Another Road Grows Smoother THEN Grows Potholes

The completed road is actually one leg of the journey through the completion of my Morgan dollar set. The final piece to my GSA Carson City Morgan dollar set is on its way. The 1879-CC is the ?King? of this set. Only 4100 79-CC?s were sold in the GSA auctions of 1972-1974. Two varieties exist, the Clear CC and the Capped Die CC. I didn?t know when, or even if, I?d find one on which I would be willing to spend a small fortune. Done, now I?m just crazy enough to try to peck away at upgrading this set. Only 13 100% sets registered. I?m at the bottom, and will never approach the top. Check the #1 set (Saksgirl) for the best, unsurpassable, GSA Morgan CC set there will ever be. 7 or 8 of the 11 coins are Top Pop, beautiful and 100% imaged.

Now, the other road;

Last month, I made a journal entry regarding the increasing cost and availability of the Morgan dollars needed to complete my registry set. NGC had made the road to completion a little smoother by relaxing the grade requirements for scoring on a few of my ?needed? coins. I also mentioned in that journal entry that I?d like to see a lower grade requirement on the ?King? 1893-S. Sure enough, Scott Schecter (NGC scoring Guru) sent me an e-mail the next day stating that he had read my journal and had revised scoring on that very tough coin. Bingo, slot filled. Albeit with a PCGS AG03. A coin purchased when I was completing my first ?raw? set of Morgans and a coin that books for $7000 in VF. I think I?ll leave that ?dog? in the set for now. Thank you, Scott.

That?s the smoothing.

Now, the potholes;

With the changes in scoring on some of these coins, I decided to raid my ?raw? set and fill some holes in my registry set. ?Body Bag City? Nice, decent Morgans that had survived over 100 years, shot down because someone in the past felt that a light cleaning was in order. Morgans relegated to second class citizenship because they fell out of someone?s pocket 75 years ago and sustained a minor rim ding. It doesn?t take much for a coin of this size and weight to get damaged slightly in a fall. PO?d, you bet I am! Grade the coin accordingly!

Minor ranting finished, I see by some of the new journals that the 2005 registry winners have received their certificates and I congratulate all of them. Perhaps, this year I will win a new category, that being ?Most coins returned in a Body Bag?. A certificate I?ll display proudly. (Sorry, almost another rant.)

2006 should bring me to the completion of the first step of my collection and could launch a new career. I think I?ll ask you, my fellow numisnuts, to send me your coins for grading (please enclose $30 per coin). I?ll then put them on a shelf for a month or so. At which time, I?ll send them back to you in their original packaging, with minimal explanation, AND, I?ll keep your $30. Sounds like a plan. I wonder if anyone has ever thought of this. (More ranting, Damn!)

As you can see, it?s been a busy month since my last entry.

79cc o2.jp