What's up with the strike on this 03-O Morgan?

morganbarber

I saw this on Ebay, and couldn't believe that PCGS gave this coin a 64. It looks like it is either quite circulared, or just a very poor strike. Is a weak strike common for an 03-O?
link

nwcs

Yep weak strike and I think that's common for that date. The strike is what kept it from higher grade.

DorkGirl

Poor or weak strikes are common on most O's. Want a great strike? Look at early S's, that mint had it's poop in a group in those early years

K6AZ

Next to the 89-O, the 03-O was probably the weakest struck New Orleans Morgans. This coin is quite clean, and if the strike had been a little better, would have been a 65 easy.

ajia

SO? I thought PCGS grades evenly across all coins of a series.

As Mr. Hall said himself......
We do not have separate standards for each of the mints. Our standards apply to each series.

Would that coin grade a 64 if it was another date or mint? I don't think so,.... what say you?

K6AZ

Augie, the strike due to which issue it is has to do with it being MS or circulated. To someone not knowlegable in weak strike coins, a coin such as this would appear to not be mint state, which it clearly is.

Monstavet

This is an area that I have struggled with at times also. Distinguishing an AU Morgan from a weak strike. It is well-known that these O mints are often weakly struck, but what would one in say AU58, look like? Take a look at this 1899O and tell me if you think AU or MS. Hopefully the pics are high enough quality to say.

For the record, this coin is for sale, and I have called it AU. I am not trying to plug the coin here...just trying to learn.

K6AZ

Mark, I'm not so sure that coin is AU.

sumdunce

I would have to agree the coin is AU.

From the image the eagle's breast appears to have a light rub in the center.

At first glance though I would have given it MS64.

wam98

Here's my 1903 O PCGS MS-65 to compare with.

Merch

<< <i>This is an area that I have struggled with at times also. Distinguishing an AU Morgan from a weak strike. It is well-known that these O mints are often weakly struck, but what would one in say AU58, look like? Take a look at this 1899O and tell me if you think AU or MS. Hopefully the pics are high enough quality to say.

For the record, this coin is for sale, and I have called it AU. I am not trying to plug the coin here...just trying to learn. >>



That looks like a weak strike to me, still has luster to it. I could be wrong, just my opinion though.

nwcs

A weak strike may have some luster on it but more importantly it isn't dull like circulated silver. There is a difference between the two.

BillJones

<< <i>Next to the 89-O, the 03-O was probably the weakest struck New Orleans Morgans. This coin is quite clean, and if the strike had been a little better, would have been a 65 easy. >>



Sorry I have to disagree with that. I've handled a number of decently to well struck 1903-O Morgan Dollars. In fact there are enough around that you should be able to be a bit fussy about the one you buy.

A number of O Mint Morgans in the 1890s are almost all uniformly poor strikes. The worst on the list is the 1895-O, but the other dates are not much better. That's why those dates are so expensive in the high Mint State grades.

Coinhusker1

I have seen many "O" mint Morgans with worse strikes than that 03-O. That actually looks to be an average strike for 01 to 04 New Orleans Morgans. 64 looks to be a fair grade given the lack of marks, and would be an easy 65 or even 66 if it were well struck. I've seen poorly stuck ones in 65 holders!!

As Eric mentioned, if there are no breaks in the luster, it is MS. A weak strike does not make an MS coin AU.

In my experience, I have seen a lot of horribly struck 04-Os, but that may be because I have seen a lot more 04-Os than O3-Os. What is neat about this is that if you are lucky enough to find a well struck "O" Morgan from 01 to 04 you have a real find -- and the premium typically is not that much over a poorly struck one of the same grade.

anablep

monstavet: Looks MS to me. Weak strike.



I thought the 1891 or 1891-O has one of the weakest strikes if not the weakest.

ajia

I did not mean to suggest a weak strike makes a MS coin AU, just trying to understand the grading process a bit better & made the wrong presumption that other Morgans struck that weak would not grade a 64.....maybe they would.

This one did seem to have indetectable flaws, so I would guess that it was just the strike keeping it from a higher grade.

Still seems like a BIG jump from that 64 to wam98's 65.

Interesting CERT Number!

BAJJERFAN

Here is a nice 64 and I think the breast feathers are better than shown in the pic.

BillJones

You can find 1903-O dollars with this quality of strike without busting your butt too badly. This is a date that can come nice.

K6AZ

Bill, the 1903-O comes with the C3 reverse, which almost never shows breast feather definition. While I have seen some with decent strikes, the majority of what I have come across have been mushy strikes. You can even find 89-Os with decent strikes, but they are few and far between and will fetch a significant premium.

I didn't include the 93-O or 95-O since they are very scarce in MS. You are correct though, the MS examples I have seen were pancakes.