Morgan Dollars: What's Desirable in Terms of Appearance?
Brickhouse
Posts: 3 ✭
New collector here.
What is most desirable in terms of a Morgan Dollar's (or any coin in general) appearance? i.e. proof like, cameo appearance, mirrors, rainbow toning, darker toning, etc. I know that much of this comes down to personal preference. The issue I'm having now is I don't really know what to look for or how to choose one 1884 Morgan Dollar over another. On eBay, I've noticed posts where there is a slabbed 1884 Morgan CC MS63 with no bids ending soon and another similar post of a slabbed 1884 Morgan CC MS63 with 30 bids. Can you guys give me any guidance here?
Any tips or resources you guys have would be much appreciated!
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Near flawless, blazing surfaces. No focal point hits. Cartwheel luster. Strike.
An excellent strike, very few hits, especially in the focal areas and great luster without spots, either dull, brown or black.
If you become a Morgan Dollar collector who is looking to complete a set or as much of the set you can afford, you will have to compromise on some date and mint mark combinations. Some issues were poorly made at their respective mints and almost never come nice. I would advise you to buy one of the books on Morgan Dollars if you take your involvement to that level.
Some collectors love great toning, but I don't. All that means is that the asking price will be way more than I am willing to pay. I do not participate in that market.
I am not a big Morgan Dollar collector. I have a two of decent, but not great sets in Capital holders. One covers the five mints that issued Morgan Dollars, and the other features major varieties of 1878 Morgan Dollars. Beyond that I have one CC dollar in a GSA holder, one very nice 7 or 8 tail feathers 1878 dollar that was my last inventory coin when I was a dealer. None of the other dealers would pay me a fair prices for it so I kept it. And I have one Proof-64, 1883 Dollar for my type set.
I have been collecting Morgans for about 15 years. I have always been drawn to DMPL and rainbow-toned coins. While not unique to Morgans, they are the easiest to find by far with those characteristics and they really stand out because the coins are big. Also, Morgans are readily available in MS for many date/MM combinations. For PL and DMPL coins, depth of mirrors and cameo contrast are important. Toning is a personal preference but banded colors and textile go for big money. Luster is hugely important. As for originality, strike, mark-free, the same advice applies as it does to all series although for most date/MM combinations strike is an afterthought.
It depends on who you are selling it to.
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I will give you a tip on the common date 1884 Morgan that will make buying the coin a challenge. Buy a 1884 MS64 PL that looks close to DMPL. You will not be able to go on eBay or a coin show and have lots to choose from as the coin I am talking about will most likely take you a year find. The coin is affordable if you can find one, but the 84 is conditional rare in PL and DMPL as PCGS has only graded 126 in MS64 PL and 50 higher.
There are plenty of Morgan reference books for beginners. Here's one. Maybe someone will chime in with other suggestions.
Beyond the basics, collecting Morgans can get complicated (and expensive) -- especially if you get into die varieties.
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Brilliant well struck w super luster pristine appearance. I pass on tarnished coins as this is damage which has destroyed coins originality.
Buy coins that you personally like.
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There are many of these "sleeper" type dates. At most shows now you see very few dates in PL and DMPL. Just the same old dates all the time.
For me I go for mirrors, the deeper the better and I take lower grade to get the mirrors I want. Mirrors with color become even more special.
The GSA market is very soft right now. One thing to keep in mind is there is very little price difference between a 1884-CC in 63 and 64.
Instead of looking on ebay, make a point to go to a local show and see coins first hand. Don't get me wrong ebay is okay in it's own right, however the best experience is seeing lots of coins in person and I can not stress that enough. Find a dealer or dealers that are willing to help you a little and those that are rude just walk on by and find another dealer. Look at top tier certified coins like PCGS, NGC, and ANACS to help you get an idea of what a gradable coin is since you are inexperienced. Pictures can only show so much as opposed to seeing the coin in hand and pictures can hide defects. Pictures can be altered to make the coin look better than what it may actually be. The best thing is to collect what you like and what your wallet can handle, no one can really tell you what to collect.
One of the great things about Morgans is the variety of looks you can get. Here are a couple of the same Date/MM. You won't find coins with this visual variety in any other series.
MS64DPL CAC
MS65
I think the coins also look great circulated as long as they are original and free of hairlines (these can be VERY
hard to find). For example, I just picked up this 1895-O.
VF30
As for the 84-CC, these can come VERY nice so don't settle. Again, here is a Black and White cameo and a pretty cool toner. Same respective grades as the 79-S coins above, coincidentally. You can get a nice DMPL 84-CC in 63 for under $400 although I think it is worth paying up for a monster cameo.
@Brickhouse ....Welcome aboard, and welcome to the wonderful world of numismatics. Morgan dollars are a fun coin to collect...there are different mints, lots of years and certainly the entire gamut of conditions. I personally prefer coins without tarnish... others treasure them and pay the premiums. An interesting set to pursue (as did I) is the CC series.... limited, but achievable. Let us know what you decide and perhaps some here can help. Cheers, RickO
Hi and Welcome To School! I say school because you'll not only be taught about coins but in other areas as well. Such as ethics, manners and in business. Your first thread you posted is a very interesting choice of all the U.S. coins, the Morgan Silver Dollar! In which, so happens to be my favorite of all coins. The Morgan, I think is so beautiful for a few reasons. Number one, because of it's size. That lady on the obverse, model, Anna Willess Williams, looks so picturesque. Also, the History behind the Morgan. Think of where the coin has been. Through those western days on poker tables or who knows where? The Cameo Morgan is the ultimate in all the Morgan's. You mentioned the CC's. Carson City are the kings of the Morgan Dollar, I think anyway. You had been given some great advice in the previous posts so far. I hope you find your "cup of Tea" in whatever coin/coins you choose to search and collect. Remember, don't be a stranger here and post often. Most importantly, have FUN! Once again, welcome to our Forum. -joey
One More Thing...Check out my Avatar. My favorite Morgan Dollar.
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You came to the right place for information. I have several Morgan's and am learning as well. There is so much to learn.
The more you learn the more you realize knowledge is king! Lol
Hope you enjoy the forum!
Cyndie
I look for pieces with nice cartwheel luster, brilliant, well struck.
In terms of Uncs I avoid pieces soft over the ear, dull in appearance, or with black spots, dark toning.
I'd avoid so-so brilliant coins without a tad of color anywhere. As there's a good chance the coin got the way because of dipping/conservation. Over time, it will tone back, and likely uglier than before. Eye appeal really is the crux of grading Morgans. While blast white is loved by many, there's no debate that nicely or superbly toned Morgans bring more money and are often easier to sell. Lots to learn though on what constitutes "good" toning and if the surfaces are stable.
I prefer toned/tarnished coins as that's one way to ensure your coin is totally originally. The best Morgan I own is a PCGS MS67 CAC. The tiny rainbow crescent near the edge on each side (2-3% of the coin's surface) indicates the coin is bag fresh, and never dipped. In fact, it was the best coin and only MS67 out of a bag of 1887 Morgans.
Once I owned a few prooflike cameo contrast Morgan dollars I wanted to spend the others.
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Links to the two choices would be nice. Hard to give an opinion without at least seeing the listings.
i have always looked the cheeks of morgans. it seems to be a good place to start as a clean cheek usually means a pretty nice looking coin altogether.
as others have already said strike and luster are also key.
personally, i prefer DMPLs.
finally, you have to decide if you like toned or white coins.