Grade Revealed: 1880 PCGS MS-64 Morgan Dollar (Gold Shield)

Stuart

I would assign this 1880 Morgan Dollar a Grade of... (Vote👇 below)

[Thanks in advance for posting your observations & comments to keep this thread lively & active] 😁👍

Click👇Here to Enlarge Low Resolution Image:

Click👇Here to Enlarge High Resolution Image:

HighRelief

MS-65

I like it as a 65

Sweet looking Morgan Stuart

robkool

MS-65

MS65...

BryceM

MS-63

Of course, I'm always off, as I cut my teeth on Peace dollars.

I see a really clean coin with subdued luster and a bit of chatter on the rims. The spot on the reverse is a bit distracting.

ricko

MS-65

Looks like a 65.... Cheers, RickO

U1chicago

MS-65

Some chatter in the obverse fields, a few scattered hits, and the somewhat distracting spot on the reverse make me think it maxed out at 65.

BillJones

MS-64

If 64+ had been available, I would checked that. The minor cheek marks and the scratch in front of the chin pulled down a little for me.

batumi

MS-64

MS-64. I liked it as a 66, but for the dug in looking spot or carbon knocks two points off imho.

Pokermandude

MS-66

65+, I voted for 66.

johnny9434

MS-66

nice coin over all, I like

TPRC

MS-65

65

marcmoish

MS-65

65 - chatter obv left side and a stab wound on rev, but nice piece.

asheland

MS-64

A nice original coin!

dizzlecc

MS-64

MS 64. The coin jumps in price in 65, Does it look like a $500 coin or a $100 coin with some light toned lipstick

DollarAfterDollar

MS-65

The field chatter on the obverse seems very minor but the eyebrow hit probably jumps off the coin in hand. MS 65. Still tough and quite valuable.

roadrunner

MS-65

In the 1980s this would have been a 64. Back then a MS 65 of this date was $1000-$2000 IIRC. Very hard to make. But these days at $500 a 65 is not that big a deal. But getting a 66 on this date is not easy. This doesn't seem to have the blast and eye appeal or 66. Generally very clean on marks. 1880 tends to come a lackluster with a flatish strike. I'd have called it 65+ on marks but it still doesn't have superior eye appeal. Nice coin whatever it is graded. I wouldn't be surprised with anything from 64 to 66.

cameonut2011

MS-65

What did PCGS call it?

PTVETTER

MS-66

would like to see in hand to be sure

TommyType

MS-65

Pretty good bell curve going. The mean of all votes is 65.13793.....so I'm changing my vote to 65.13793.

(Time to give up the PCGS vote?!?)

Walkerfan

MS-65

I have 64s from back in the day that look this good but If the luster is there and the cheeks are as smooth as they look in the image, then I have no problem calling this a 65 By today’s standards.

Stuart

MS-66

Thanks to all my Fellow Forum Members who have participated in this latest most exciting episode of ”Guess the Grade!!” 😁

I’ll let this GTG thread continue for a while longer to allow more people to participate, until it fades into PCGS Forum (Page 2) Oblivion. 😉

To discreetly allow those who have already voted in the poll to learn the actual grade (without disclosing the answer to additional prospective voters) I will provide the following guidance.

Since the results are only visible to those who have voted in the poll, If you look at the voting results, the PCGS assigned grade is one grading level below the largest plurality voting group. 🤓

Stuart

MS-66

Thanks to all of my Fellow Forum Members who participated by voting in the “Guess the Grade” Poll and for posting your Observations and Comments. 😁👍

I purchased this coin because I liked the Eye Appeal and felt that it was Very Solid for the Grade.

The poll results averaging just slightly better than MS-65 seem to agree with my assessment. 😉

Grade Revealed: 1880 PCGS MS-64 Morgan Dollar

Click👇Here to Enlarge Image:

cameonut2011

MS-65

The newer photo/slab shot shows a lot more chatter on the cheek than the True View. I think many in the 65-66 camp would have voted lower if they had the opportunity to see the slab shot.

PTVETTER

MS-66

Boy was I off !

BryceM

MS-63

Someday I’ll learn. I grade these like I grade Peace dollars. If I add a grade, I’m usually right.

Stuart

MS-66

@BryceM Regarding your post earlier in this thread, I think your Morgan Dollar Grading skills fall into the Middle Option below... 🤓 👍

My MS-66 poll vote was simply a head fake, since I knew the correct answer. 😉

Accuracy versus 👇 Precision in Coin Grading... 🧐😉

BryceM

MS-63

@Stuart

Well, I’m not sure what to make of your assessment. My guess is a single data point from which you can’t deduce anything about precision. Also, interpreting photos and grading coins aren't exactly the same thing.

When you’re hunting a wounded lion, and it decides to charge you, the only shot that matters at all is the next one.

Stuart

MS-66

Bryce, Right you are!! 😉👍

@BryceM said:
When you’re hunting a wounded lion, and it decides to charge you, the only shot that matters at all is the next one.

drei3ree

MS-64

@BillJones said:

The minor cheek marks and the scratch in front of the chin pulled down a little for me.

This...Good to see the experts here getting it wrong on the high side for once.

TommyType

MS-65

Random thought: Should we start being extra careful grading coins based on TrueViews? The vast majority of us shot high here. And in my 1875CC dime GTG, the vast majority shot high. (And those are just recent examples).

So, are the TV's just too tilted toward "glamour" to be trusted for grading?

DollarAfterDollar

MS-65

True view looks like a picture of a completely different coin.

Stuart

MS-66

@TommyType @DollarAfterDollar @MFeld @BryceM

IMO PCGS TrueView Photos Accurately Depict the Mint Luster and Frost exhibited on a coin’s surface, but tend to De-Emphasize Contact Marks compared to (in this case) the Heritage Auction Photos.