1884-O Morgan Dollar - You Vs PCGS

I think that there is too much chatter on the cheek for a 65...MS64 for me.

Nice observations and call on the grade SsuperDdave!!

Your images are, I think, a terrific illustration of what to look for in evaluating surface alteration. One point I didn't raise in the last post is the very early stage of toning the coin shows. This is a red flag because it really can't happen this way in a sulfur-intensive environment; it would become much darker much more quickly, progressing through the known stages of toning. Many of what we consider "market-acceptable" Morgans didn't tone in Mint bags, but in various albums and storage conditions over the years. But, not many of them in recent years. Either they had plenty of time to gradually absorb the chemical changes in their surfaces, or they stayed white and developed a colorless patina which would require stronger sulfur concentrations to overcome.

This one toned very slightly, and rather recently. Moreover, it's not really progressing smoothly from the outside in, as an album would do. I can't envision that to be possible unless the surfaces had been stripped. It was that knowledge which started me down the road to theorizing how it came to be, not any immediate direct evidence of cleaning.

This certainly was learning experience for myself. In future I'll be more focused on luster (or lack of it) and unusual toning when buying raw coins and not just stare hairlines and contact marks.

I bought earlier (before I made this topic) two raw toned Morgans which should arrive early next week. I'll be sure to post pictures of those coins for grading.