1891 O Morgan Grading?
JimmyDaddyo
Posts: 13 ✭
This is my first post here.. I have an 1891 O Morgan that I think is in at least Uncirculated condition. It has a ( I believe from the die, a line through its left wing .. A loop shows it has the same texture as the rest of the coin). It doesn't photograph well. The breast also looks kinda weak stamped compared to another pic I compared it to. There are black spots and lines visible with the loop. I can't find any nicks or scratches, that I think weren't from the press. Should I send to get it graded? If so, who should I send it to? Thanks for your help !!
PS I also have a 1921 Morgan which seperated in half.. The two pieces together ar thinner than a "complete" morgan.. I can see the outline of the head on the split side ot the reverse. Is this a trick coin, or a mfg error?
I have no Idea if its legit..
Comments
Welcome to the forum.
Your 1891-O dollar displays wear in multiple areas and has been cleaned, so it definitely isn’t worth getting graded. Coins of any worth beyond face value should be held by the edges. Otherwise, they’re subject to ending up with fingerprints, which can lower the value substantially.
Your 1921 was altered after it left the mint.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
+1
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
Hi,, Can you tell me where the wear is, so I can understand and verify with a loop? Thank you much !
I haven't cleaned the coin. It's been stored forever with my dads old collection. It was kept in a typical stapled coin protector
Here is your coin graded MS 61, anything 60 and above is considered uncirculated. Compare yours to this one and you can see the differences.
Thank you.. My coin is more roughly stamped, rougher surface at all points than this one. But I'm confident the "wear" or marks are from it's press. I read a bit about this year and mint, and it's history is full of roughly stamped coins.. I've looked at lots of other denoms and can tell grading fairly well. But this rough stamp has no "new" scratches or dings.. Looks like the pic above but texture is different. Im gonna try to get better pics to post. I have no dealers local to take it to.
The coin’s obvious wear, cleaning and circulation marks are most assuredly not related to how it was struck (what you refer to as “press”/“stamped”). I’m sorry, but that you believe otherwise indicates that you can’t “tell grading fairly well”.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Appreciate the compliment! I knew I'd get that. I'm unfamiliar with this Dollar and it's "strike" issues. Can you tell me where the wear is? Can you tell me How it would be cleaned? Sandblast? The entire coin has the same finish, with no "shiny" or other dents, marks, scratches that would appear on any other circulated "other" denom coin. Just trying to understand and not disputing. My picture taking make it look like wear around the edges, but all the lines , dots etc, are there. just dont show in pics. Thanks !!
From your first two pics. They show all the scratches and dents filled with dirt. Compare the high stops, especially on liberty's head from the example above to yours.
There maybe pics easier to see doing a duckduckgo search for your coin.
"There's no such thing as a stupid question..."
All the little crevasses have dirt but the high spots are shiny. The edges have plenty of dents on them. No one claimed YOU cleaned it.
And I wouldn't be able to tell if the scratches in the field on the obverse are from the die or a cleaning.
"There's no such thing as a stupid question..."
Thanks much for the assistance. I appreciate the reference points.. I added that pic above to show how the first pics didnt show the all the edge details well at all..
JimmyDaddyo Posts: 6 ✭ January 24, 2026 12:30PM
@BNick33 said:
Thanks much for the assistance. I appreciate the reference points.. I added that pic above to show how the first pics didnt show the all the edge details well at all..
>
That picture and the others you posted show noticeable wear on the eagle’s head, breast, wings and tail, as well as on the wreath, arrowheads and feathers. There’s also obvious wear on your coin’s obverse. If you can’t (or refuse) to see the differences between your coin and the uncirculated example that was posted previously, it’s doubtful that anyone can help you.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Taking another shot here. I understand your comments. But, the places that you ( and someone above) mention are not ANY different (sheen/ shine/ roughness) than every other part of the coin.. So, since I'm unfamiliar with cleaning a coin, did someone sandblast it? There is no shinier place on this coin than any other part of the coin.. All areas have the same finish. So,,,, It's a worn coin that somehow had its entire surface (both sides) made to look the same? _
___The 1891-O Morgan Dollar is known for its poor striking quality, which is the worst in the Morgan series. Nearly all specimens show weakness in one area or another, and some show flat centers. However, sharply struck coins do exist, and can be found. The luster of the coin ranges from satiny to **grainy** to dull. ____
Does cleaning a coin cause it's **surface ** to **physically **change? aside from removing dirt or whatever.
yes
@JimmyDaddyo
This isn't for you. Time to forget about coins and move on.
Yes, hairlines become present. Silver is soft. I learned this the hard way when I wiped a silver half dollar after a dip.
the dark areas in the lettering is what the coin looked like before the cleaning and are different from other parts of the coin
IkesT Posts: 3,931 ✭✭✭✭✭January 24, 2026 12:33PM
@JimmyDaddyo
This isn't for you. Time to forget about coins and move on.
Flag Quote · Agree Like LOL
Gotta learn somewhere IkesT
Trust me; I wouldn't steer you wrong. This is not the right path for you.
Finally,,, Thank You!! Got it ....Appreciate you helping me figure it out. That makes perfect sense, not that I know cleaning a coin can cause its surface to physically, permanently change, not just clean..
IkesT Posts: 3,932 ✭✭✭✭✭January 24, 2026 12:38PM
@JimmyDaddyo said:
Gotta learn somewhere IkesT
Trust me; I wouldn't steer you wrong. This is not the right path for you.
Flag Quote · Agree Like LOL
Seriously,, you just had to be one.. Oh well, I knew I'd run into "you" in this forum
Ignore him. But people do get testy when they feel you are arguing with them over something they think is obvious. That coin is, to an experienced collector, obviously cleaned. Now, it may not be to you, but when they feel you are disagreeing rather than asking for clarification, they get testy.
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
You left out the part about the coin being circulated and that the missing details (due to wear) and flaws aren’t as-struck.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
@JimmyDaddyo
Certain members here may want you as their protégé. There is one in particular who likes to collect multiple protégés. You should not take that as encouragement, however.
If you ever start buying coins, you're sunk. You'll lose your shirt. That is why it is better for you to stop now.
People oddly hate it when I try to be concise. Lol
All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.
You should not see shadows around the stars and letters for uncirculated coins that have not been messed with. It does not matter if no one has touched it since your father bought it in a 2x2 years ago. The 1891-O Morgan is 135 years old and has likely had a few owners since it left the mint.
The 'split' dollar actually started as 2 dollars and tooled half off both sides. That is not a normal 'split' which would be rough, not showing any straight lines.
IkesT Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
January 24, 2026 2:01PM
@JimmyDaddyo
Certain members here may want you as their protégé. There is one in particular who likes to collect multiple protégés. You should not take that as encouragement, however.
If you ever start buying coins, you're sunk. You'll lose your shirt. That is why it is better for you to stop now.
Stop what what now? Gathering information? I’m not collecting. I was literally asking about a coin I have. I have no experience looking at coins that have been “ cleaned”. You assume too much and must be one of “those” lovely ppl in forums.
Stop what what now? Gathering information? I’m not collecting. I was literally asking about a coin I have. I have no experience looking at coins that have been “ cleaned”. You assume too much and must be one of “those” lovely ppl in forums.
Never, should one person discourage someone from trying to learn about ....anything. Ever.
It should go without saying....
It should go without saying that using absolutes like that is stupid.
chopmarkedtradedollars.com
Great! Good luck on your non-collecting journey, and glad to hear that you are not walking into financial ruin. 👍