guess the circ. Morgan grade (big photos) >> grade in last post <<

DennisH · December 30, 2007 4:43AM

What grade will PCGS give this deliciously original and eye-appealing circ. Morgan when I send it in?

It's a VAM 3 by the way.

SilverEagles92 · December 30, 2007 4:47AM

15

BAJJERFAN · December 30, 2007 4:48AM

30/35

mattniss · December 30, 2007 4:48AM

VF-30

robkool · December 30, 2007 4:48AM

VF 20...

UtahCoin · December 30, 2007 4:49AM

VF25

YaHa · December 30, 2007 5:00AM

vf 40 very nice coin. I likey and although I am a newbie, easy 40 grade on this one.

Coxe · December 30, 2007 5:30AM

VF25

cmerlo1 · December 30, 2007 5:31AM

VF-35

Coin Finder · December 30, 2007 5:32AM

vf 20

doh · December 30, 2007 5:33AM

Vf25 I'd say...odd coloring, wonder how it got that way. Must have been used at the beach a lot

AUandAG · December 30, 2007 5:33AM

40

bob

droopyd · December 30, 2007 5:34AM

VF 30 is my guess -- I could see it going a baby step lower, but not higher.

ziggy29 · December 30, 2007 5:35AM

25

BAJJERFAN · December 30, 2007 5:35AM

taint no 40 even a 35 would be pushin it unless yu sent it to PCI or one like it.

MJH · December 30, 2007 5:36AM

VF-25/30
Curls of hair show enough wear.
Breast feathers well worn.

ahooka454 · December 30, 2007 5:36AM

30, but a nice coin. maybe 5+-

Coxe · December 30, 2007 5:39AM

Why not just save the submission fees and list it on eBay as gem BU DMPL with blurry shots (or just the obverse even) with the coin taking about 20% of the available image space? Just a thought.

DennisH · December 30, 2007 5:50AM

John:

If I do, will you kick off the bidding for me?

Coxe · December 30, 2007 5:57AM

Sure....why not.

BTW, as a point of reference, here is the same date of a raw one I had for 20-30 years before I sent it to NGC and got the VF25 grade. Sold it years ago. Still have the images, so just resized them for the posting.

The reverse scratch is on the plastic. At the time I thought I got a lower grade than I should have but this is how tight they all grade dates like this, as you know.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · December 30, 2007 6:02AM

VF35.

I was glad to see the "S" mintmark. Whenever I see that anyone has purchased an 1895-O I cringe.

messydesk · December 30, 2007 6:16AM

30

marmac · December 30, 2007 7:21AM

I am seeing vf20, based on my last calibration test.
15

25

greghansen · December 30, 2007 10:47AM

30% chance of VF20
70% chance of VF25

Marmac's posted VF25 is undergraded IMO and should be a VF30 (the 1903-S) in post directly above.

Coxe's VF25 in the slab is 'spot on' with the grade IMO.

tightbudget · December 30, 2007 10:47AM

25

HighRelief · December 30, 2007 10:58AM

I would give it VF30 after seeing what the VF25 ones look like.

vplite · December 30, 2007 11:15AM

Thanks for the education!

marmac · December 30, 2007 11:27AM

Gregg-Marmac's posted VF25 is undergraded IMO and should be a VF30 (the 1903-S) in post directly above.

I would agree Gregg. Though I haven't recieved that one back yet, I sent it out thinking 30/35.

That 95-s is quite lovely.

DRUNNER · December 30, 2007 11:39AM

Dennis . . it's a 25.

Nice . .

Drunner

BAJJERFAN · December 30, 2007 2:01PM

pee cee gee ess gave this un a 35

DennisH · December 30, 2007 2:18PM

If you ever want to be glad you don't grade circulated Morgans for a living, try looking at an assortment of ALL the VF grades (they ideally need to be the same date and mint mark) and try to figure out where the hairs are getting split to differentiate between 20, 25, 30 and 35. I just finished doing it with my PCGS 1895-S grading set to get a better idea of how the raw coin that started this thread will grade, and I learned some things:

1. XF40 stands out as even more of a shining beacon of difference than it did before.

2. There's a large overlap of closely similar (and sometimes identical) wear characteristics that can be found on coins with much different grades. Lower hair curls, interior wing feathers, talons, oak eaves, wreath highpoints, wheat grains, neck feather collar, vertical lines in cotton bolls... these and many other areas are all things that go into determining the final grade of a given coin – but no single thing determines a given grade.

3. After trying to scrutinize and compare my raw coin with those already in holders, I have a much keener appreciation now for what pro graders mean by "you have to take the whole coin into consideration". (At least I think I do.)

Anyway, as I was doing this 10x loupe homework assignment I noticed something about the denticles on the coins that inspired me to put together the photo montage below. See if you notice what I did about denticle detail and coin grade:

In comparing the raw coin to my already graded VF assortment, I was able to find area of similarities with every single VF grade. However, it is clearly not an XF40... nor a Fine-15. In a side-by-side comparison it matches up favorably with the VF35, although that coin has had a quickie partial dip that makes it much brighter and allows lustre to show. The raw coin's natural toned surfaces, however, are a hinderance in this regard.

Taking the entire coin into account, the raw one seems to be a very comfortable fit with my other VF30s, and I like it better than one of them. My denticle photos above seem to support this as well.