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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;NPCoin, post: 905438, member: 5629&quot;]Now, with what I said in my previous post, I answered &quot;yes&quot; the mark on the shown coin should keep the coin from attaining a &quot;Gem&quot; grade.&nbsp; Now, there are different definitions for the term &quot;Gem&quot; used in different standards.&nbsp; I am using it in the same manner as Bowers does in his introduction to the Fifth Edition of the ANA Standrads to imply a grade of MS65.&nbsp; Now, I believe it is important to understand the grade that the coin would be in if kept from a Gem status because of a technical issue.&nbsp; This grade would be Choice (MS63/64).</p><p><br /></p><p>The question was specifically aimed at one technical area: detraction in a prime focal area of a Morgan dollar. Now, the poster already defined the &quot;prime focal&quot; area as being Liberty&#039;s cheek. We do not have to debate at all about that. The exact mark is even identified for us.&nbsp; So, now, we must determine what the requirements and differences between a Choice and Gem coin should be, and come to a mutual understanding (not necessarily agreement) as to the mark itself.</p><p><br /></p><p>According to ANA standards (5th Edition, pg22), with regards to contact marks, a Choice coin may have light scattered marks; a few of which may be within a prime focal area. A Gem coin may have light scattered marks as well.&nbsp; However, the difference is that none of these marks may be in the focal area if they are: detracting; <b>and</b>, major. Thus we have two subjective requirements that would determine if the coin should be kept from a Gem grade.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, let&#039;s go to the series specific guidelines for the Morgan dollar for Choice and Gem Uncirculated:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Now, the OP identified the detraction as simply a &quot;mark&quot;. I would qualify the mark as a bag mark and not a striking trait. Thus, assigning a gem grade and remarking the mark would not be appropriate here. The OP termed the mark as a &quot;significant&quot; mark.&nbsp; Because of the example the OP showed where the coin is clearly Gem without the mark, the mark is most definitely detracting.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, a Gem Morgan should only have a few minute bag marks or surface mars. The guidelines claim that, other than those few minute marks, the coin should be as perfect as an MS-67:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Thus, we see that <b>any</b> imperfections other than minute, scattered marks (including in the prime focal area) should be <b>very minor</b> imperfections. Therefore, we must determine wether or not this imperfection in the prime focal area is very minor.</p><p><br /></p><p>I would state that it is a definitive &quot;no&quot;.&nbsp; The mark was already demonstrated by the OP that it is detracting to the coin. Because the Gem grading guidelines do not allow this techinicality, the coin should be barred from being assigned a Gem grade. As well, assigning a Gem grade and remarking the detraction is not meritted because remarks on imperfections for a Gem coin should be for striking anomolies, not post-strike damage.</p><p><br /></p><p>The reaon for this is because it <b>is</b> damage to the coin&#039;s surface. This damage mandates that the coin should be considered a Choice coin, and not a Gem coin. Just as with any damage to a coin, the damage lowers its grade.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, because there are exceptional attributes to the coin, especially in the arena of eye-appeal, the grade should be Choice (MS64) with qualifying remarks such as &quot;exceptional luster&quot;, &quot;exceptional strike&quot;, and any other remarks that would qualify it as having Gem qualities.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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