Morgan - is this uncirculated?
Coinman999
Posts: 41 ✭
I’m just getting into coins. Inherited a few Morgan’s, very curious about grading on this one. Thanks for your feedback!
0
Comments
Appears uncirculated but may have been cleaned.
Welcome to the forum.
cleaned with abrasive silver polish most likely.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, evn when irrefutably accurate.
The lighting makes it a little difficult to see. I think that I can see hairlines in the field behind Miss Liberty and the field above and to the right of the eagle. Such hairlines, if present, would indicate an old cleaning.
It looks like an AU coin that has been cleaned. Even still, an 1897-O is a better date so that’s a keeper.
On the obverse to the right of the hair and below the cap it appears to show some hairlines from a cleaning. I like the fairly attractive rim toning, however I don't see it as an uncirculated specimen.
Edited to add: Welcome to the forum!
It appears to be AU at best, most likely AU details as others have mentioned.
Thanks to all for comments so far. thebeav may be on to something with the "old cleaning" comment. Part of a small collection in my family and untouched since ~1970.
Appreciate the welcomes as well!
It is a cleaned AU. It has begun to retone but will always be identifiable as cleaned.
When you see rounding on edges of stars this is normally due to cleaning the pictures are dark but based on what I can see it is AU 55-58 but lighter pictures can help. Try talking picture outside in natural sunlight. Nice coin. Welcome.
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Nice coin that has started to retone, enjoy it as is.
Feel free to show us some other items from the collection if you want.
Great photos for a new member!
If you can get photos more straight on rather than having the coin slightly tilted it might help us to see it better.
AU53 details, congrats!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
Here is comparable
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Here are a few more for comparison
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Welcome to the forums @coinman999!
Only thing to add to the above posts is not to further clean the coins.
Enjoy the inherited coins.
Thanks to everyone. Will not clean!
This is my favorite of the set. Also cleaned?
Sorry about the distant pics. Will take better photos next time.
Appears so.
Is the darkness around the stars and the flag the indicator that it was cleaned? ... or can you just tell by the appearance of the field?
Ok, if this one was cleaned too I’m seeing a trend :-)
It can be very confusing for a new collector because "cleaned" is a relative term. The vast majority of 19th century coins that circulated (and even a few that didn't) have been cleaned at some point. However, some of those cleanings are light enough that they are market acceptable and would garner a numeric grade (rather than a Details grade at PCGS or NGC). The amount of acceptable cleaning can also vary by series and even within a series. It is often hard to tell a light cleaning from photographs, but you can clearly see scratches on the reverse of the Morgan. Even if you don't see hairlines, cleaned coins often have a certain look which you will learn to recognize over time.
Morgans are a great series (and a favorite of mine). I hope you are inspired to continue collecting them!
Ouch! The staples! Smash ‘em before they scratch a coin.
Thanks, I do love the Morgans! Would have sold it at a nice uncirculated grade - but will enjoy it now instead - do like the cool toning of it.
The 1889 quarter looks fine to me, and looks gradeable. It’s a very low mintage coin (12,000) albeit with a high survival rate of MS examples. Looks 64 to me.
From the photos, I am unsure about an old cleaning as the hairlines could be from a brief stint in circulation. Nice and attractive coin and well struck for a '97-O all the same.
@Coinman999....Welcome aboard.... The coin in the OP looks AU....around 55, maybe 53... Hard to say from the pictures if it has been cleaned, but likely has. That was common years ago. Cheers, RickO