Hi all, new member and new coin collector here! I have recently been bit by the coin collecting bug. My focus so far has been early 20th Century commemoratives. I am also finding myself drawn to Morgan silver dollars. I only have a few (c. 18) that were kicking around my family for some time and were given to me by an uncle. I have done some initial research into them (no "key" dates or rare date/mint combos, moved them into "air-tite" capsules from old soft plastic holders, etc.) And I had a pair of questions I was hoping you all could help me with: (1) Are there any reference books (either for Morgans specifically or US coins more generally) that you guys would recommend? (2) One thing I have tried to get my mind around is telling when a coin has been cleaned or not. I have spent some time reading about the various common cleaning methods and examined pictures of graded coins and cleaned coins to familiarize myself with their appearance. I then looked at the Morgans I have under a lighted jewelers loop. I few of the coins have very subtle circular lines on them. Attached are some pictures of one such coin. Would this coin count as "whizzed"? (3) What tell tale signs do you rely on to determine if a coin has been "dipped"? Thanks in advance!
Awesome! Welcome to the greatest hobby in the world. You will gain a lifetime of enjoyment from your collection. Couple of quick answers for you; Every new collector needs the Redbook Guide to US Coins. It is a resource you will go back to the rest of your collecting career..... As far as books specific to Morgan's, that's not by bally-wick but I am sure the Morgan guys will be along anytime now to plug that hole for you. How to tell if a coin is cleaned.... Well, there are a million answers to this depending upon how the coin was cleaned. I'll just be concise and offer this.... The more coins you handle, the more your knowledge will grow. Become familiar with "luster". An incorrect cleaning will damage or remove a coins luster and kill the quality of the coin..... Take a new quarter out in the sunlight and tilt it around. The sun will glint off the flow lines of the metal filling the die when struck. That is luster. Anyway, welcome to the forum and the hobby!
I would go the Whitman Publishing site and look for their “Official Red Book” guide book on Morgan Dollars. I consider myself to be an advanced collector, but I have found lot of great information housed in this series. As for the 1881-S dollar you posted, I would say, yes, something as been done to it and probably for no good reason. The 1881-S dollar comes very nice, and there are probably hundreds of thousands of them available to collectors. The light hairlines that you have noted were made by a wire brush. I am not a big Morgan Dollar collector. I have collected by type, which means I once looked for coins that represent each design that has appeared on U.S. coinage. I completed that set up to say 1985 a few years ago. Since then the number of new U.S. coins has become mind blowing. I can’t keep up with them.
You said you have an interest in early 20th century commemorative coins. Here are a couple of pieces This Columbian Half Dollar is dated 1892. This is a very common commemorative coin, but it's not easy finding one with this sort of eye appeal. Here is a Jefferson commemorative gold dollar which was issued during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition which was held in St. Louis, Missouri in 1903. This is a scarcer, more expensive coin, and it is quite small. Here is a Lincoln - Illinois commemorative half dollar. This was issued in 1918. The market for the "old (1892 to 1954) commemorative coins has been depressed for quite some time. You can buy many of them for a fraction of the prices they sold for a decade ago.
Nice! Thanks for the recommendation! I will pick up a copy! All but one of my Morgans seem to have some degree of "luster" though the toning on a couple make it harder to see. For example, these are two more of my Morgans. The 1890 on the left seems to have the "pinwheel" type light movement when I tilt it in the light. The 1886, however, does not appear to have any luster. When I look at the 1881 I posted under light, I do see what seems to be luster... Is it possible to have a coin that has been cleaned in some way (here, with a wire brush) and still have some degree of luster? Or does it tend to be an all or nothing proposition?
Oh nice! My current list of commemoratives are: (1) an 1893 Columbian Expo half dollar (2) a 1900 Lafeyette Dollar (3) a 1915 Panama Pacific Expo half dollar (4) a 1918 Illinois Centennial half dollar (5) a 1920 Pilgrim Tercentennial half dollar (6) a 1922 Grant half dollar (7) a 1923 Monroe Doctrine half dollar (8) a 1925 Lexington half dollar (9) a 1925 California jubilee half dollar (10) a 1935 California Pacific Expo half dollar (11) a 1936 Bay Bridge half dollar None of them are graded and most are in probably XF to AU condition. I love the history each one represents. Eventually I would love to get one of each. I am not sure if I will ever be able to afford the gold ones, though! By the way - I found out not too long ago from my father that my great-great grandfather was a famous coin collector in the late 1800s/early 1900s - John C. Lighthouse. I wish I had his gold coin collection nowadays!
It is hard to detect luster from a single flat photograph, especially when the luster is subdued. Not all Morgan dollars are made the same. The 1890 Morgan Dollar tends to come with a duller finish than most dates. Virtually all 1881-S Morgan Dollars have great luster when they are Mint State or even AU. I am a retired dealer, and I sold a lot of Morgan dollars when I was active. Many dealers like them because they are relatively easy to find and easy to sell. Even the expensive dates (5 figures) are always around for a price. And yes, your 1881-S dollar probably still has luster, even it has been cleaned. Cleaning involves moving metal, and if you only move some of it, some luster can remain.
Here is a biography of John C. Lighthouse from "The E-Sulum" just in case you did not know it was there. If you would like to know what some of the coins and notes described here look like, I can provide pictures of some of them. John C. Lighthouse began a leather manufacturing business in downtown Rochester that became known worldwide for its horse collars and halters. He also made mail pouches for the U. S. Post office. But according to RNA past President Donovan Shilling in his latest book, They Put Rochester on the Map, Light-house should also be remembered for his collection of rare coins. Investing profits from his lucrative business in coins, he amassed one of the nation's finest coin collections ever gathered during the Victorian Era. Following is an excerpt from Don's book: He purchased many of the gold pieces from George Bauer, one of Rochester's pioneer coin dealers and an historic personality in his own right. Mr. Bauer remembers that the J. C. Lighthouse hoard of gold coins was kept in a small nail keg, with each coin protected with a careful wrap of tissue paper. This fabulous numismatic treasure was brought to the public's attention in 1885 in a most unusual manner. Unfortunately, much of this wonderful collection was burglarized by the Garfields, a husband and wife team who made off with some of the collection's most prized pieces. They stole three 1792 half-dismes (dimes) made of melted silverware belonging to Martha Washington. They also pilfered several rare quarters, each listing for more than $500 in 1885 dollars. These they spent at cash value to enter a stage show at the Cook Opera House. The trial, held at the Monroe County Court House, established that the collection's value exceeded $60,000, not including gold medals and rare papal coins. It took many months to recover most of the rare coins. A substantial portion of the Rochester Savings Bank's vault was then used by Mr. Lighthouse to shelter his irreplaceable collection. It was newspaper accounts of the trial that brought national attention to J.C.'s special hobby interest. To better understand the nature and value of the Lighthouse coin collection we use J.C.'s own words: "I began collecting in 1860, and my collection today weighs four hundred pounds. My U.S. series from 1793 to 1800 is as fine as I could purchase; from 1801 to 1857 all pieces are uncirculated; and from 1858 to now, all are in proof condition (highly polished first mint strikes) and in duplicate. In the U.S. gold series I lack some of the great rarities, but had I obtained these, the rest of my collection would be more limited and many younger numismatists would someday not have two or three of the same pieces to study. With every coin I have prepared a history card, so that some-day interest to study a series further might be realized." With his intense interest in the field, John C. Lighthouse was soon recognized by the numismatic community. In 1903, he became member #479 of the venerable American Numismatic Association. In 1904, he was elected to the Board of Trustees for that organization. Following these honors, he decided to travel west in pursuit of a new interest, California gold coins and tokens. In 1905, J. C. settled in San Francisco. There, a new chapter in his life was written. Farran Zerbe, a famous coin collector of national stature, hearing that J. C. was now a resident of the city by the bay, requested that he be permitted to inspect the Lighthouse Collection. We may remember that it was early on the morning of April 18, 1905, that San Francisco was devastated by its great earthquake and resulting fire. In a letter he received from John Lighthouse following the disaster, Zerbe quoted, "Mr. Lighthouse escaped the fire but writes that his home was severely damaged by the quake: 'Women folks scared to death, chinaware and bric-a-brac all broken.' Mr. Lighthouse's letter, just received, gives me the first information I have had in regard to my insistence on seeing his collection, proving the factor by which it was pre-served. Had it been returned to the safes (Safe Deposit Co.) from which he removed it to show me, melted bullion would have told the story of its fate." Thus fate, through the intervention of Farran Zerbe, prevented the destruction of many of our country's finest coins, while the Safe Deposit Company and all its monetary contents were devastated and turned to a melted ruin. We're not sure if the fire may have also destroyed Mr. Lighthouse's complete collection of fractional notes and "greenback'' currency. On September 9, 1909, John C. Lighthouse passed away at age 65. As the Horse Collar King, he was able to make a fortune avidly pursue his hobby for forty-nine years, and earn fame in his own time. The 1936 auction of a portion of his collection was conducted by J. C. Morgenthau & Company in New York City. It oversaw the sale of more than 660 choice proof-finished United States coins. Few collectors today can boast of such a fine collection. Had he lived three years more until 1912 who can say that he might not have preceded George French as the first RNA president? Either way, the club now does have a John C. Lighthouse as President, but one hundred years later. Would any of our readers know the current whereabouts of Lighthouse-pedigreed coins? -Editor For more information on the Rochester Numismatic Association, see: www.the-rna.com Wayne Homren, Editor
Welcome to our little corner of the hobby. paddyman98 has shown you the guide to the beautiful Morgan Dollar now here's a link to help you learn Morgan grading. It's not the best but it's good for beginners. https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-grade-morgan-dollars-768394
Thanks Penna! That brings up another question I forgot: Am I crazy for preferring coins that have not been graded and put in slabs? For me, even if the coin is in an airtite capsule, I still like being able to "feel" the coin. The slabs I have seen don't allow me to do that... It seems wasteful to purchase graded coins and break the coin out of the capsule, but is it still possible to find nice, uncleaned mint examples that haven't been graded?
Absolutely. I am an old school guy and was buying coins for years before anyone heard of a slab. I rebelled against it for a long time. But in the end, when you are spending hundreds or even thousands for a coin, that piece of plastic does afford you a level of confidence and insurance that you are getting what you paid for. But yeah, there are still a gracious plenty raw coins out there to enjoy.
If you begin to buy expensive U.S. coins, let's say $500 +, it is very much to your advantage to be certified coins. My experience has been that most significant coins that are not certified are raw for a reason, and those reasons are seldom to your advantage. Many of those coins have problems that prevent them from getting a straight grade. In addition, with China making large numbers of counterfeits, that must always be in the back of you mind, especially with circulated Morgan Dollars. Don't think that buying common dates will protect you. It won't. They Chinese are making plenty of fake common date pieces in base metals.
That makes sense. The most expensive coin I have purchased so far was a Lafayette Dollar for c. $350 from a dealer It was apparent to me it had been cleaned at some point (the dealer also listed it as such) or at very least was not "mint" but I wanted it simply as an example for my new-ish collection. You are right that anything more expensive than that the certification would me some piece of mind. I don't think I will be spending that much for Morgans yet. I am going to try to cut my teeth identifying and purchasing less expensive, ungraded examples to test my growing knowledge...
So one more question: What supplies/items are essential for a beginning coin collection. So far, I have: (1) Airtite capsules (the ring fit- I like the contrast they provide with the coins) and guardhouse capsule boxes for storage. (2) a gram scale for weighing coins (it has 0.01g graduations) (3) a lighted jeweler's loop (30x and 60x). (4) a bag of cotton gloves (5) I am ordering the book on Morgan dollars recommended above. Anything else I should have in my "kit"? As usual, thanks so much!
