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 Replies: 33 / Views: 3,575 |
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New Member
United States
19 Posts |
Hi folks, just looking for some opinions. My dear precious Mom passed away a couple of years ago at 88, and I'm still going through her house. Long story, but she was the all-time world champion pack rat, and had a big ol house slam full of stuff. I don't think she threw anything away her entire life...it's like a small museum. LOL Anyway, I found a couple dozen old silver dollars wrapped up in a handkerchief at the bottom of a jar, and I was curious what "grade" these would be. I know they're not mint condition or whatever, as they all are worn, and have dinks and scratches. But other than that, I have no idea. Not real sure about the value, either. Here's the oldest one:   How would this one grade out? Thanks in advance, I appreciate it.  |
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New Member
United States
15 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2224 Posts |
Seeing pictures is great, but it would be great if you could list all of the dates in a post. And, don't forget the mintmark; it is found above the DO in DOLLAR on the reverse. Your 1879 is from the New Orleans Mint, hence the "O".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1984 Posts |
Welcome, Syd, I am sorry for your loss. The silver Morgan dollar you have there would be described as an 1879-O (New Orleans Mint) Silver Dollar. It contains just under 3/4 ounce of silver. Its value in precious metal alone is about $15 as of today. Condition-wise, it would be regarded, in my opinion, as VF details. VF stands for Very Fine, and I add 'details' because the scratches and dings detract enough to warrant mention. There's a whole grading system based on a 70 point scale that is not too important to go into right now. If you want to post a list of the coins you have by date and mint mark, it would be no problem to tell you quickly whether you have any potential rarities. The 1879-O is not rare in lower grades but I consider it a slightly better date, being from the second year of Morgan production. There's a bunch of people who can tell you more about Morgans around here, as some folks collect them by die variety (the dies are used to strike the coins and people identify certain die combinations in Morgan dollars as particularly distinctive or rare. It is a pursuit which escapes me, I simply collect them by date and mint mark.) I hope this gives you a little more info, please don't hesitate to ask more questions or post more pics--yours are excellent, by the way. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
They are junk, I'll do you a favor and give you $10 if you pay the shipping and I'll take the whole lot off of your hands.  Just kidding, I love Morgans soooo much, I would take out a second morgage on my soul for some really nice CC (carson city) minted Morgans. <Drool> But, Like the others said. At least a list of Mints and Dates, but preferably some pics.  Edited by MorganNoob
03/04/2008 02:41 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1934 Posts |
syd, I'd say that coin is in Extra Fine to Almost Uncirculated condition worth anywhere from $20 - $30.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
With a list we could tell you what we think they may be worth but it wouldn't hurt to get a " RedBook" as well. The prices aren't all that accurate per say but it does give a primer on what to look for as far as grade is concerned. This may help when viewing the coin in person and allow you to see same stuff that may not show up on pictures. |
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New Member
 United States
19 Posts |
Thanks for all the comments. Man, you guys really know your stuff. I've had a chance to look around the forum a bit more, and the knowledge level of some members is simply amazing. I guess I should've known that people got into old coins this deep. But it's all new to me... halfabustisbetter - good info, thanks. Yeah, I googled around and found that 70 point grading scheme you mentioned. Wow, that's way outta my league. I'd be lucky to grade a coin on a scale of 1 to 5 ... Excellent, Good, Fair, Just My Luck, & Crap. LOL MorganNoob - now that sounds like a good deal. Likewise, I understand that Lortab can be extremely addictive. So if you have any laying around the house, just send them to me and I'll dispose of them properly. No charge. I'll upload a few more pics as I have time. Edited by syd barrett
03/04/2008 09:54 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1984 Posts |
No problem--by the way, I've always liked your music.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1934 Posts |
that's THE Syd Barrett?
"Coins; coins again...I like to feel them when I can....when I put the hit the floor with my petal, it's to race home to play with my metal."
bwow wow wow. I'm an aspiring musician...dont make me famous..just buy my music.
Welcome, Syd.
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Moderator
 United States
187582 Posts |
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that's THE Syd Barrett?
Seeing as how he has been dead nearly two years, I doubt it...  Good looking Morgan, Syd... look forward to seeing more! |
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New Member
United States
19 Posts |
I'm not dead. Just a clever ploy to achieve greater seclusion. And it's been working great so far, so mum's the word, guys. Nah, obviously I'm just an old fart who's a Pink Floyd fan from way back. Hey, I was 16 when I saw them for the first time in '73. After intermission, they played all the songs from their "yet to be released album" ...Dark Side Of The Moon. Man, those were the days. OK, back to coinage. Looks like I have several Morgans before 1900, all of them in similar condition as the 1879 above... 1882 S, two 1896 O, 1899 O. Also a 1900 that's pretty worn and I can't make out the mint, need a magnifying glass. Then we skip to 1921, I have two or three each of 1921, 1922, & 1923. Did a little research and the 1922s & 1923s are called Peace dollars. Here's one of the 1921s...   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Kk....I LOVE the Morgans too.......but ....I gotta say.....I'm IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PICTURE TAKING ABILITY........AND JEALOUS OF IT ! What color/type of background did ya use ? camera ? Did ya hold yer' mouth just right too ? Have you done this before or something similar ? (such as ebay) ......jealous at what I haven't/can't do yet.......  Edited by eaglefoot
03/04/2008 3:01 pm
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Valued Member
United States
328 Posts |
Yes, those are Liberty Head Silver Dollars (sometimes called Morgans because of the man who designed the coin), and are great coins to collect. Melt value is around 15-20 dollars, and collectors value can be over 10 bucks more. If you have a lot, I'd buy a Red Book, do some research, and get a Dansco 7178 and 7179 ( Morgan dollar albums). Then you're set. The albums cost quite a bit, but they're worth it. Also, be sure to look for that pesky 1895 Proof Morgan dollar. Remember, it doesn't matter how old the coin is. The 1893S Morgan is by far rarer than an 1879. Look for key dates, not age. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
quote:
Hey, I was 16 when I saw them for the first time in '73. After intermission, they played all the songs from their "yet to be released album" ...Dark Side Of The Moon. Man, those were the days.
AND you stumbled across a couple dozen Morgans just laying around.... Man, some guys have all the luck. I am suprised that you remember the concert, lord knows that I probably wouldn't have. Now that I think about it I think I went to a Dave Matthews concert once, but I'm not really sure... Seeking: Original Floyd concert tickets <Drool some more> As for the coins, that 1896-O, might be a little special, depending on condition, I would love to see a pic of it. The rest are pretty much common dates, but with the price of silver sky-rocketing like it has been, they are going for a minimum of $19-$20, in decent condition. The '21 looks to be around AU-50, I would say. Do you have any '21 Peace dollars? If you do, those are pretty rare. Edited by MorganNoob
03/04/2008 4:00 pm
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New Member
United States
19 Posts |
quote:
Kk....I LOVE the Morgans too.......but ....I gotta say.....I'm IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PICTURE TAKING ABILITY........AND JEALOUS OF IT ! What color/type of background did ya use ? camera ? Did ya hold yer' mouth just right too ? Have you done this before or something similar ? (such as ebay)
......jealous at what I haven't/can't do yet.......
I used my trusty old Polaroid Swinger instant camera I got for Christmas as a kid. For best resolution, wait longer than the recommended 60 seconds before peeling the paper off the film. Just kidding. Actually, those weren't taken with a camera, I just scanned them with the cheapo Dell scanner that came with the computer. They did turn out pretty good, though. |
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Replies: 33 / Views: 3,575 |
Posted 03/03/2008 8:24 pm
