Break Out Morgans From PCGS And NGC Holders To Place In My Albums

Is it an especially valuable coin? Is it a very high grade where a point or two would make a huge difference in value? For me, if the answer was yes to either I wouldn't crack it out. Otherwise why not?

They are valued at about $250 - $300 nothing more.

Keep the slab, put its photo in the hole in the album.

When you sell, you will be happy, or at least you heirs.

This is a tough call and one that no one can answer for you.

I fill my Dansco albums with coins from AG to lower MS (63 and below) but also have a large number of slabs. My Morgan collection is almost all slabbed but I also have 30+ coins in the two Danscos as well, some of which are nicer than slabbed examples. My Washington registry set is all PCGS slabs, but I also have a Washington Dansco for duplicate dates, extra coins, etc.

The one thing I do not compromise on is my early copper -- unless it's a significantly valuable coin (<$500) in a PCGS or NGC holder, it gets stored in yellow paper coin envelopes with detailed notes on each. I do not usually buy slabbed copper, but have a few high grade, high dollar pieces that I have acquired that I would never crack out.

If you consider your coins to be an investment, something that your family is not likely to keep -- right now, it is financially unwise to crack them out, with the slab premium approaching 15-20% for PCGS/NGC and another 15 to 35% on top of that for CAC approval. You would basically be throwing away hundreds or thousands of future dollars to fill album holes.

That being said, some of the finest sets ever assembled did just dandy at auction without ever having been slabbed prior to the sale (Sunnywood, Duckor, McClure, Newman, and a few others come to mind offhand.)

Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of personal preference. Mine is to have both slabs and raw coins. Others may disagree, but that's what keeps the hobby interesting.

The first two years of my collecting adventure I was a cracker! I cracked everything and put them into albums as I liked the look of them better in the album then,countless slabs. Well lets fast forward to today and I am now kind of regretting cracking the more expensive coins out, I actually in fact just sent 30 coins to PCGS to have regarded and still have another 30 to go at least. I am at the point now,that I will just feel a whole lot better knowing my coins are slabbed up as most of them are better conditioned,and or toned significantly. Just peace of mind I guess now as my collection grows in size and value. PLUS,it is always easier to sell and get a bit more $$ when your coins are slabbed if you are looking to upgrade,this has already happened to me a few times and wish I didn't crack the coin out. To each their own I guess.

I got a very nice 1899-S Morgan and just got 1901-S Morgan in slabs. I don't think I will break them out just yet. All the Morgans I have left to collect to fill my date/mint set are the expensive ones. If I buy them in slabs I may keep them in slabs and if I buy them raw from my LCS I will put them into my Dansco book. When you pay more than a couple of hundred dollars for a coin in a slab with a grade I am not so sure about breaking them out. I know what I have even if some of the holes in my book are empty. If I buy an 1889CC in a slab it will stay in the slab.

I see a deep scratch in the reverse of the coin. Is that why is was only MS62? Other than that mark it looks like a great coin.

Yes, Morgan dollars were carried to banks by horse. They are known to have a few bag marks but to miss that it is a 7/8 strong and pay to have it graded?