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 Replies: 19 / Views: 2,549 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
Hello All! Found this beauty at a pawn shop, fairly certain it is real (has the proper silver ring when lightly tapped at the edge, single ply tissue test shows blast white, reeded edge matches other Morgans and Peace dollars I have)...but that's not really why I'm posting. I think she's an EF-40 or EF-45 (please bear with me here, first time actually trying to grade my own coins)...but it has what I think to be mint luster left on it (it's a tad bit shiny, and makes me wonder about possible higher grade EF, or even AU-50?), but I guess it's possible it could have been cleaned...    What's weird about the reverse is that it photographs with with lines going across it, but it doesn't look like that when in hand, nor can I see what appears to be massive damage to the coin under a 10x loupe. So, here I come, to beseech the great coin experts to see what they think of a grade and of the coin itself. (Really curious to see how great of a deal I got...almost 100% certain I scored with this one...will post the price once some opines have been made). Much thanks! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
Looks HARSHLY cleaned. Those line you're seeing are hairline scratches from being wiped. Take it outside & look at the reverse under the sunlight. They'll be easily noticed...
And where are my manners? Welcome to the CCF
Edited by Dave H
12/26/2013 8:47 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
688 Posts |
 to CCF! I am by no means a Morgan expert, but I believe Dave is right. Looks harshly cleaned to me from the photos provided |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Welcome to CCF! Very harshly cleaned. No value other than silver melt.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7626 Posts |
If it was original, and uncleaned, you might get a low end XF out of it.
As it stands now it has been harshly cleaned and they would be very nice if they net graded it "VF details - cleaned".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
The coin was a nice EF-40 but, unfortunately, has been harshly cleaned. Many giveaways - the fine lines on the reverse and unnatural color for the grade; way too shiny
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5417 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1874 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
11922 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
171 Posts |
I don't know how anyone can say XF, EF, VF anything as you can see the hair on the obverse looks like it more than half polished off. But the forehead, eye, nose, lips, and chin wasn't touched. Lets just say its had a rough life.
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Groszy, welcome to CCF! I am a newer member here too, and this is a great forum to join. You have a great year Morgan there, but unfortunately as the others have stated it is a cleaned coin. It was probably circulated with all that wear, and was probably the color that you can see between all the lettering and around the stars on the obverse. Then, someone decided it should be shiny and used something like steel wool or WD-40 and a rag and cleaned it until all the gunk was gone. That kills the value of the coin, unfortunately. I don't know what you paid for it, but it more than likely was more than the coin is worth. Someone said melt value, but I bet to the right person who wants to have something in their holder you may get like 35-45$ out of it... Good luck and keep buying Morgans and posting them here!
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
What this is, is an absolute shame. 1892-S, with a mintage of 1.2 million, is a semi-key date for Morgans. Like 1884-S, all went straight into circulation. Like 1884-S, they're vanishingly-rare in Mint State. In fact, it's considered the second-rarest Morgan in Mint State, next to the 1893-S. An MS63 example will set you back over $50k.
Yet, believe it or not, there is a Jack Lee-pedigreed MS68 of this date. No, you can't afford it.
They're fairly common below XF, but at that grade the price starts heating up quickly. Were this coin not so harshly treated - I'm guessing it's been hit so hard detail has been lost from the obverse - it'd be worth a minimum of $150 and likely double that. Now, it's a lump of silver. I'd like to take whoever did this out back of the woodshed and polish him a little bit.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
VF25/30 details cleaned. Quote:
Yet, believe it or not, there is a Jack Lee-pedigreed MS68 of this date. No, you can't afford it. How do you know I can't afford it SsuperDdave?  But yeah you're right I can't afford it   I missed out on the Super Lotto jackpot this month.  "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Valued Member
United States
329 Posts |
You would think they would destroy it to put it up on ebay as a shiny coin. But no, they took a Brillo to it and then probably sold it for melt at a pawn shop. They deserve a polishing |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
589 Posts |
Is there anything else that could have caused it? I've looked at it more (this time under sunlight) and still really can't see more than a few small lines here and there, nothing similar to the photo...but I'm probably looking at it wrong still.
I also am curious about why the reverse would show that many scratches (if it were harshly cleaned) and not the obverse?
So, since the consensus is harshly cleaned, let me also ask if the price I paid is reasonable: $28.
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
The reverse is VERY harshly cleaned from what I see. It's not as obvious on the obverse but if they cleaned the back, no doubt they cleaned the front. The luster on the obverse is incorrect for mint luster. Mint luster tens to look like the effect often referred to as "cartwheel." The luster from this example is more scattered- indicative of cleaning.
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Replies: 19 / Views: 2,549 |
Posted 12/26/2013 8:52 pm
