Your thoughts on this Oregon Trail - Grade is in...

techeff

would be appreciated. It has very few marks and some nice toning that I wasn't able to capture in the picture. Thanks!

PCGS MS66

TonedCoinTrader

65 shot 66 if Luster is better than pic.

Scott

techeff

Thanks Scott. The luster is excellent and the colors are beautiful. The pictures certainly don't do it justice.

mgoodm3

I like the bronzed toning. pretty coin.

FC57Coins

MS65 from the pics - nice coin!

shylock

Very nice

Iwog

Luster appears to be poor, although it could just be bad lighting. Weak strike but not as bad as some I've seen. Look at how the second T in "States" flattens out against the coin. MS64-MS65 if the luster is better than it looks. I'll put up my MS65 for comparison.

GoYankees

That coin has a beautiful design. I'll have to get one someday.

techeff

Iwog, I haven't seen one that has a strong second 'T' in "States"

Here's a 67 at Heritage that has a very weak 'T'

Iwog

I just posted a 1933-D with a strong T in States.

techeff

Here's another attempt to capture the luster. In the first pic the coin is in a flip so it looks a little funky. Sorry, but I don't have Jeremy's mad picture takin' skillz...

CarlWohlforth

I love when the obverse and reverse of the Oregon are displayed side by side. It shows the Native trying to halt the westward expansion of the European settlers.

ss350camaro

My thoughts are that since i live in Oregon you should sell it to me (cheap) so i can add it to my type set album

<sigh> Maybe some day i'll have one

golddustin

That issue has always been among my favorite top 5 or so commems, and your particular half looks very lovely , indeed! This make sme start thinking crazy, like putting together a nice unc set of the whole series!

shylock

I love when the obverse and reverse of the Oregon are displayed side by side. It shows the Native trying to halt the westward expansion of the European settlers.

I never realized that, as obvious as it now seems. Thanks Carl.

mgoodm3

<< <i>I love when the obverse and reverse of the Oregon are displayed side by side. It shows the Native trying to halt the westward expansion of the European settlers.

I never realized that, as obvious as it now seems. Thanks Carl. >>




Maybe he's just directing traffic on the OR trail. A safety officer.

coynclecter

If the luster is there,there's nothing holding it bacj from a 66.
67 shot.

For those who said 65, could you tell me what holds it back?

fcloud

From an untrained eye. That coins is beautiful. The hint of bronze color makes it look gem to me. I would go 66/67. I don't seem to see many marks and the strike looks good.

kamehameha00

It dosen't look like it has many nicks on it, and the weak strike would have to be really bad for it to affect the grade. I say MS-65 with a good shot at MS-66.

techeff

Thanks Coynclecter and Fcould...

I see only one "noticeable" hit on the obverse (left end of the bow) and a small distraction above the date on the reverse. As for the luster, it's certainly there and it has some very nice colors as well. I've looked at a lot of these on heritage and there are some with a lot more hits in 67 holders.

I'm either going to send it in using the 5-day service or I might bring it to the Long Beach show to be graded. I live in the area.

FatMan

The Oregon is a great coin. No other coin design screams "America" as loud. Your image makes yours look a little flat, a few ticks but It is free from distracting marks. Providing decent luster which your picture doesn't show, I see it as a nice 66. It would be welcome in my collection anytime.

Iwog, yours is very nice too.

RGL

Very nice ... a classic. I don't collect commems, but I had to have one of these and picked up a nice MS-65 (luster a bit below average, but practically no hits and an amazing strike) about a year ago. Then again, it fits with my Buffs thanks to Fraser ...

coinrookie

Really nice. Pretty clean leg and a nicely struck foot.

coynclecter

Heres the one I was waiting for on ebay. Thought I'd pay a lot more against pop1eye. Only 1 in 1800 made it to MS68. Oregon MS67



I wish I knew how to get those large picks into this box.

DorkGirl

Geez, did we all buy Oregons this week? Here's mine!!

techeff

Nice work coyn!

techeff

Geez, did we all buy Oregons this week? Here's mine!!



Mine arrived on Tuesday. BTW, nice coin!

coynclecter

Hey Dorkgirl

Thats a REALSTRONG strike, is it markfree and lusterous. The world is waiting for another 68

BTW how did you get the pic in the frame

DorkGirl

All I do is upload the picture to Photobucket(it's a free hosting site) then copy and paste the url right into the thread. No need to upload to CU, so it can be higher MBs.

By the way, some really nice coins you guys have there!!

And coyn, I bought it as a MS64, but I really like the color. That's the sellers photo, I'll see what kind of pic I can take when it gets here.

darktone

Pretty hard to tell much from the pictures. I don't see how some can call it MS66-67 from these images? The first pictures show no luster at all and the second one's don't help much either. If I was buying from these pics I would call it at AU58-MS62. Sorry but if this is all I have to on this is how I would call it. mike

techeff

If I was buying from these pics I would call it at AU58-MS62. Sorry but if this is all I have to on this is how I would call it. mike

Probably a good idea for you to stay away from "guess the grade" and "opinion" threads that have pictures... If you want to make a bet I'll give you two points and bet you that PCGS grades the coin 65 or higher.

darktone

Sorry, I did not mean to imply your coin is au58-MS62. Simply that from the pictures provided I could not tell if it graded higher. If you say it is MS65 I am with you that is MS65. mike

FatMan

Dorkgirl....what a beauty. Any chance you have an obverse image to share?

Darktone, I can't speak for everyone who posted a grade but I think we all agree that the image displays no luster at all. I know I posted my thought based upon techeff's assessment that the luster is "Excellent".

techeff

No problem Mike and thanks for your polite response. I could understand you saying it might be a 58 (sometimes hard to see a rub from pictures), I just couldn't understand where you came up with the 62. I'm going to send it in on Monday and will let you know the results when they come back. I hope all of you are having a great weekend!

Iwog

Oregon Trail halves have the most intense luster of all the commemoratives, and although this coin does have luster left, the photographs do NOT show that this is unimpaired. This coin doesn't qualify for MS67 because of a rim impact above the first T in states, a rim impact below the A in America, and a LARGE rim impact on the reverse under the T in trail. An MS66 coin might slide with one of these marks, but probably not two on the obverse. There's no way to see hairlines in a photograph, but if you've got any significant hairlines on the coin you can expect it to be dropped to MS63.

Assuming the luster is good and there are no/few hairlines, I'd say the coin will get MS65 with a shot at MS66. Here are two more examples to compare.

techeff

Thanks for your analysis Iwog. It's great when people back up their opinions with detailed analysis!!

coynclecter

Dam, we need to start an Oregon Lovers club.

The absolute, no doubt, cannot be argued, MOST beautiful coin ever made by the USA

techeff

Dam, we need to start an Oregon Lovers club.

I'm in! This is my first Oregon and I'm now thinking about starting a complete set. It really is a beautiful design.

lava

I love this coin, and I don't collect anything but morgans. I'm always tempted by a nice Oregon though. I love a colored reverse that adds new perspective to the sun.

Is that sun rising or setting, anyone know?

Coinerww

lava

The sun sets in the west and this is Oregon's coin, so it must be a setting sun. Right?

Snoodle

Sun sets in the West.....


Oooops, I got beat

FatMan

<< <i>The sun sets in the west and this is Oregon's coin, so it must be a setting sun. Right? >>

Yes, it is a setting sun. The wagon is on a journey westward.



<< <i>The absolute, no doubt, cannot be argued, MOST beautiful coin ever made by the USA >>

I am quite sure you can find someone around here to argue the point.

cosmicdebris

Here's a NGC MS65 for comparison:

DorkGirl

Fats, here's the obverse---

FatMan

Dorkgirl,

The Obverse is just as lovely. What a nice coin.

BTW: Little known fact is the wagon side of the Oregon is the obverse. Collectors are so accustomed to having "heads" as obverse it is always assumed the Indian is the obverse. Even the grading companies get this one wrong. Fraser and Fraser (the designers) are on record as calling the Indian the obverse too, but the US Mint feels otherwise. I don't recall the exact specifics but it had something to do with if the mintmark is displayed on a side without the date, that side must be the reverse. Therefore the Mint says "Wagon is the Obverse, Indian the Reverse".

CarlWohlforth

Fats: you may be right about which side is which but the sides sure are more meaningful to me when the Native side is on the left facing east and the wagon is traveling west into the sunset.

And, yes, I did pick one up recently too.

FatMan

Carl,

It does tell a story when placed side by side. I was just sharing that tidbit as an interesting fact. I display my Oregon the same way.

CarlWohlforth

Nice one! And thanks for the info.

ConstellatioCollector

I bought one yesterday at the Arcadia show. I'll attempt to photo it today and put online.

jom

jom