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Please Help: What's This Coating Of ... ? On 1881-S Morgan?

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Shenandoah1's Avatar
United States
47 Posts
 Posted 04/18/2020  11:39 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Shenandoah1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
This is an 1881-S Morgan dollar with a DMPL obverse -- or rather, DMPL aside from the area near the rim that runs from about 2 to 3 o'clock.

My question is: What the heck is that?

Through a loupe, it looks like silvery build-up of some sort, but the mirrors don't penetrate it and its borders seem relatively well defined. In between each letter of "UNUM" are darker marks -- they look kind of like smudges.

In every other respect, the coin looks normal and does not appear to have been been cleaned, whizzed or otherwise doctored in any way.

Maybe it is build up or a stain of some kind, but it doesn't look like any build up or stain I've ever seen. Thank you for any help or feedback you can provide!

Please-Help:-What's-This-Coating-Of-...-?-On-1881-S-Morgan?
Please-Help:-What's-This-Coating-Of-...-?-On-1881-S-Morgan?
Please-Help:-What's-This-Coating-Of-...-?-On-1881-S-Morgan?
Please-Help:-What's-This-Coating-Of-...-?-On-1881-S-Morgan?
Pillar of the Community
Cross-eyed's Avatar
United States
849 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2020  12:26 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Cross-eyed to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
This is just a guess...
Looks like there is a finger print above the cap and someone dipped that half of the coin in a 'cleaning solution' in order to get rid of it.They didn't get it rinsed off very good and now it is toning in that area.
The reverse has some nice colors to it.
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Shenandoah1's Avatar
United States
47 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2020  02:20 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Shenandoah1 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Cross-eyed: Interesting -- you may well be right. I don't know how I'd go about confirming that (or whatever it is, if that's not it.) I sell on ebay and was going to list it -- and probably still will -- but wanted to see what others thought before doing so.
Yes, the color is really nice -- that's the coin's main selling point, though the mirrors and cameo on the obverse are very nice. I was hoping to be able to say the coin will grade, even with the section of whatever-it-is. But I may just have to say it might, it might not. Thanks very much for your reply.
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sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21786 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2020  06:16 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
If there is a coating on it, it may be acrylic lacquer.
Easy enough to clean off with an acetone bath.
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Coinfrog's Avatar
United States
94367 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2020  10:49 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Coinfrog to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
That would be a good place to start, but I think Cross-eyed's guess is a good one.
Edited by Coinfrog
04/19/2020 10:49 am
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suipakpaikungfu's Avatar
United States
992 Posts
 Posted 04/19/2020  7:18 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add suipakpaikungfu to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I agree.
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