Opinions wanted...PCGS Altered Surfaces Morgan

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Arnold Coindexter, Apr 19, 2019.

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  1. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    It is not easy to say what is wrong with a coin like this from photos. Many 1897-O dollars come with indifferent luster which adds to the confusion. If you compare the first set of photos with the second pair, you can see a subtle difference. The first coin looks “flat” indicates that it was either dipped for too long or too many times. The second coin has some “life” although it’s far from a “blazer.”
     
    johnmilton, Apr 20, 2019
    #21 + Quote Reply
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  3. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Altered Surfaces is a designation that covers a multitude of sins. This comes from PCGS and it only mentions a few of them -

    94|N-4 Altered Surface - Whizzed, harsh cleaning, thumbed over
    (using a pasty substance to cover defects or alter the appearance).

    Wiping, light polishing, over-dipping, using any of the various coin care products, all these things and more are all covered by that one term - Altered Surfaces. And that's what makes it hard to determine exactly what the problem was, especially based on pics.

    In this case was it over-dipping ? Yeah, it could be, especially since there are traces of toning around the mint mark - but no where else on the coin. And it could also be that the toning itself is what destroyed the luster, and the dip merely made that visible.

    In the end what caused the coin to be designated Altered Surfaces doesn't really matter. It's quite common for the graders not to know what it was exactly it was that caused it either - but they DO know that the coin doesn't look right. And that's all it takes to get that designation.
     
    GDJMSP, Apr 20, 2019
    #22 + Quote Reply
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