1928 $1 Final Update

Stephen, stick with the NGC MS-61. I think it's a fair grade. I had the same problem with PCGS: I cracked out an NGC MS-62 1891CC Morgan and submitted it to PCGS to complete my CC Registry collection; I didn't care if they downgraded it to MS-60, but doubted they would do so. They sent it back as "cleaned". I looked at it under all sorts of magnification and could not for the life of me see any signs of cleaning. I even found a die crack which would have been removed by any cleaning except a quick dip. I then resubmitted it to PCGS for Presidential Review and David Hall labelled it "harshly cleaned". I had some very un-Scouting words for that assessment. This fall, it goes to ANACS along with its sister 1890CC which NGC had graded as MS-61 and PCGS downgraded it to AU-58. I've been around Morgans a long time (long enough that I remember seeing an occasional Morgan in circulation) and there is absolutely no sign of wear on the 90CC. Weak strike, yes; wear, no. I think all that southern California sunshine has gotten to the PCGS grading team and weakened their eyesight. Or more likely, they're trying to lower their averages on their Population Reports on the backs of us "minor collectors" so their "major collectors" will have enhanced values due to lower populations on their over-graded coins. In other words, PCGS is now grading weak strike Mint States as AU.

Fred