Guess the Problem! 1883 Morgan Dollar

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 10, 2008 2:18PM

It's a problem coin... who can name what the problem is? This one might be a little tough.

commoncents05 · September 10, 2008 2:22PM

Thumbed? Looks MS60/61

-Paul

Dog97 · September 10, 2008 2:22PM

Filed rev rim @ AMERICA.

MillerJW · September 10, 2008 2:42PM

<< Filed rev rim @ AMERICA. >>

ahh i see it now

lasvegasteddy · September 10, 2008 2:47PM

i'll go right eagle wing has frost running off the surface into the field...as if someone got a lil careless with a frosty machine

AUandAG · September 10, 2008 2:49PM

fields protected and blasted to add frost appearance.

bob

direwolf1972 · September 10, 2008 2:52PM

They also got a little careless frosting this cake behind the cap right above the hair vee.

numobri · September 10, 2008 2:57PM

I'll go along with added frost,the field have to many hits for such a clean cheek,just my guess.

Brian

ecichlid · September 10, 2008 2:59PM

Nice! Is this something you guys would normally catch? I mean, if it is a common date coin, maybe at a show, with no warning? Because I'm impressed. Then again, I have a long way to go.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 10, 2008 3:28PM

<< Filed rev rim @ AMERICA. >>

Nope.

Dog97 · September 10, 2008 3:42PM

I was wanting to say thumbed but commoncents05said it first and I didnt want to be a copycat. Now I'm seeing artificial frosting too.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 10, 2008 3:47PM

<< Nice! Is this something you guys would normally catch? I mean, if it is a common date coin, maybe at a show, with no warning? Because I'm impressed. Then again, I have a long way to go. >>

If it's on a coin which is already a technical 65 or 66 (and enhanced to be a 67 or 68), it can be very deceptive. This is on a technial AU58.

Putty.

GrumpyEd · September 10, 2008 3:50PM

Plastic surgery.

Looks like they fixed the cheek and got a drop of bondo above the date?

Tyler1924S · September 10, 2008 3:51PM

Something looks wrong at the neck.

Dog97 · September 10, 2008 3:56PM

<<<Putty. >>>
Under the jaw & near M in UNIM???

Tyler1924S · September 10, 2008 4:36PM

Based on the obverse pic, these are the areas I would be most interested in, starting with this area at the neck & below chin.

dcarr · September 10, 2008 5:07PM

Artificial frost on face and eagle.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 10, 2008 8:38PM

Putty on the whole central obverse and reverse device. A little sloppy, too.

Prethen · September 10, 2008 11:18PM

Please teach the more putty-ignorant among us (like myself)...how can you tell? Can it come off? How does someone "putty" a coin? Do the services miss it? If so, how/why do they miss it?

This thread could potentially be a great learning tool with enough information and pictures.

pmac · September 10, 2008 11:22PM

It doesn't have the little 'cc' on the reverse?

lordmarcovan · September 10, 2008 11:24PM

<< It's a problem coin... who can name what the problem is? >>

Umm, that it's a Morgan dollar?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Buwahaha!

Seriously, tho', I give up. Looks like a nice Morgan to me. Enlighten me.

I have not yet scrolled down to see the other replies- have read only the OP.

DNADave · September 10, 2008 11:28PM

without looking at any replies, I'm going to guess

1. artificial frosting

if not that, then,

2. PVC?

lkeigwin · September 10, 2008 11:40PM

GoldenEye has already revealed it's putty, obv and rev. I really liked the frosty devices conspiracy too. sigh

For education purposes I'd like to see the pix marked up like Tyler did, showing the true problem areas precisely.

Did this coin get bodybagged by a TPG? Was that the first alert?

Prethen · September 10, 2008 11:42PM

.

AnkurJ · September 10, 2008 11:50PM

Hm...I see a small ding above the O in DOLLAR. Is that it?

Let me guess, its corroded ;-)

ricko · September 11, 2008 12:07AM

Very informative... I noticed a couple of those areas, but did not guess putty.... just thought it was handling... thanks for posting this ... Cheers, RickO

lordmarcovan · September 11, 2008 12:16AM

I wondered about putty, and if that was what was gonna be the verdict, but my eye sure didn't pick it up.

kranky · September 11, 2008 12:17AM

<< Please teach the more putty-ignorant among us (like myself)...how can you tell? Can it come off? How does someone "putty" a coin? Do the services miss it? If so, how/why do they miss it?

This thread could potentially be a great learning tool with enough information and pictures. >>

One way to check for putty (or other foreign substances put on a coin) is to put the coin in a clean poly bag, then hold the coin between your finger and thumb for about 30 seconds. Your body heat can make the substance adhere to the poly bag, which will be evident when you remove the coin from the bag.

baddogss · September 11, 2008 12:22AM

What is the putty composed of, how is it applied? Does get as hard as the metal? Nice thread, thanks.

erroid · September 11, 2008 12:23AM

I've got a long way to go.... If this had been a VAM-10, I'd have been elated, until she came back Body Bagged....

Edit, cause I'm dyslectic.

relicsncoins · September 11, 2008 12:55AM

I have not read the other replies yet. To me, the cheek looks artificially frosted.

JJ

Dog97 · September 11, 2008 1:18AM

That proves we shouldn't give up our daytime jobs to become internet coin picture judges!
That was a really tough problem to discern, probably even in hand.
If you hadn't mentioned a problem I think everybody would have said "it'll slab as 65!" myself included. arghhh....
Thanks for posting that! The “respected” dealers have been harping about puttied coins in TPG holders for years but never bothered to provide an example.

GoldenEyeNumismatics · September 11, 2008 7:34AM

<< Please teach the more putty-ignorant among us (like myself)...how can you tell? Can it come off? How does someone "putty" a coin? Do the services miss it? If so, how/why do they miss it?

This thread could potentially be a great learning tool with enough information and pictures. >>

"Putty" is typically a soft clay. It is pressed onto the surface of the coin and leaves a whitish residue behind that can cover up hairlines and minor contact marks.

In this case, only the central devices were puttied to give the coin a more frosty look, and cover up marks on the cheek. Often times, though, the entire surface of the coin can be puttied.

One key way to tell if a piece has been puttied is to look for inconsistencies in contact marks. For example, Liberty's cheek looks like that of a 66, but the fields are low MS/high AU. Also, you can see contact marks on Liberty's cheek which have lost their "fresh metal" appearance.

Many times a puttied coin will take on a very hazy appearance when tilted in the light. Poorly puttied pieces can often look splotchy with large areas of easily visible whitish cloudy haze.

TPGs let some pieces slip through, but run-of-the-mill puttied coins typically get bagged. It's common to see puttied pieces in older holders.