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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,662 |
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Valued Member
Sweden
146 Posts |
(Sorry for the photo mix-up earlier) Hi! How would you grade this one? I don't know how to describe this in understandable English but I'll try: There's some very thin scratches on the coin that kinda makes it look "dusty". If it's from cleaning or not I don't know, but I don't think so. Correct me if I'm wrong  . I have no experience in grading Morgans but I would guess a low MS grade, -62? The coin has mirror reflections but I can't say if it's PL or not. Also, sorry if the photos aren't that great (and upside down).          Edited by denkan 01/03/2014 6:22 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Whoa.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that your last three images pretty much tell the story. Yes, this is easily PL, and possibly DMPL. You can't fake that kind of mirror.
However, the lines you mention could be the result of brushing/polishing outside the Mint, or they could be die polishing lines done by the Mint. Here's a rule of thumb: if they're die polishing, you will see them continue (and maybe even be heavier) at the intersections between fields and devices. If it's postmint brushing, those lines will likely cease before they intersect the devices - if you think about it, you'll visualize how brush bristles won't easily hit that tight space. And if they've brushed it hard enough to fill that gap, you will easily see the lines continue onto the devices.
That's just for instruction; your last three images - mirror finish in the fields, frost on the devices - make me 98% sure you have a nice Prooflike 1885. They are not uncommon that year, so I find it easy to believe.
Lovely coin.
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Valued Member
 Sweden
146 Posts |
Hi Dave! In the photo of the reverse, with green background you can see the scratches I'm talking about. They are only in the fields and do not continue on the devices. So it's die polishing done by the mint? Sorry if I got it all wrong :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3184 Posts |
need better pics but possibly even DMPL
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5417 Posts |
Pics aren't great but I agree with everyone else. The coin definitely PL with a good chance at DMPL.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I really don't see much for scratches in your image. If true Mint die polishing, they will likely (but not certainly) be vertical (up and down as the coin is oriented the way it is in the pic) and pretty numerous.
They did this, sometimes, during the striking life of a die to "refresh" it. The result of such polishing was a die which as again capable of striking a few PL and DMPL coins, just like you'd expect it to when brand-new. A plainly-polished yet PL coin is, in fact, likely the result of a "refreshed" die. That's because brand-new dies were subjected to the basining process - ground against a revolving circular and slightly conical disk, to impart a very slight convexity to the die. This aided metal flow into the periphery of the coin during the strike; occasionally they overdid it a bit, resulting in coins like the 1878-P VAM-14.4, known for its' concave surface.
Basining was a pretty precise process, resulting in a very smooth die surface after which the die was not further polished, whereas die polishing was done by hand and even though it created dies capable of striking PL's, it resulted in hairlines on the coin.
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Valued Member
United States
160 Posts |
Clarification - regarding this die polishing, I have always understood that they tend to be vertical, run right up against the devices, BUT will not run onto the devices. Is that generally correct?
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Quote: Clarification - regarding this die polishing, I have always understood that they tend to be vertical, run right up against the devices, BUT will not run onto the devices. Is that generally correct?
Yes. Remember, dies were negative, so the coin could be a positive. Therefore, the polishing process resulted in the polishing tool "dropping off" the edge of a device - much the same force as deburring the edge of a metal piece - so you can see how you'd see those lines heavier at the edge of a device. But they won't run into the device itself.
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Valued Member
 Sweden
146 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36724 Posts |
Looks like a mishandled DMPL.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
I think it is probably DMPL but no worse than a very strong PL. The "dust" like things that are in the areas circled are likely a combination of contact marks and possibly hairlines. When marks and hairlines are present in the fields, they are usually in those areas circled. Hairlines can be a sign of a bit of mishandling which might be supported by the appearance of a fingerprint behind the cap. As long as there are not too many hairlines, it can still receive a grade here in the U.S. I think a grade of MS-62/63 DMPL is within the ballpark.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
To expand a little on D0ubl3Eagle's accurate words, we refer to what you've circled as "chatter" in the fields. An unavoidable consequence of the coin bouncing around a bit in a Mint bag.
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
11922 Posts |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,662 |
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