GTG: 1904o toner Morgan

In that case I will go 66* as you don.t have a 67 in your poll

 

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Are we to low or to high?this is a tricky one.

 

I ain’t saying. This coin is a great one as a learning experience. Look at ALL the factors—luster, surface preservation, strike, color, eye appeal. Don’t try and do it by the numbers, as with toners that just changes everything. First, it is obviously uncirculated. Is it gem or not? High or low end for grade? Are the surfaces generally clean? Is the strike terrible, fair, good, excellent, etc? Is the color likely to raise the grade, or not? I will go through the logic after the reveal, but I think you will see it in a different way if you concentrate on ALL aspects of the coin.

Another hint—I am very choosy about my Morgans. Is the cheek hit that bad, or did the lighting of the photograph exaggerate it?

 

The coin is lovely! If sending out for grading, I'd wonder if there was an old wipe (from cheek across and lower to in front of the chin) that's been covered by toning.

 

Is the obverse photo taken in the exact same light as the reverse, or did you change it to bring out more of the colors...? Without knowing the TPG will go 65...the breast is decent-good for O-mint...have seen many much weaker.

 

I did not do anything with the color. I did not take those pictures, either. I took the reveal photo, that is to come. Photos do reflect the color. That was a good question, as some photos are enhanced to “sell the coin.” These are not.

 

MS-63

 

Ok, the reveal, and logic behind what I would say is an accurately graded coin. If we can help each other learn, this becomes a far more constructive place for the hobby.



No question the coin is a gem grade. First of all, the toning is premium, if one likes that color pattern. The luster is medium-high, and is a positive, not a negative. Now, for the cheek slash—as can be seen on the full slab photo, it is a tiny mark. The straight on photographs exaggerated it. Upper left obverse fields are not bagmarks—they are gradations in the toning layers. Given that the coin has obvious eye appeal, good luster, no major distractions, it definitely is graded as a gem. The 65 is an appropriate grade—probably on the low side of 65, but a 65 for sure. The color bumps it into the mid range of 65. Were it an NGC coin, it would most probably have gotten a star designation.

 

The color bumped it a full grade, IMO. The fields are plausibly clean enough for 65, but I'm not liking how they weighed the technical aspects, especially that deep cut. This I think goes at gem for bidders engrossed with the color. Again, JMO. This grader liked the color scheme. This an "eye-of-the-beholder" grade, if there ever was it.

 

@Collecting Nut called it with a MS65. Grading from photos, with caveats, isn't easy by any means.

 

What did I win? Lol

 

Beautiful coin

 

And that's how it's bid it, too, let's not forget...on the photos, and only the photos. That cut is everything it is in the photos we graded on, and the bidders miss it for different photos, one of them isn't going to be too happy. That's what I'm saying.

And graders, and especially at PCGS from what I've seen, go grade-crazy on color they find eye-appealing. In fact, PCGS has published standards, wherein the graders are given permission to bump a full market grade for color. They're crazy, there, IMO. Plus the darn thing, tell us how pretty it is, don't grade up for it like we're fools. I don't like it a lot when they do that.

 

Yes, and that wasn't in any way a gotcha question...was just curious in general. Thx.

 

I voted MS 65 before the reveal. The cheek hit and the marks in the fields would keep a blast white coin at a 63/64 level but the color will market grade it up to 65. I'd personally give it a 64+ but somewhat understand the grader's perspective.

 

You forget NGC, with the ubiquitous star. Lots of NGC graders salivate at really nice looking toners, and trip over each others not only to give a bump of the grade for color, but also the honor to wear the celebrated NGC star designation. Of course toned coins that have positive toning market grades, but isn’t toning an aspect of eye appeal? We all know that eye appeal is a make or break aspect of coin grading.

 

It's going to go fine at that grade, I hope I didn't suggest otherwise. But you have to be in it for the color to go for it, and there's where I think these +s and *s should be utilized, keeping the grade at the technical grade for those who are looking for that, as opposed to the color. But the color does figure in the market grade, as they see their market, and that's that, and what we're really getting from them. I'll just let this go at, thanks for understanding this other side of it. I'm an odd old horse, I admit it.

 

Nah, you’re not an odd old horse.

 

hey Morgandude11 i had MS64+ in my head as i was skimming thru the posts and i came to your post saying no one has got it yet. most everyone was at MS62 and MS64 i was scrolling down to write my post telling you i picked MS65 when i saw your reveal post. lol. a lot of fun. great job. good luck man