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Any Morgan collectors out there?

Anyone else out there do Morgan dollars? They're a lot of fun, and they have a lot of personality. They can tone into rainbow colors or have mirrored, prooflike surfaces showing up on circulation pieces. Not to mention, a pair of numismatists named Van Allen (not the radiation belt guy) and Mallis decided that they had way too much free time, so they started cataloging every die variety they could find, ranging from cracks that gave away particular dies wearing out as they were being used at particular mints during a given year; to doubling of letters, words, dates, leaves, and ears; to overdates, over-mint marks, and even the eighth tail feather on some of the first strikes in Philadelphia in the first year.

Not to mention, the reverse design is great for fans of Pontiac Trans-Ams or ancient astronauts from the eighties.

Just thought I'd ask, because, in part, I want to show off my first completed subset: Frisco by Sunrise, the first five years with San Francisco mint marks!
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Comments

  • Nice set Scott. Are you also working on a vam set?
  • blu62vetteblu62vette Posts: 11,900 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice set. I looked at yours then mine and realized my 81-s hadn't been added yet. I am missing a 78-s because I have a DMPL in a NGC holder and need to find a PCGS one.
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  • Thanks!

    sonoranmonsoon:
    No, I'm not really trying to collect particular VAMs, though working on the basic Morgan set I think has me looking for the 7/8 and 8 tailfeathers varieties. But, I do enjoy pulling out the magnifier and looking to see what VAM types I have whenever I get a new coin.

    blu62vette:
    I can't boast any DMPLs yet, but my one prooflike is a Carson City. I'm thinking I should push more quality and less quantity, so I'm trying to get more PLs, DMPLs, and MS65 or better. But, aside from not being cheap, there's less choice and pickings at any given moment at the local shops. I know, I can order online, but there's something to be said for seeing the coin live, and this is even more so for Morgans, since they so often tone, scratch, and otherwise take on their own personalities.
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  • blu62vetteblu62vette Posts: 11,900 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Thanks!


    blu62vette:
    I can't boast any DMPLs yet, but my one prooflike is a Carson City. I'm thinking I should push more quality and less quantity, so I'm trying to get more PLs, DMPLs, and MS65 or better. But, aside from not being cheap, there's less choice and pickings at any given moment at the local shops. I know, I can order online, but there's something to be said for seeing the coin live, and this is even more so for Morgans, since they so often tone, scratch, and otherwise take on their own personalities. >>



    I agree 100%, PL and DMPL's are hard to buy sight unseen. I have been disappointed with too many on-line purchases. I have really changed my collecting the past year or so and have passed up many morgans that I would have bought before just for the deal. I actually look at coins not labels now. It is also great to use your current coins to upgrade to what you want. I have bought several and sold the dup later to help finance the purchase.
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  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 30,977 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Lookin good so far with quite a ways to go.
  • LeeBoneLeeBone Posts: 4,294 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You can sucked into collecting Morgans very easily

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  • Gah! I'm way out-classed! BAJJERFAN, your collection is absolutely stunning! It's exactly why I love Morgans so much--rainbow toning, splashes of warm coloring, and lots of character. Right now, my collection is about as white as the 2004 Republican primaries, with one exception--an 1881s, MS64 in an old rattler holder. I describe it as the "abalone coin," because its obverse has a mottled appearance, while the reverse has an elegant, warm amber tone suggesting mother-of-pearl. But, I've got cooking at PCGS a deep blue specimen that should add some additional color. I'm expecting results in a week, but it'll be probably early next month before I have them back and can upload pictures.
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  • image

    This one kept bugging me until I finally brought it home and fed it. It's gently used, but given its population figures, I'm surprised at how cheap it lists for. I figured the next time I'd see one, it would be quite a bit more. No miraculous new VAM variety discoveries, but as my one XF among MSes, it stands out with a certain noble defiance.
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  • HighReliefHighRelief Posts: 3,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice set of S-Mint Morgan's you have collected, Scott. The 1901 in almost any grade is a good coin to put away, especially in AU they are a tough coin to find. Here is one that blu62vette photographed or me, he does great work.

    image
  • Scott; Morgans are a great start. They are the most popular dollar collected. Because of that, you get to see everything. VAMS started to show up to help collectors expand their knowledge of the series. Thanks to that, other series have started to expand also. In the early dollars, you can work Bolenger numbers, etc. In modern dollars you can work satin finish and numerous errors. For the specialist, the market acceptance (along with TPG's help), has helped the collector move to the next level. It all started (in a market accepted way) from the Morgan dollars.
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 13,963 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Morgans are an endless addiction; welcome to The Club.

    I'm big into VAMs in PCGS holders, but I also have one special addiction -- the 1895-S. One more will make two full boxes.
    When in doubt, don't.
  • That 1901 double-die reverse... you'll have to forgive my drool.

    A box full of 1895s'es? Two boxes? It's all I can do just to get one of each date and mint mark, let alone the major varieties. It'll be a bit before I can get to the point of owning the 1893s, given that I'd have to either trade away gold or save up for a $3-4000 purchase just to get one in G4. (And, that's overlooking the problem of finding the buggers.)

    Although I'm not trying to complete a full set of VAM types for any one year/mint, I do enjoy looking up VAMs each time I get a new Morgan, seeing if I've got something interesting. I've found one doubled date so far.
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  • I just started collecting PCGS Morgan's last year. Nothing serious, just for the pure fun of collecting (and as a side benefit, hopefully they may be worth something in the future.) And as some members noted, it is addicting. Guess it's just the excitement of finding that certain coin you're looking for.

    Anyway, good luck with your collection and have fun with it. image
  • al410al410 Posts: 2,403 ✭✭✭✭
    Morgans are my favorite coins

    image

    Al
  • Rainbow toning is one of the great appeals of Morgans; they come in all kinds of colors as well as varieties. Two coins with identical dates, mint marks, and grades can be remarkably different. They're a series with lots of personality.
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  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 30,977 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How bout a bit O crusty color?

    image

    Or some lightnin bolt stuff.

    image
  • Hello, I just joined and I collect Morgans. I am focusing on MS64 grades or better and to date I have 22, only one being a 63, and only because it is just too amazing to part with (see image below). I just sent in my 5 CC's (1880 through 1885) to PCGS for grading. I am on pins and needles because this is my first submission since I became a Member a month ago.

    When I sign on to the PCGS website I can see my three submissions listed, but can't pull up any detail yet. Typically how long after they receive the coins do details other than order numbers appear? I also am working on my set in The PCGS Set registry, which is really exiting.

    image
    image



    Thanks

    Jim
    www.jamesbianco.com
  • I'm a new member to the forums too. I collect the Morgan's 65/66/67.

    This is a great forum.

    image
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  • It takes about two weeks between the web site posting that your coins reached them and their posting the grades. Then it's another week and a half or so before they get back. Expect to pull out a lot of hair waiting in suspense. That's a pretty impressive 78cc, and I don't blame you at all thinking of it as a centerpiece even if it's the only MS63 among 64s. An MS63 of that date will certainly flick up my ears. And, its reverse side looks like it would have graded a lot higher if it weren't for some of the obverse noise.

    Good luck on your Carson City submissions. It's amazing how universally loved and favored the CC Morgans are, among collectors and even dealers--who consistently report trouble keeping them in stock. Carson City DMPLs are the Wii and iPod of the numismatic realm, only without the threat of obsolescence. I guess that cool factor of a two-letter mint mark grabs attention, coupled with its tangible connection to the days of Brisco County, Jr.'s theme song.
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  • Thanks a lot for that info on PCGS! I had no idea what to expect so I go there every day and check. Now I will wait a week or so, since they posted to the website April 1st. I really love my 78 CC, it's my most valuable Morgan to date.

    Now I just need the 79 CC and I have a clear run 1878-1885 from Carson City.

    Thanks again for your help.

    Jim
    www.jamesbianco.com
  • garsmithgarsmith Posts: 5,894 ✭✭
    I have a few in my registry and some others that I use for sales ad trades
  • I had/have a few of those big ugly things.

    Be careful they become very addictive, even when you say no, one just POPS up and you have to buy.

    Good Luck in putting together your set(s).
  • And worse yet, there's Morgans to be had for everybody. They start at $15 for a raw, gently used common date, and they go all the way up into the unholy price range. So, no matter where you are in life, there's a Morgan dollar out there that you can just barely afford that will burrow into your brain, making you want it. I think the branch mints in San Francisco, New Orleans, and almost certainly Carson City were taken over by the same aliens currently advertising for Hulu.
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  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,580 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I went through five MS68's before deciding on keeping this one, which was the best. From the Jackson Hole collection 1881 S MS68

    image
  • Since we're showing off our favorites, here's the Abalone Specimen, an MS63 in a very early "rattler" holder, in which it likes to twirl around, upside down:

    image


    I've got one other one with interesting tones:

    image


    And, here's my best Morgan so far, in terms of both condition and rarity. It's the most common Carson City date, but at MS66, it still managed to empty out both my trade stack and pocket book at a coin show last month. I mentioned a few posts back that I had a bluish specimen--it came back "genuine, altered surfaces," but still ended up being wanted and ended up being part of the trade for this one...

    image
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  • That 83 CC is breathtaking image Thanks for sharing!!
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  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,580 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There are just sooooooooooo many slabbed Morgans out there. What has pcgs slabbed, like 1 and 3/4 million?

    Even the MS68's...there are over 300 of those!

    The sheer numbers dampen my desire for them quite a lot, so I just settled on one for Type.
  • The large populations may limit their investment potential except at the upper end. The large numbers do encourage collectors to get into them, but there's only a few thousands of keys like the 1893s. The Carson City Morgans for some reason have a popularity that transcends relative population and makes them wanted by more collectors, so many of the investment advisors recommend high grade CCs like my MS66 from 83. 1883 is actually the most common date among Carson City Morgans, so it's about the only one that can be had for less than a thousand bucks at MS66. A handful of Morgans have excellent long-term potential, and the DMPLs seem to have just gone through a surge. But, I will have to concede that collecting Morgans to build larger sets isn't necessarily the most efficient form of numismatic investing. For that reason, I've considered focusing more on key dates and the Carson City series. So far, I haven't thinned out my existing collection of common date 63s and 64s, though, as I could have a change of heart. And certainly, I'm keeping my toned guys for the cool factor.
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  • Guess what followed me home...


    image

    It's an MS64 common date, but an old green holder. But, it's the toning that makes it interesting. The scan looks kind of muddy; in person, there's some nice subtle iridescent color flashes, particularly around the cap, "...IBUS UNUM," and "LIBERTY." If it weren't for a big smudgy scrape around the lower face, this could have been a thousand dollar MS66+ rarity, particularly coveted for the color. As is, it's a great piece for any Batman adversary.
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  • LeeBoneLeeBone Posts: 4,294 ✭✭✭✭✭
    TTT

    Love Morgans!

    From here...
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    To here...
    image
  • I sold off some of my best ones to pay for a 1911-D quarter eagle I could not otherwise have afforded. But, I am rebuilding from the bottom, since they are getting really hot, and my Peace dollar set is almost done.
    Improperly Cleaned, Our passion for numismatics is Genuine! Now featuring correct spelling.
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