In all fairness...it's a CC coin which always helps a little. I would say that 65 is a little high...but it is certainly less marked that the OPs 1879.
It's my coin...and I wouldn't give it an MS65. I'll be interested to know what they gave the OP's coin (if he ever tells us!!). If it got a high grade, I won't be surprised.
Crack yours outta the GSA slab and send it to PCGS and it would get a 64. Anyway, here's a 63 Morgan of my own for comparison.
Had a 1850's quarter with nice luster come back as AU58 with damage like that. Apples-oranges, sure, but hoping you didn't get the same deal.
Still a 63 and I paid 63 money for it... does have a gnarly bag mark running underneath the end of the E to the P of E Plurb.
I'm going along with this. Merc Crazy is only a little crazy. I'm guessing the scratch was fatal. Sorry...at least it wasn't a "special" Morgan. Lance.
Having handled a good number of Morgans (mostly in PCGS slabs though) I'd guess it will come back in the MS-63 range.
I'm going for MS63 due to the fact of the pronounced scratch on Liberty's cheek. Lovely coin and I am very partial as I collect Morgans also.
Thanks for all the guesses. It came back as.... Uncirculated and Improperly Cleaned! (though sold to me as a 63 by a highly reputable dealer). Why did I get it slabbed? I just like knowing it's what it's advertised as. 18 bucks isn't going to break the bank. This submission was one of 8 or 9 coins so no big deal. I guess the lesson is, cleaned coins ain't easy to see with the naked eye.
Even harder in pictures - pictures can make the coin look cleaned. The question is do these pictures truly reflect the way the coin looks? The luster does look off in the pictures. I know in some cases it can be extremely difficult in hand. I do know that in the right light two graded coins placed around a cleaned coin will make you say - how did i miss that cleaning.
I submitted this 79-S to PCGS hoping for a MS64PL. They graded it MS63PL. The more I look at it, the more I think they were maybe right about the obverse, but I'd swear the reverse is MS65. (Sorry the pics are a little dark, I'm still working on my camera skills).