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 Replies: 22 / Views: 2,998 |
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Valued Member
United States
158 Posts |
Well, this is only my second post on this forum (first was an intro) and I've got a confession to make..... I cleaned my Morgans.  And I didn't just clean them - I buffed those babies on a cotton wheel with rouge ! An 1885 (P), a 1898 (P), and a 1921. I gotta admit, though, they sure are purty. On a brighter note, I know where you might be able to find three Morgan dollars with that "Deep Mirror Proof Look".... Now that I've confessed my sins and see the error of my ways, I've decided to order both Dansco albums with slip covers for the Morgans and start anew. Why, you ask ? Because I just recently learned I'm gonna be a GRANDPA ! Our first grandchild is due in February, and I want him/her to know the joy of having "real" money, as I cannot predict what our monetary system might look like by the time this kid is old enough to appreciate what I am collecting. I can envision a world in which everything is bought/sold with some form of digital "chits".....that's what will make this collection special, I believe. Like many of you reading this, the Morgan dollars fascinate me - the history, the design, the variations....everything. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford an extensive collection, but wanted to at least try to get as many years as possible, in the best condition I can afford (AU to BU, probably). This will be my legacy - a little "treasure" to be handed down through the generations.....and just to insure the collection stays in the family it is being incorporated into our family trust with certain stipulations that it not be sold/pawned/transferred, etc. There are a few things that this child will experience - the joy of working the land to produce one's own food, the joy of handling a firearm safely, and the thrill of holding a collection of real American history. This will be my legacy to that next generation. As for those polished Morgans, maybe I'll make gaudy necklaces with them and stick 'em in the safe deposit box. I just downloaded A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars by David Bowers and am now doing my homework. Now that I've confessed my sins, I shall go forth and buff no more ! Thanks in advance for all the great knowledge I'm about to glean from the forum. |
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
 to CCF fellow Michigander. I am glad to here that you will not buff any more coins. And as a general rule don't clean any coins in any way,not just buffing. I know most of us will at some time clean a coin, so practice on coins with no collector value and start cleaning with the least amount of damage to the coin.A soft used toothbrush and mild hand soap with very little pressure.Oh,if anyone asks I didn't tell you to clean any coins LOL. Congrats on becoming a grandpa. John1  |
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Valued Member
 United States
158 Posts |
Thanks, J1.....appreciate the welcome. On a brighter note, I found a very nice 1878-S Morgan dollar in AU condition to fill the first slot in my Danson albums.....and it will NOT be polished ! I think I'm back on track now, thanks to the knowledge gleaned from this forum. And my boss-lady is checking her stash of old Morgans to see if she has any key dates for me, so life is good. Thanks again for the welcome. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
836 Posts |
You live you learn. They are still worth melt and nice to look at it you don't care that they are clean. Don't clean any more though.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Welcome to the forum! The good news is that those Morgans you cleaned are still worth something in silver value - so, you coin cleaning education came pretty cheap.
Good luck on the Morgan collection - one of my favorite things about an album of silver dollars is just how heavy they are. There's substance there...real money.
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Valued Member
United States
115 Posts |
ha ha I bet if you put them up on ebay someone would be them for over silver bullion price. better yet take your buffed silver dollars on the electric range get it really hot for like 10 sec and then using tongs toss them in a bowl of cold water. You will get some rainbow toning effects on the coins and then the idiots on ebay will pay three times the price! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
524 Posts |
I took a pencil eraser to mine when I was a kid, so don't feel to bad. Just sell them for melt and use the money to buy some of the ones you need for your set. To the forum. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3453 Posts |
Although you may have goofed, you have learned valuable lesson. Don't beat yourself up about it. When I was young, my father "invested" in a couple of sets from the Franklin Mint. They were type sets and when they arrived the coins absolutely gleamed. He wanted me to get into collecting since he enjoyed it as a kid. One night, we were watching 60 minutes and they featured the Franklin Mint showing how the sets were basically worthless due to the harsh cleaning they received (this was 34 years ago). I was 10 and he was nearly brought to tears realizing that he had been taken and wasted a bunch of money. I talked him out of throwing the sets into the trash but he stopped collecting that day. It broke my heart to see that. My son is now 12 and from time to time we look at those sets as a reminder of how to not deal with coins. It is bitter sweet for me since they now have value as melt (he passed away in 2004) but I will never get rid of them. You may want to consider keeping these if you cannot sell or trade them for what you really want. You may in time look on them fondly, as I do my father's set. |
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Moderator
United States
188892 Posts |
You can rescue those cleaned dollars by making them pocket pieces. They should wear down pretty good in a few years, then you can give them to you grandchild.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3283 Posts |
Or get rid of them and get new one's, considering they are close to melt either way, BUT,
They are now great conversation pieces.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5832 Posts |
Dealers from time to time DIP their coins to get rid of bad toning or whatever they are trying to get rid off. I asked one dealer is that not cleaning, he said you have to know HOW to do it right...almost like NCS.
But harsh cleaning will eventually bring down the value but is nice to look at.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
The good news ... those are common dates and are selling just over melt unless in high unc condition. You may have lost a few bucks but nothing to frett over. The lesson you learned was invaluable and well worth those three Morgans ... unless they were a rare variety ( VAM).  |
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Valued Member
Canada
235 Posts |
Well don't beat yourself up too much, for great advice you have come to the right place. Good luck with your new endeavours!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1348 Posts |
Welcome and lessoned learned. Hopefully new collectors will see this before they make the same mistake.
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Valued Member
United States
158 Posts |
Thanks for all the replies and words of encouragement. Some great advice here from those much more experienced than I - for that I am most grateful. My albums should arrive in 2-3 days, and then my first unadulterated 1878-S Morgan should arrive shortly thereafter. Whaddaya think of this one ?   I probably overpaid a bit at $65.00 (with shipping), but I couldn't resist the urge to get that first Morgan into the new album. There's a rare coin store a few miles up the road I'll go visit this afternoon just to enhance my knowledge base. Thanks again for all the replies - this is a great place ! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2120 Posts |
If I can get it off with an Acetone soak.. Most times it isn't worth trying harder.
Note* Acetone is dangerous stuff. Be careful.
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Replies: 22 / Views: 2,998 |
Posted 08/30/2011 09:11 am
