Can you help me learn to grade Prooflike coins using this Morgan?
pbj
Posts: 93 ✭✭✭
I would like to improve my ability to evaluate and grade specifically Prooflike Morgans using the parameters of LUSTER, STRIKE, MARKS, and EYE APPEAL. Using this raw coin from my collection, can you describe how you evaluate each of these parameters and answer a few specific questions?
EDIT: I Posted the wrong images. Please use images that follow of 1884 CC for evaluation. Sorry!
[If you feel like these images are inadequate, let me know and I will and add others]
LUSTER: how do you evaluate luster on a prooflike Morgan with mirrored fields. In hand, I can observe a minimal "cartwheel effect", only in the fields, but mostly see reflectivity. (I can measure at least 4" on the reverse field).
STRIKE: What do you inspect to evaluate strike?
MARKS: On a prooflike coin, marks - especially in the fields, are much more evident, and distracting, than would be on a non-PL coin. In my opinion they are given less weight in determining the grade of a PL coin than if they were in the fields of a non-PL coin. In my opinion, marks on the devices are given a similar weight.
EYE APPEAL: The most subjective parameter. What factors do you consider when determining eye appeal?
In grading this coin, could you please break down your evaluation into the above catagories, specifically related to this coin, and give your obverse/reverse opinion, and final overall grade? (eg. : 65/63 MS64PL) I get stuck evaluating the eagle, so any a comments would be appreciated.
I know this is a big ask, so thank you in advance to all of you who contribute. I hope that this thread will become a valueable tool for those who have a lack of knowledge similar to mine.
Paul
Answers
Sorry... Here are two more images of the reverse as I believe that it is not accurately reflected in the OP.
Edited: These images are of the coin that I meant to post. I am interested in an evaluation of my 1884 CC.
I apologize!!... This is my first discussion post, and also with images. I grabbed the wrong photos from my files plus made it a question instead of a discussion, but since you evaluated the coin in the OP @FadeToBlack , I don't want to just edit and swap out the images. The coin that I meant to post is the 1884 CC that is shown in the second series of images.
Thanks for catching the mistake, and sorry for the confusion!!
@FadeToBlack ... Excellent analysis.... Cheers, RickO
First - establish the "grade" just like for any other coin of the same design.
Second - decide on the "depth" or mirror-like characteristics of the fields.
That is: PL is not a grade; it is a descriptive phrase.