Why isn't this coin an MS65, bare minimum it should be a 64. Take I'll look at the trueviews, form an opinion and then look at the spoiler before you comment! Spoiler: Spoiler: Look at the pictures first I photoshopped the image, enlarged the marks, and sharpened those areas to make them more prominent. Even with this I don't think it looks any less than 64!
Can't really see what is going on with the obverse. The hits in the fields of the reverse, held it to a lower grade. I don't see it as a 64.
The toning is beautiful, and it is a premium coin. However, under the toning are numerous bagmarks, in the left side fields, and on the cheek. The reverse has bag marks around the devices, limiting the grade to 63, max. That is why it does not make gem grade, despite eye appeal.
Toning, although pretty, tends to hide flaws. This coin has chatter in the reverse fields, but there is also a fairly big hit on the cheek that might not look as severe as it might be in hand because of the toning. I also see some chatter behind Liberty's head - again, in a toned area.
Not my series... but what a beauty. I think they'd have let anything on the obverse slide for 65 w/ that eye appeal, but too much going on as everyone's suggested (reverse fields).
I don't feel like the marks are that prominent, I had to Photoshop the image to make most of them visible. Even then it still looks better than these three 65's in my opinion. @Islander80-83 and others did you read the spoiler that says I photoshopped the marks to make them more prominent? Here's the original as well. The marks are there but not very prominent .
I guess in the end of the day the grade difference is only $60 bucks and the number on the slab doesn't change the coin so I should be happy with it regardless! And I am, I just think it's so great in hand I can't believe it's not better than 63 lol
The cheek has too many little hits to qualify as an MS-65. Your other examples only prove that grade-flation is alive, well and spreading. When I was a dealer, I sold many common date MA-64 graded Morgan Dollars that were as good as those pieces.
Why isn't this a MS 65? Simple answer, because the coin is an '82-S. All of the early S mint Morgans are held to a much stricter standard when grading them, they always have been. In other words, if that same coin had a different mint mark it almost certainly would have received a higher grade than it did.
I'm glad some people like that toning. I'll take a little, maybe, but to me, this one is just too much and I think it's ugly. IMHO