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 Replies: 23 / Views: 3,546 |
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
I am in the process of building an MS-64 Morgan set (with a few AUs where I cannot afford an MS64). My set consists of white coins to blast white coins and for the most part I don't care for coins with "carbon" spots. The coin pictured below is stunning from the obverse. My pictures didn't capture the strong cartwheel effects or frostiness of the obverse devices. And while the images show a small area of significant bag marks on Liberty's cheek, in hand these marks aren't visible unless you capture the light "just so." The rest of Liberty's face and the fields both in front of and behind Liberty are quite clean for an MS64. My question pertains to how you feel the reverse affects your opinion of the coin and whether it makes the coin undesirable when it comes time to part with it. Would the reverse make much difference to you? Given the scarcity of this date (1880-s), does that affect whether you are more likely to keep the coin? The reverse has 3 carbon spots; from worst to least they are on the top tip of the left-side wreath, the eagle's right wing, and the edge at 2 o'clock between the A and M of America. I find the one above the wreath most distracting. I paid a bit less than trends for the date/MM/grade. Please share your thoughts on how you would assess this coin in the context of the info above. I really need some help. Thanks so much.   Edited by shermae
06/12/2016 10:03 am
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Valued Member
United States
467 Posts |
Its an 1888s and looks like a pretty worn die this was strike off of. I would pass as an MS64, especially for "S" coins. I believe they were usually struck/more detailed than this..
Now if it was a New orleans coin. I might consider this a 64, but barely.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
If the spots bother you now, they will likely bother you every time you look at it in my opinion.
The 1880-S is a common date and you should be able to find one without spots with a little searching.
You could always keep this example until you find an upgrade.
-MV
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Valued Member
 United States
259 Posts |
Thanks for the comments so far. I'm actually ok with the strike- due to the image being reduced to 200K, it's impossible to see that the breast feathers are all defined while Liberty's hair above her ear is average to perhaps slightly above average. Definitely slight flatness above the ear but not a late die state.
Meadow- this is an 1888-S which had a mintage of 657,000 vs 1880-S which was 8,900,000.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
Nice clash behind the cap, and a nice higher grade of a date not commonly seen in higher grades. I would have put it at 64/63 split, net 64. The reverse is baggy with a bit of chatter but has great luster.
This is not a late die state, by the way; it's early to early-middle die state, past the cutoff point for PL, but with only the slightest clash and no signs of stress.
Your set will be a challenge, but fun -- If you really want MS64, and a full set, not just a date set, the 1879-CC, 1879-O, 1881-CC, 1880-O, 1884-S, 1885-CC, 1889-CC, 1892-CC, 1893 O & S, 1894 P/O/S, 1895 O/S, 1896 O/S, 1897-O, 1899, 1902-S, 1903-O, 1903-S, 1904-S are all going to be big purchases at 64, just to name a few! I completed my PCGS Date Set recently, had to settle for AU's for 1893, 1894 and 1895 but was able to do 62-65 on all the other years.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Edited by paralyse
06/11/2016 8:56 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11951 Posts |
Very nice coin.
1888 S Morgan's are much harder to find in higher grades.
Even in mid grade ...
This coin would have no problem making MS 64 if not for the
hit/rub on the cheek. I do know negatives do show more badly
in pictures. If it doesn't look to bad in hand, it could have a good
shot for 64.
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Valued Member
United States
345 Posts |
Was your question about this 1888S or did you post the wrong picture ?
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Valued Member
United States
108 Posts |
Easy 64 in my opinion. Nice coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4469 Posts |
I would pass on the coin because of the soft strike and carbon spots. The 88s is a better date, but there are better examples to be found in MS 64.
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
Sorry for the typo which I corrected. The coin under discussion is an 1888-S as pictured.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
 open mouth, insert foot moment for me. I saw the surfaces and instantly thought of the dollars of 1880 and 1881 from San Francisco. I didn't pay attention to the date area. Anyway, others chimed in and gave better opinions and thoughts. -MV |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
It makes 64 I think, and very nice.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1450 Posts |
How much did you pay for it? Don't they go for about $800 in MS64? That is a lot of money to pay for a coin with a defect.
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Nice coin, fair price paid.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
I do not see any "defects" on this coin that were not artifacts of the minting process and the subsequent storage and handling of the coins while sealed away in bags in Treasury vaults.
FMV is $1.05k -- $785 is a great deal for this coin, regardless of any other argument being advanced otherwise. You're not going to find any nicer examples for the price.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Replies: 23 / Views: 3,546 |
Posted 06/11/2016 7:57 pm
