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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,808 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7375 Posts |
Mr subliminal says (cough cough AU55,) "I don't think so." http://www.ebay.com/itm/1886-PCGS-M...em43d332544cSorry, but just had to post this. I didn't research the coin at all, just looked worn. Is there such a thing as a very weak strike on the obverse? |
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
That's an average strike for a Philly mint Morgan of that date. Beyond that, it is very unattractive toning that does nothing for the mint state designation.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
The more I look at the reverse, the less I see anything resembling wear. And if the reverse isn't worn, the obverse can't be. So the fact that it looks VF35 at first glance has to be something else.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7375 Posts |
The reverse looked ok to me too, so....  dave, maybe the toning is creating an illusion of wear, possibly? Edited by edweather
12/01/2014 9:25 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Yeah, that's part of it, but that sure looks like rounded/worn hair over the ear. For it to be strike weakness, I'd expect it to be flatter.
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Valued Member
United States
461 Posts |
If the toning of both sides of the coin didn't match, I would swear the seller got his pics mixed up.... Odd to say the least.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4883 Posts |
When one side appears to be an appreciably different grade than the other, the possibility of a counterfeit needs to be considered. It's important to remember that PCGS holders are also widely faked nowadays. It seems hardly worthwhile for a common date like this, and granted the seller has a ton of feedback and appears to be conducting a bonafide business, but it's possible that even an experienced dealer will take a slab at face value for a lower end coin of this sort and not pay sufficient attention to what's inside. Not saying that's what the case here is, but it can happen.
Colligo ergo sum
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
Problem everyone is used to blast white dipped Morgans. That coin is what silver really looks like after nearly 130 unaltered years. I have an MS-64 1886 with wild toning as well and it can fool you.
Also remember that 1886-P are not noted to be a highly lustrous coin. The dies were ran a LONG time and granular/greasy looking surfaces were the norm, not the exception. To find a highly lustrous and attractive 1886-P can be a real task.
Edited by DoubleEagle20
12/02/2014 12:22 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2815 Posts |
Looks like the selling price matches the eye appeal? I actually like it.
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
I like it as well. 1886-P was the largest single Morgan production to date. We already know of the musical-chairs method often employed with Morgan dies, and one would expect 1886 to have been as chaotic as it got. So it's easy to believe we're looking at an obverse whose mated reverse failed first. A very old - very new die pair. The reverse is crisp. Coins don't wear on only one face. I begin to think this one's undergraded. It's fallen afoul of the "lowest face determines the grade" mindset which I find myself increasingly disillusioned with as time goes by. When evaluated strictly by comparison to what that die pair was capable of striking at that moment in time - and don't forget, we really don't consider strike as a serious factor in grade until 65-ish - this coin could be a technical 67. I don't see any marks to speak of. It's graded, EAC-style, against theoretical perfection and that's not how we do it. The TPG's (to me) are taking the intellectually-lazy way out, not evaluating the coin in context. And when the reverse wears to AU, the obverse will force a VF grade upon a coin that has only earned AU wear. That's neither fair nor a real-world reflection of what the coin has been through. I'm just not buying it any more. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Where's the double eagle on the hologram?
Assuming it is genuine I think it is a case of a worn obv die paired with a new rev die.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7375 Posts |
SDave, I like your recent comment. Sounds correct, but imo, like everything else in the world, the grading has to fit into somthing of a 'system.' I also remember noticing the obverse had almost no marks. Funny if it would be an undergraded coin.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,808 |
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Posted 12/01/2014 9:11 pm
