The Blueberry Alligator 🐊

Aspie_Rocco

Greetings all!
I stepped outside my usual nickel category and bid (nuclear for me) on this stunning blueberry Morgan yesterday at GC.

Pics from the auction

I will post more pics when it arrives using my awesome ParadiseFound clip on lens.

I have been selling off and reorganizing my non-nickel collection this year, and expanding more into CAC material. eBay has been a great way to sell off all the old coins and sets I have lost passion for.

1madman

The trueview is kinda awful (imo)

NeophyteNumismatist

congrats - pretty coin! I like it.

Aspie_Rocco

@1madman said:
The trueview is kinda awful (imo)

I am very curious to see it in hand, I am certain the toning is wildly attractive (to me) based on the GC pics and previous examples of how color shows in GC pics.
The trueview looks like a super glamour shot of a PL or something. It is colorful though.

jesbroken

Hope it's not as dark as the tv makes it appear. Congrats.
Jim

coinbuf

congrats on the newp!

Shane6596

Nice newp! Why is it designated alligator eye? Is it due to the reverse toning?

yosclimber

@Shane6596 said:
Nice newp! Why is it designated alligator eye? Is it due to the reverse toning?

Ron Guth:
The 1887 "Alligator Eye" Silver Dollar (VAM 12) is so-named because of the doubled cornea on Liberty's eye. This extra eyelid is known as a nictitating membrane and, in alligators, it serves as a shield for the eye and acts as a goggle when the alligator is underwater. Nictitating membranes are found in many animals, including fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even some mammals (but not humans). Thus, this variety could just as easily have been called the Aardvark Variety or the Woodpecker Variety, had the namer been so inclined.

This variety is fairly common, with upwards of one thousand examples certified in Mint State.

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1887-1-vam-12-alligator-eye/133910

Shane6596

"Eye" see it now...thanks

ricko

The slab pictures look very different from the TruView.... Let us know how it looks in hand when you get it. Cheers, RickO

No Headlights

Congratulations. And it isn't an 1881-S! Double congrats.

Aspie_Rocco

A friend pointed out that the reverse is in much better condition (minimal contact marks)
This Blueberry Alligator is beautiful!
What looks black in photos is actually a neon blue/yellow tone that eases in towards center fading to purple/red/orange in a nice rainbow.
All the contact marks on the cheek are nearly invisible outside in overcast daylight.

1madman

That tone/haze/discoloration in front of Liberty’s mouth & neck (in the field) is rather unattractive on the coin. Toning on both sides is random and not uniform. At first I didn’t like the trueview, now I don’t like any pictures of the coin. If the ~$200 you paid for this is nuclear, I’d consider selling or returning and buying nicer coins. You can do better.

JoeLewis

@1madman said:
That tone/haze/discoloration in front of Liberty’s mouth & neck (in the field) is rather unattractive on the coin. Toning on both sides is random and not uniform. At first I didn’t like the trueview, now I don’t like any pictures of the coin. If the ~$200 you paid for this is nuclear, I’d consider selling or returning and buying nicer coins. You can do better.

I like the coin. It looks very attractive to me. Why are you telling them to get rid of the coin because YOU don’t find it attractive?

Shane6596

Wheres the heart eyeballs emoji??!!!

The in hand pics you posted are beautiful. Wow.

If you ever want to get rid of it...PM me.

Im being serious, this is not a sarcastic post digging at it.

I really do like it alot. Im going to go look at some toned morgans for sale.