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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,022 |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Here's the coin:   Interesting coin. The obverse is fully PL, with the barest hint of amber cast covering the entire field, the same hue as on the periphery but too light to even photograph. The reverse is less reflective, not PL, but covered with extremely fine parallel polishing lines running north-south. They're too fine to photograph, and don't show up on my QX5 even at 200x, except in a very few small places. Although you can see it (barely) with the naked eye, the coin must be tilted like you do to see some clashes. Under a loupe the lines are obvious. Virtually every post-mint polished coin I've had in-hand shows polishing lines at 60x, and looks like earthquake rippling at 200x. On the one hand, the crud inside some reverse features makes me consider it a candidate for post-mint polishing. On the other hand, I've been over this coin minutely with the QX5, and cannot see a trace of any evidence of polishing on any of the letters or devices. Does anyone with a fuller knowledge of the die polishing process than I care to express an idea or opinion? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Where are all the Morgan guys when you need them ?
Dave my guess is that they were on the die or the planchet and are not a product of post mint polishing .
Rick
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
Here I is, Rick! Better late than later. (Maybe Susan and Bobby can figure out some way of automatically subscribing me to any Morgan subject as soon as they're posted?)
Dave, it's really hard to say anything about this Morgan based on the images and what you explained. Without your explanation of what you found under high power and just looking at the image, I would have said this was a cleaned coin because of the dirt (or tarnish) inside the letters, numerals, and denticles. I would not be able to explain the tarnish inside the letters from a polished die during the minting process. My tentative conclusion would have to be that someone has come up with a polishing technique which uses extremely fine material, maybe a rotating wheel made out of light camel's hair over a period of time.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hey Fred there you are,, I guess better late than Later !! Dave explained that the fine lines that he can see were not on the devices,, or at least didn't appear to be . The coin to me looks to split grade to MS-63 obverse, a little lower on the reverse.. I can agree that the coin may have seen a cleaning , but not a whizzing ! If these lines in fact stop at the details,, I stick by my opinion !! die or planchet !! We could have a Morgan only area!!  Rick Edited by Metalman
04/09/2006 10:52 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
i have always been told that if the lines do not go on to the devices than it was the polishing of the planchet not the coin if it is on the devices well then its cleaning I am not however an expert on this . But I firts learned about this do to a morgan that had similare attributes as yours. I hope that helps I would keep checking
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
Rick, I might agree, but the tarnish around the letters, numerals, denticles, stars, and edges of the other devices and not on the fields can't be explained by a polished die nor planchet. I would argue, at least based on the information we've got so far that a very small brush (cloth, maybe silk, not metal) on a Dremel could have been used to produce the same effect on the fields; it was not necessary to polish the devices. Also, I would ask about the source of the tarnish in the letters and around the edges next to and in the denticles, but doesn't appear in the fields; the tarnish should appear in the open unprotected areas, not just the protected areas around the devices' protected areas. It almost looks as if this Morgan was seriously discolored (possibly toned) in the fields and somebody wanted to spiff it up. However, as usual, I would need to see the coin in hand to give a better opinion. (Mailing address provided upon request.  ) BTW Rick, now we're on DST, I'm an hour earlier than you (AZ doesn't celebrate DST, so we're now on PDT), so unless you stay up real late, I'll get in the last word tonight. You gotta work tomorrow and I don't [:p]   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Fred
Your probly right !!
Rick
Edited by Metalman
04/10/2006 01:31 am
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I managed to get some of the lines from the QX5 - these are at the top of the wreath to the eagle's left (our right):  They're typical of how fine, and parallel, the entire reverse field is. There is no way the patina would have survived a recent cleaning or dipping, so I'm going based on the assumption that if the reverse was cleaned, it was far enough in the past for it to have toned since. I say if, because there's a little of the same crud on the obverse, the mirrors of which wouldn't have survived any kind of cleaning. Either way, my guess is that the lines are mint-original. This one's really got me fascinated. The trouble is, it all started with me preparing an ebay auction for it, and now I don't want to sell it.  |
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,022 |
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Posted 04/09/2006 10:38 pm
