1925 peace dollar confusion
Jesserwauto
Posts: 23 ✭
Hey guys. Out here just as confused as ever lol. I know 25’s are usually not worth grading. But I thought this coin was particularly nice and the original grade from the 60’s was 67. I brought it to a local coin shop. They said 62 maybe 63 and not worth grading just scrap value. Comparing it to other 66’s it seems as nice or better? I’m so confused. 
1
Comments
Tried to get a closer image
I do not believe there was a "67" grade back in the 60's. It would have been assigned a BU or Gem BU at best.
Constructive criticism are the face hits and latent print. Agree with Lee bone too. Good luck. Peace Roy
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I would grade your coin MS-65 from the photos. Peace dollars need to also exhibit "flashy" luster and a fresh mint appearance to score the higher grades. Your coin looks very clean (not many contact marks), but is not flowing with luster for what you would like to see for 66s and 67s.
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From these obv photos I agree with what your local coin shop told you. The surfaces are clear of any large or distracting hits but at least one fingerprint and the luster looks very soft certainly not gem +, I would grade it MS63 at best. In the future you really need to post photos of both sides of a coin you want opinions on.
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Too many hits/lines, especially below and above Liberty’s eye that extend into her hair to grade real high. The print lowers eye appeal too.
Mr_Spud
I only see an obverse image, which will only tell part of the story. However, from what I can see, I’d grade the coin approximately MS63, due primarily to sub-par luster, marks on the obverse portrait and speckling/light spotting on and around Liberty’s neck.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
A reverse image might help tremendously. Also, if I recall correctly, the grade of MS67 was neither used nor invented until one of our board members put it in play in the 1970s or early 1980s. I don't see an MS67 for the coin you have.
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The surfaces tell me upon first blush it is a counterfeit.
Coin shops are in it to make money, not give opinions, and many undergrade when buying to get material cheaper. I think the obverse looks 65, its luster appears too muted for a 66. Unless the reverse is significantly worse, I would say it is worth getting graded.
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Fingerprints galore visible on the obverse. Absolutely not worth grading.
Judging from the pictures in the OP, I don't think it has the luster to get a 65 or above. Fingerprints don't matter as much when the luster is present.
I'd guess 63 or 64 at most.
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I agree with those that say the luster will be the limiter. Gem and above should have full, flashy unmuted luster.
Maybe it wasn’t the 60’s. They were bought from calhoons collector society. Maybe 70’s? They all came with these arbitrary grades that are probably over graded I’m guessing.
And thanks for the insight guys. Truly the best! I was unaware that the luster affected grading. Appreciate ya
Seeing the reverse image, I'll stick with my original "approximately MS63" assessment. There are multiple contact marks on the eagle.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Coin shops are not all run by experts, but they usually give honest assessments when asked. He wasn't trying to sell it, but asking about getting it graded
With the reverse image now available to view, I was wrong. It is genuine and not a counterfeit.
Not higher than a 63 imo. The slashes across face…prominent hairline lt obv
I can confirm that I did not invent the MS-67 grade until very early 1979.
TD
That says 65 not 67
Yes I was mistaken. What’s the /70 mean?
I have about 30 of these Morgan’s and a couple peace dollars that all came in a slip like the one in the picture. They were all purchased from calhoons collector society. Been with my family for years. I do have the receipts somewhere with the dates. But is it safe to say the grading is probably a little wonky back then? Or should I send in some of the Morgan’s with higher grades according to the slips?
In general, grading of coins by those selling them, has always tended to be liberal, if not extremely liberal. That's a large part of the reason that independent grading companies were established.
Don't rely on the hand- written grades of your coins to decide which, if any to submit for grading. Post clear pictures here for feedback.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Thanks. That’s kinda what I was figuring. I’m sure this is frowned upon. lol. Don’t yell at me. But with the coin I posted in this picture I got curious. Since the general idea was it’s a 63 or less and there’s not a lot of value. I took a dab of soapy water and wiped it down. Well there’s definitely more luster but it revealed a lot more faults in the coin. I’m not in any way an expert but it’s probably not a 63 and the 65 grade on the slip seems pretty high.
Couple shots. Definitely was very dirty
Yes that was not the best course of action, maybe those hairlines in front of the portrait were already on the coin but rubbing a coin with your fingers (as can be the case when using soap and water) can cause lines like that. In the future if you want to "improve" the look of your coins acquire some pure 100% acetone. Use a glass container and swish the coin around in the acetone for a short bit (say a min or so), then rinse with distilled water and pat dry with a soft towel or cloth never rub or wipe.
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I dabbed it with a microfiber and a small amount of soapy water. But I think I’ll just leave well enough alone. We are just doing it as a fun hobby as a family and trying to learn. Thank you for the advice and tip
I'd assume it's an indication to the viewer that 70 is the top grade. I read it as "this coin grades 65 out of 70."
The grading scale is out of 70 points