Chop Marked Morgan - straight grade or Gen-98?

mbogoman · November 27, 2015 9:23AM

I've got a chop marked Morgan dollar (one chop on Liberty's cheek) that I'll be sending in. It is my *****umption that PCGS will not give it a numeric grade (as they do for chopped Trade dollars), but rather a Genuine details grade with a 98-Damaged as the reason. Am I correct? Anybody ever submitted a chopped Morgan?

stealer · November 27, 2015 9:26AM

Yes, they will grade it as damaged.

MilkmanDan · November 27, 2015 9:39AM

Code 98 - Damage, like this one.

Post a pic if you have one, I'm always interested in seeing chopped Morgans.

mbogoman · November 27, 2015 9:51AM

Post a pic if you have one, I'm always interested in seeing chopped Morgans.

Updated OP with pic

MilkmanDan · November 27, 2015 9:54AM

Thanks for posting a picture. Not a character or symbol I'm familiar with. All of the chopped Morgans I've seen so far are 1880-S or 1881-S but there are probably others out there. Is this an S mint coin?

mbogoman · November 27, 2015 9:58AM

Is this an S mint coin?

No, it's a P. The mark appears to be old; the wear around the edges of it matches the wear of the coin. There is no evidence of recent tooling or metal movement. There is a slight bulge on the reverse opposite the chop. I agree, it doesn't look like any others I have seen, but I'm no expert on chops.

MilkmanDan · November 27, 2015 10:02AM

It could very well be a Chinese chop, but realistically the odds go way down for a P mint coin since not nearly as much silver shipped to the Orient from Philly as from SF. Tough to be sure either way on that one.