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1888 O Morgan - Wear Or Weak Strike?

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United States
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 Posted 04/21/2006  9:36 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add keh to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I recently acquired this 1888 O. It looks great, except for some flat spots in key wear areas. The hair over the ear and forehead on the obverse is very flat but shiny. The wear even extends to the ear. The breast feathers on the reverse are lacking in detail. To me, the rest of the coin looks MS64 or so. There is a distince cartwheel effect. If its AU and cleaned, they did a hell of a job on it. Is this a poor strike or wear?

Given the facts, how would you grade this coin?

Thanks

1888-O-Morgan---Wear-Or-Weak-Strike?

1888-O-Morgan---Wear-Or-Weak-Strike?
Edited by keh
04/21/2006 9:46 pm
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swamperbob's Avatar
United States
5362 Posts
 Posted 04/21/2006  9:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add swamperbob to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Morgan dollars were struck in a collared press so if the coin is full weight and it was a light strike there should be no sharp seam visible at the collar - and I can't see one. So I would vote for a weak strike. VAM alludes to some strike weakness being rather characteristic of 1888 at New Orleans.
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bobby131313's Avatar
United States
24161 Posts
 Posted 04/21/2006  10:50 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bobby131313 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply


It could also have been an unc coin that someome decided would be prettier if the polished it. [:0]



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Morgan Fred's Avatar
United States
2684 Posts
 Posted 04/21/2006  11:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Morgan Fred to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
keh, this is a problem coin... not in the sense it's been altered, but given your images and what you state, I can't decide if it's an extremely weak strike as is typical for New Orleans Morgans and other series (I've never read why O coins are weak strikes; low steam in their presses?) or if it's a weak strike combined with just a little bit of wear, mostly as evidenced by the smoothness of the hair over Liberty's ear and the lack of feather detail on the Eagle's breast. I'm definitely inclined toward the latter. If so, then it's an AU-58; I don't think I'd want to assign an MS grade to this Morgan without having it in my hand for upclose and personal observation under some lenses. I don't think it's been cleaned, at least from what I can see in the images; it's luster appears intact. There would be no reason why light handling should remove luster from the high points.

In terms of value, there isn't much difference between AU and MS in 1888-O's although it might make a difference if you're trying to assemble a Mint State set. I think it's a nice coin!

Fred

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United States
32 Posts
 Posted 04/22/2006  9:11 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add keh to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Again, thanks for the expert information!
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United States
32 Posts
 Posted 04/24/2006  1:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add keh to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I just found this site: http://home1.gte.net/res05izg/morgan/strike.html

It looks like my coin matches the description for a very weak strike.
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