Grade this Morgan (and should I slab it?)

Wolf359 · September 2, 2004 1:28PM

Proof-like or very close to it. No carbon spots on the reverse, despite what the photo shows.

ER · September 2, 2004 1:29PM

AU58.
Edit: BTW, the peripheral toning looks very nice.

Myqqy · September 2, 2004 1:35PM

I don't see any wear with those pictures, but what is with the lower left quadrant on the obverse? It looks like a polished area, but I assume it's just the picture. I would grade it around ms63, and think it's a good grading candidate......

Goober · September 2, 2004 1:37PM

MS63, a little AT, looks satiny

DennisH · September 2, 2004 1:40PM

1884-S Morgan + raw + looks MS = AU58

Well worth having graded.

billboat · September 2, 2004 2:35PM

63--have it slabbed.

relayer · September 2, 2004 2:40PM

Slab that puppy, sell it and put a couple $1,000 in the bank!

sliderider · September 2, 2004 2:44PM

Is this coin in a holder of some kind for the picture? Looks like scratches to the right of the eagle radiating down towards 4 o clock. Those will cost you big time and may even send you home in a BB if they attribute them to anything other than normal wear.

fountainheadgold · September 2, 2004 2:44PM

slab it, nice coin

Wolf359 · September 2, 2004 2:47PM

Looks like scratches to the right of the eagle radiating down towards 4 o clock.

Just brown toning.

SethChandler · September 2, 2004 2:51PM

Lightly cleaned slider

BigAl · September 2, 2004 4:34PM

judging by the pic, looks harshly cleaned and retoned; but definitely worth a try...

prooflike · September 2, 2004 4:44PM

I think it looks cleaned/lightly buffed, but it just may be the image.

IrishMike · September 2, 2004 7:04PM

Did you take this photo, something just doesn't look right to me about the photo. The cheek area has the appearance of a photoshop job or is that rub?

Steve27 · September 2, 2004 7:55PM

Unless it's your pic, I would say that it was lightly polished and would get the bodybag.

nwcs · September 2, 2004 9:15PM

The pic disturbs me. My instinct tells me body bag.

K6AZ · September 2, 2004 9:21PM

It's hard to be sure with the image, but it does look like it has been cleaned at some time and retoned. Detail wise, looks like an AU55-58.

dorkkarl · September 2, 2004 9:34PM

polished, net au-50.

i probably spent 30 years trying to cherry pick this coin in unc (this was long before plastic), never did. it is a genuinely RARE coin in unc. many that are close (au-58) have been cleaned or enhanced like this 1.

K S

IrishMike · September 2, 2004 11:03PM

karl is right you just don't find slabbable 84-s laying around. If you really feel you want to slab it, send it to ANACS and get it net graded.

ziggy29 · September 2, 2004 11:10PM

I think it looks like it may have had an old light cleaning or polishing. Not a bad coin considering that, though.

Damage or not, keep in mind that this is a date that the TPGs will be brutal on, given that it's a condition rarity. I suspect that there are a lot of AU-55 and AU-58 '84-S Morgans out there that would have been slabbed 61 or 62 if it were an '84-O instead.

Wolf359 · September 3, 2004 4:26AM

The dealer I got it from graded it AU58. I don't think it's cleaned, but I'll have another dealer take a look to make sure before submission.

THANKS for your help!

Stuart · September 3, 2004 4:53AM

Jack: Your coin has nice eye appeal and the 1884-S is very scarce in true PL designation. I agree with others that from the photos the coin appears to have been cleaned and the best bet would probably be to get it net-graded by ANACS if the top 2 services won't slab it.

Another reason to have it certified is so that it will be authenticated as an original as opposed to an altered date/mm. This will enhance the coin's marketability if/when you decide to sell it.

As Karl mentioned, I have also been trying to cherry-pick the 1884-S in choice AU condition, hoping to find a slider. They are relatively common in AU-grades up to 55, and then get tough to find in true slider high eye-appeal AU-58 grade. Choice siliders (PCGS AU-58) will command a significant market premium over typical cleaned AU's.

I hope that this helps a bit...