| Author |
 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,165 |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
459 Posts |
|
|
|
|
Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Heavily grease the rest of the face, and sandblast with very fine, relatively low-velocity particles. Silver is soft enough that it's pretty easy to sandblast. If they weren't smart enough to use the smallest grains possible, they' leave a characteristic dimpled look which ICG picked up on. Another hint would be places like the very bottom of the neck, the face upon which the designer's initial is found - that should show frost as well but doesn't lend itself well to sandblasting. Those guys at ICG aren't dummies.  |
|
Valued Member
 United States
459 Posts |
Are there many people out there that do this? They could take a $50 BU Morgan and turn it into a "DMPL" to sell to a unknowing buyer, I imagine it would be a nice profit.
|
|
Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
Are there many people out there that do this? They could take a $50 BU Morgan and turn it into a "DMPL" to sell to a unknowing buyer, I imagine it would be a nice profit. Yes, but both labor- and talent-intensive work. I doubt more than a few ever attempted (are attempting) such modifications; 1878 has from Day One been the Morgan year of interest and thereby offers the greatest potential return for the effort. Further, nicely-frosted examples are commonly known (pricing due more to demand than rarity) so a favorable outcome is more likely. In this case, further observation makes me think the existing henscratching on the cheek might have been a red flag for ICG; one might expect so much contact to obscure the original frost. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
These were somewhat "common" back in the 1970's and were known as "California prooflikes" apparently under the belief that the person making them was from there. Some times the fields would be polished first and then the coin frosted, and sometimes they would get sloppy and let the frosting spill out into protected areas of the field. I've actually seen a Peace dollar that this has been done to. A heavy cameo DMPL Peace dollar looks real impressive. |
|
Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:A heavy cameo DMPL Peace dollar looks real impressive. I would honestly love to see one of those. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
807 Posts |
Quote:
1878 has from Day One been the Morgan year of interest I can never help reflecting that there were more silver dollars struck in 1878 than in the entire history of the US Mint up to that time, or that many of the currency crowns in my collection (such as the Hungarian 5 korona, or the South African 5 shillings) have a smaller total type mintage. |
|
Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
I can never help reflecting that there were more silver dollars struck in 1878 than in the entire history of the US Mint up to that time, or that many of the currency crowns in my collection (such as the Hungarian 5 korona, or the South African 5 shillings) have a smaller total type mintage.
True, but the outcome of such intense concentration is that some true rarities have been found within the known varieties for that date, and new varieties from any 1878 mint are big news. As you well know, it's as much about demand as rarity, and demand for 1878's is consistently strong. |
| |
Replies: 7 / Views: 1,165 |
|
Posted 08/11/2013 1:25 pm
