Grade Revealed: MS-62 -- 1878 (7/8TF - Strong) Morgan Dollar

Stuart

Please guess the grade on this 1878 (7/8 TF - Strong) Morgan Dollar...

K6AZ

Um, no image Stuart.

Stuart

Eric: You are quick!! -- Work in progress -- Pictures loaded now...

Trooper

hard to see....but I'll go 63

tom

Dog97

63 Brown.

rkfish

Stuart,

Not your usual nice pictures.......hmmmmm.....I'll say 64

K6AZ

62

Stuart

Tom: I agree that the picture shown make is very difficult to see the coin's details.

I'll take a better photo of it when I receive the coin. I just purchased it tonight and have not yet received it to photograph.

Aethelred

I just can't grade it from that photo Stuart.

Stuart

Athelred: Do the following photos help you to grade the coin?

Aethelred

Those do help a bit Stuart, I voted MS-64.

Stuart

Aethelred: Glad to be of assistance!

wam98

Stuart, those look like my crappy little photos. That's why I never do, guess the grade post. Anyway, I'm going to guess this one MS-64. The lack of detail in the hair above the ear puzzles me. For an 1878 usually has nice hair strands in that area. I haven't really looked at lot of 7/8 TF to comment about this though.

Something else, I take these are another persons photos. Just guessing the coin is not that dark in hand.

I do like the coin and think it's nice.

Wolf359

I guess MS64, but it's hard to tell from the photos.

Stuart

Wayne: Yes they are the seller's photos, and I plan to take some higher quality higher-resolution photos of the coin to add to this thread after I receive the coin.

The only reason that I posted this with seller's photos before receiving the coin, was to get the forum's thoughts on the potential grade, which I will post later today after giving the morning shift a chance to review it.

Thanks for participating in the poll and for posting on the thread.

Numismanic

Nice coin Stuart, I'll guess it grades MS64.

Stuart

Don: Thanks for your participation in the grading poll and for your post on the thread!

MaryKay

Stuart
You have the nicest looking Morgan Dollars I have ever seen. Thank you very much for sharing.

ziggy29

I'd say 63, marked down from 64 by the big hit in the right obverse field.

Barry

64, though the pics are less than ideal.

Stuart

Thanks to the 30 people who took the time to vote with their opinion of the grade on my new 1878 (7/8TF - Strong) Morgan Dollar.

I am very pleased that approx 93% of you estimated the grade at MS-63 and above, and 50% of you estimated the grade at MS-64 or 65 -- because the coin was graded PCGS MS-62.

When I receive the coin I will take some more revealing photos and will give you my personal opinion of it's grade after carefully examining it.

Thanks again for taking the time to vote in the poll and to post your comments on the thread!


Mary Kay: Thanks much for your very kind compliment on my Morgans!!

Stuart

Is anybody surprised by the low grade assigned to this coin by PCGS??

Aethelred

We all look like a bunch of dunces don't we?

ziggy29

<< <i>Is anybody surprised by the low grade assigned to this coin by PCGS?? >>

They may have knocked it down for the hit in the right obverse field more than I would, but I have to think that was the main factor.

stman

<< <i>Is anybody surprised by the low grade assigned to this coin by PCGS?? >>



Honestly? NO. Why? because it's a crappy image that you can tell absolutely nothing as far as grade.

I am sure there is a reason it's in a 62 holder that the image does not depict. Sorry you asked I finally decided to answer.
I'm not gonna say it's PQ++++ if that's what you're looking for.

I believe you mentioned you don't even have it yet, so basically no one has any idea.

Stuart

<< We all look like a bunch of dunces don't we? >>

Aethelred: No, I don't see it that way. First of all, admittedly the photos used to depict the coin for your evaluation were weak at best, and secondly the coin appears to be better than MS-62 from the photos provided.

I was personally very pleased that others agreed with my evaluation of the photos that the coin seems better than an MS-62. It was a worthwhile exercise, and I appreciate people voting in the grading poll, and also providing their comments to the thread.

When I receive the coin, I'll post a follow-up to this thread to let you know what the coin looks like in hand, and will also post some improved photos of it.

Thanks to all for your participation!

Stuart

STMan: Thanks for your post. This was intended simply to be a fun exercise, and I truly wanted to see how others would grade the coin simply by the photos provided, as I had to do when deciding whether or not to bid on the coin, and how much to bid.

As you know, purchasing coins by mail can sometimes be a crapshoot -- sometimes you get crap and want to shoot yourself

I'm looking forward to seeing it in person.

Aethelred

If nothing else it proves my point that you can't grade from a photograph. Granted we are not working from the best photograph ever taken of a coin here and because of that I almost didn't vote at all, but even a great photograph is subject to being lit in a way that will either enhance a coin or highlight it's weak points. This was a fun exercise and I hopy you'll save this photo so we can compare it to your photos of the coin which I suspect will be much better.

K6AZ

<< <i>Is anybody surprised by the low grade assigned to this coin by PCGS?? >>



Not me, and as usual I called this one right on the money. I did not cheat by digging it up on eBay, I went by the image. This is a 62, and will remain a 62.

dizzlecc

That is why grading is an art and not a science.

If they graded it conservatively then you have a good value if not then to the discard pile it goes.

Stuart

<< This was a fun exercise and I hopy you'll save this photo so we can compare it to your photos of the coin which I suspect will be much better. >>

Aethelred: I agree with your above quote, and that was exactly my intention. We'll see what the coin looks like in person, before making any final judgements about it. Perhaps it's a liner 62/63 coin -- we'll see.


Eric: Thanks for participating and for providing us with your honest opinion of the coin. You were correct!

stman

<< <i>Perhaps it's a liner 62/63 coin -- we'll see. >>



Just to be the devil here it could also be one of those AU58's that you so much like that look like a 62/63.

Ya never know.

Stuart

STMan: That's certainly a possibility. I do prefer AU-58's which look like MS-62's, rather than MS-62's which look like AU-58's

airplanenut

I'm going to guess that it's rather lacklustre... while looks can be deceiving (especially in a dark and somewhat small picture), it does look like a relatively clean coin. That said, there's gotta be a reason it was downgraded--either PCGS didn't like the color, lustre, or possibly a combination of the two.

Jeremy

TommyType

Interesting that MS-62 seems to be doing MUCH better in the pole now.

I actually picked MS-62 before......(a chorus of boo's builds in the crowd).....but I called one of your MS-64's a 66 awhile back, and am now gun shy.

Fact of the matter is, grading by photo is just too hard. Luster isn't apparent, marks can be hidden, and camera angles can give an entirely different look, as evidenced by several threads a week or so ago.

Basically, we are at the mercy of the photographer.....and every picture I take looks like a VG-8.

Tom
(Trying to replace stupid looking icon, but can't get into my profile......)

Added: Should probably point out why I believe MS-62 is appropriate: Significant reeding hit behind head on obverse, and seems to be multiple hits in field on both obverse and reverse. Almost looks like hairlines. Photo might make them look worse, or better, than actual coin in hand.