GTG: Morgan Dollar

MS65

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

66+ and 67 would not surprise me. Very nice Morgan!

 

Drats. I thought it was good enough for the +. Guess not. I knew it was a 67 though. It's way too clean even with the hit or carbon spots or whatever that is under the wing

I collect 81s's and wouldn't mind owning this beautiful girl at all

 

Wow. I can live with 67, I guess.

 

The hit is shallow above the head, but it's there, and there are no other "hits" save for that one. The little spots under the wing are some sort of blemish, but they don't appear to have eaten into the surface. My plan was to send this to CAC next.

 

Maybe you can get the spots removed if you send it in for conservation?

 

I doubt I'll dump that much more money into it. Plus I'd be afraid they would remove that original toning.

 

I *think* you can specify what to do, as in "only try to remove the spots beneath the wing and leave the toning untouched" etc.

I can fully understand not wanting to dump more $ into it though unless there was a good shot at 68. CAC it is

 

The spots were one of the things that turned me to 66 on it. Above 65 (in my opinion), eye appeal must begin being a larger part of the overall grade, and those spots (again, in my opinion) border on causing concern for the originality of the surfaces at least in that localized area. They interfered with the natural patina development, and have a direct bearing on eye appeal. Were I the "official" grader, with a coin that's otherwise so technically and visually sound, I'd be glassing that area pretty closely.

And it cannot be conserved. I'm pretty sure what's around those marks is less, not more, and the only way to "conserve" would be to strip the patina. Which would be a crime committed on a coin of this (yet again, my opinion) glorious beauty.

 

Yeah, it won't 68 due to that one hit. But it should CAC. Albanese loves the combo of luster+toning.

 

I'd call it worth a shot, and even at 67 an 1881-S needs something special to stand out from the crowd. PCGS alone has over two thousand of them.

 

Well, I looked at a ton of 81-S MS67's on eBay but chose this one. Most of them have no toning and look too washed out for my tastes. Others had a little tone and the seller's were asking HUGE money. This one had toning with zero toning premium, and booming luster. In the end, I like it, but I'll like it even more if it CAC'S.

 

Don't get me wrong - there is no chance I'd turn down the opportunity to own that coin if I had the money and the price was right.

1880-S and 1881-S are victims of their own outstanding general quality, and there is no question yours is a standout coin even by that elevated bar.

 

So are 1879-S Morgans. There may be more if them than 81-S's in MS67.

 

For those reading, PCGS Populations are now available free of charge on their site without membership, and NGC Populations may be had from Heritage Auctions archives of relevant sales.

PCGS has as about as many 1881-S in MS64 alone as the total number of 1879-S examples in all grades. The three issues we're discussing here - 1879, 1880 and 1881 San Francisco - are the only ones with over a thousand each in MS67 (only 1880 and 1881 exceed 2,000 each) - and between them the three comprise over half of all PCGS Morgans in MS67.

 

Well graded--good call. Thought the toning would throw off the grade. It didn't. Would green bean for sure. 68? has a shot. I would think 67+ for me.

 

You and I seem to be peas of the same pod MD

 

A lot of people don't grade toned coins accurately, as they let the toning throw off the surface preservation. I know how to look past the toning, and consider it as a separate and desirable (in most cases) element.

 

66