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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,136 |
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Pillar of the Community
1153 Posts |
Greetings coin community.  I purchased an 1888 Morgan off ebay earlier this week and finally got it in the mail!! I am still new to collecting, so unsure of grading and checking for dipping, etc. This particular coin has been graded by a TPG service, I bought it under the assumption it was raw (something I read about here). What do you think about my purchase? After I get some preliminary numbers, I will be more than happy to let you know what I paid, but I just hope I didn't buy a lemon. I love the look of the coin, by far the shiniest I have owned, which makes me both happy and worried..even if it is cleaned or lower grade than the TPG says I will definitely keep it.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
You didn't mention the name of the TPG. The sheen on Liberty's cheek doesn't look natural (wiped/polished) but that could be the photography. If the grading company isn't PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG you may have gotten a lemon. Based on the pictures I'd give this one an AU-58 "details" grade - cleaned. |
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Valued Member
United States
403 Posts |
It looks as if it is details grade
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18657 Posts |
 ...I'm just going to go by pics in my assessment as that is all I have. the coin may look better in hand. the 88's are known for frosty surfaces. the luster appears to be broken on the obv and rev. the surfaces are exhibiting signs of dipping and possible light polishing particularly on the cheek and neck areas. taking photos of luster is difficult in order to see the entire coin and luster fullness. lighting and angles play a big part and this may be the case. lets get a couple other opinions on this first to get a consensus. If I ignore this and assume full luster and no dipping or polishing I would grade this at MS63 Edited by panzaldi
08/02/2013 10:12 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36738 Posts |
The coin has the appearance of a cleaning.
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Pillar of the Community
 1153 Posts |
It was graded by NAC as MS66. Like I said I bought it under the assumption it was raw because I know NAC isn't one of the top 3. I didn't pay MS66 price for it so at least I know I didn't overpay.
I still have a hard time figuring out if it is dipped. The luster on it is really shiny and bright, I don't see any wear marks, so I assume it hasnt been cleaned but dipped if anything?
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
No way that's a 66 but, if it is cleaned, it doesn't look too bad as there appears to be frost.
Honestly, it could be AU58 or MS63..don't
have in hand :(
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
1153 Posts |
Does anyone have a good link that can help me learn about what to look for with a coin that has been dipped?
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
The luster on it is really shiny and bright, I don't see any wear marks, so I assume it hasnt been cleaned but dipped if anything? That's the reason we think it's been cleaned, not the argument against. There's no way the cheek of a Morgan obverse should naturally look like that. It's polished. NAC is not only *not* one of the Top 3, it's a slab in which you can assume the coin has been mistreated in some fashion. If a coin has been dipped properly, you cannot tell it's been done. If overdone, the luster will be destroyed in favor of a sort of consistent dull appearance across both fields and devices. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
Agree with SuperDave this coin is AU details, polished. Worth melt
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Unfortunately for you this coins value is $20-$25. If it had not been polished its value could have been possibly (and I only mean possibly) $60 or more.
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Pillar of the Community
1153 Posts |
I only paid $46 for it so I'm not out a whole bunch.
I knew NAC wasn't reputable, but took a shot at it and appears I missed. Oh well, live and learn I guess.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
I knew NAC wasn't reputable, but took a shot at it and appears I missed. Oh well, live and learn I guess. That's the attitude!  The little you lost on this one was more than compensated by what you've learned. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
It was a lesson-learned at not too great a price. Unfortunately there are far too many on the 'Bay that are getting burned by these unscrupulous sellers. I can't remember ever seeing a NAC slab that didn't say MS66 at the top. Your coin was about middle-of-the-road from all the examples I've seen. There have been some real jokes placed in their MS66 slabs.
Even though you didn't lose a large amount, they still got away with it, AGAIN! In the future, if you are questioning a grade, don't hesitate to post a picture of coin before purchasing and we'll give it a look.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,136 |
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Posted 08/02/2013 09:18 am
