me learn the discipline.

 

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I'd like to learn too. Hope the vets post in this thread.

 

I'm no grading expert but I'll take a try...Let's stick with only two images.

1. Pick up the coin an look at it with your naked eye, obverse first. Nice original coin.
2. What color is the coin? Frosty white.
3. How much luster is there? All of it. Completely full luster w/no change of color on the high parts over the ear, eagle's chest, or wreath!

Now I know the coin is Mint State with full original luster. So what grade of MS?

Again, obverse first as that is the important side.

1. How many marks? Obverse: Some to many but not big. Reverse: Very few but large scrape.
2. Strike? Full details.
3. Eye appeal? Attractive.

So I grade this coin MS-64. It has light scattered marks in prime focal area. Big marks on the reverse don't drag this coin down. Outline around base of date and gold color on reverse indicates a little toning. I see no hairlines.

 

My thought too........IMHO the only thing keeping this coin from '65 is the chatter around the cheek & eye of Liberty.

 

I was just as bothered by the scrapes on the reverse.

 

Oh dear........totally missed those.

 

This is great feedback...especially Insider! Thanks and keep it coming.

 

I am inclined toward MS63+, maybe a 64 on a good day. This date is nearly always well struck and there are a lot of very nice specimens in gem or better. There were plenty of working dies used and none particularly over used. The obverse has problems in each field and at the major focal points. Nothing terrible and forgivable on many dates. What it has going for it is, as a common date especially in higher grades, that there are not crazy step up premiums grade-to-grade. Marketwise, the folks often buying sub-gem UNCs of this date are not as finicky or looking for that panic piece for their set. It's an example also of a coin that could have gotten wildly different grades even within the same grading service over the past decades of third party grading.

 

64. I think the quality of Miss Liberty and the eagle on the reverse are the most important thing third party graders seem to look for. Some others are strike. 2. Luster 3.Wear, scratches and marks. Scratches can really deduct from the grade. PCGS and NGC are definitely not fans.
4. The fields. Which could be also part of 3.
5. In my opinion, the year. For example, they might grade a key date conditional rarity a little more thoroughly than a common year, with a higher mintage.
These are just general things I have noticed. The information others have given on this thread, is fine by me too.

 

That one would probably get MS63 for the cuts on and under the eye. Elsewhere on those same cuts, it could get MS64. This is a factor in MS evaluations, the location of the impairments. Were this AU, those cuts don't amount to a hill of beans, regardless where they are. It's a totally different evaluation, assessing just wear. In MS, when they're on the focal areas, they're trouble, as nobody likes to see those there.

 

This is one of those Morgans that I would consider buying as M63 If I really needed or wanted it but pass on it at 64.

 

Can we try another for the tutorial?

 

Sure, I'll give it a try...novice that I am...
I see a cut above the gal's eye and a few other very small nicks on her face. There is also an odd dashed scratch on the reverse thru the left wing. Nice strike, nice luster...
MS63 says the guy who doesn't really know what the hell he's talking about.

 

You go first! Try and go through the steps as I learned above.

1. Look at the entire coin, especially the obverse. Many members will have it graded just by that as they automatically went through all the steps in a few seconds. Remember, most TPG grading is done with your unaided eye.

So @Bman33 what do you think'

Full luster + MS
Rub = AU

Next marks.

Very few
few
many
very many

Where are they and what size?

How is the rim?

What do the scratches do to the grade? The higher the grade the more likely they will get the coin detailed. On low Unc's they may not matter as much, esp since the big one is on the reverse.

What about eye appeal?

Average to nothing special
Pleasing?
attractive?
very attractive?

The ANA grading guide has a table in the Morgan section that was used in grading classes. It is very helpful to break down most of the things a grader looks for.

 

Try refining your opinion. One of my teachers told us when he was a young man (politically correct BS was only a gleam in some eye) ; "Nice" was used to describe girls ranging from 4's to 6's that he would not ask out. LOL!

We don't use "nice" in numismatics. Be specific:

Describe the strike: Full, practically full, some weakness...
Describe the luster: Full blazing, full but slightly dull, most , a little around the relief.

Then with specific words, we should be able to visualize the coin better even w/o a photo.

Is there any rub on the high spots?

 

Thank you, Sharon, for being a woman who is sure enough of herself to understand and not be upset about some PI humor. BTW everybody, I dated 8's and 9's but married a 6 so I'd have her all to myself. Beauty is skin deep.

@Bman33 "likes" are not grading opinions. Take a stab at your coin please.

Luster, strike, marks (their size, number, and location) eye appeal.

I'm going to bed and will look for your reply tomorrow.

 

Ok, I cheated a little. I brought this to my coin club and had the guys look at it. MS63 came up as the majority grade and a couple of MS62s. Good job you were right on. The only problem with this guy is I believe it has been dipped. A very good job with the dip but the luster is not there compared to a graded MS64 Morgan that I have.

You're making me try to hard!

Actually this is great advice. I'll get some more common date Morgans and start learning to grade.

 

Get the ANA Grading guide and Grading Coins with Photographs by Bowers. Read the intro to each book TWICE. You'll know more about grading than all of your friends! Then buy the coins, already slabbed until you can cover the grade on a slab and guess it correctly most of the time. Then you'll know more than most of us here!

Grading is much less complicated that we make it.

 

beside that 1880-S looks like a double 18

 

The negative is the overall "bagginess" on yours, @Bman33. The positive that you'd be subjectively weighing that negative against is the luster. It's a high MS63, on my scale, not quite tipping it at MS64.