1896 Morgan, Offset Strike

It does appear to have a slightly off-center strike, but they usually don't carry a premium until the letters or devices are on or over the rim. The rim is slightly wider at 8 o'clock than it is at 2 o'clock. I cannot tell from the picture what is going on above the U, it could be a die crack/chip- they are pretty common on Morgan dollars.

The reverse pic is clear but too small to make out any details...we sure are picky aren't we !

I see what you are talking about now. Sorry, I was taught that the design on the die is slightly bigger than the coin and can float around on a normal coin as long as it is not missing any design elements (as infiniteinterest said above). Once it is missing design elements it is considered either an off center (both sides off centered in the same direction and distance) or a misaligned die (one side centered and one side off centered). That's why I wanted to see the reverse. I thought maybe the obverse was normal but the reverse was off centered and you accidentally posted two obverse pics. As far as whether the coin is counterfeit I am not an authority on Morgans enough to help you with that. Someone else will have to handle that one (and they are around). My only suggestion would be to check the VAM book for 1896 and see if your die crack is listed.

I scanned through the VAM list and didn't see anything pertinent. nlp

P.S. I wouldn't worry about it being counterfeit. 1896 P is a very commoon date and wouldn't be worth it to counterfeit. It only carries a value of $160.00 in MS 65.