How rare is this...

[Numbers-migration]

Today I was trying to grade some of my Morgan Dollars that I got from my grandpa a few years ago, and I notice one had some interesting "features".

 

Well it's a 1921 and some where around AU-50. On the obverse there is a die crack runing across the M in unum and the nearby star. Also, right next to the very same star is a small "bump", possibly a small pice of the die also chiped off. On the reverse there are some more die cracks: one conecting the right wing tip and the S,T, and A in states, and one conecting the left wing tip and the A, M, E, and R in America. There are a few other small ones in the reverse too.

 

I wish I could post a picture, but I have no means to.

[TomB]

Morgan dollars are one series that I have never really been attracted to, so, I likely know little compared to many others around here. Die cracks, though, are quite common on many series and they can be spectacular at times. To me they provide an interesting thing to look at and are quite cool. I'd have to see a picture of the die lump to have a better idea on that one.

[Numbers-migration]

It just seems like it would have been caught in 1921. But I really don't know that much about Morgan's either. Maybe they are common, but someone here should know.

[michael]

a neat coin

 

the 21 morgans were hastiley produced coins

 

i have in front of me a 1921 -d morgan the d mintmark means it was struck in denver and is on the reverse at 6 pm just under the bow knot and it is the only d minytmarked morgan coin

 

kool!

 

it is basically unc but the breast feathers are totally flat in fact gradewise it is vg but not really just due to poor strike

 

so for me what i am trying to say is the 21 morgans were poorly produced coins and your coin without seeing it i cant judge it but on 21 morgans die cracks are more the norm rather then the exception to the rule

 

but you have a good eye to see then and reconize what they are!

 

did you see the letter m on the neck of miss liberty/

 

and again an m on the reverse of the coin just below the eagle on the bowknot??

 

both those stand for george t morgan and he is the designaer of the coin the only usa coin with the designers initals on both the obverse front of the coin and reverse back of the coin

 

michael

[Numbers-migration]

Interesting. I never knew that they were "hastely produced". So errors of this nature are quite common in 1921 Morgans?

[michael]

yes you see many coins like the one you have numbers in my opinion based on waht i know

 

maybe someone will say i am totALLY WRONG

 

that is what makes the coin game so fun!

 

michael

[Oldtrader3]

The 1921 Morgans are lower relief than the other Morgan dates. This makes them look crappy to begin with. Plus, many have been beat up in mint bags for years as no one wanted them because of high mintages, poor strike and poor appearance. Nice, high grade, clean, branch mint 1921's are very difficult to find.

[Numbers-migration]

Interesting... maybe I should learn more about morgans.

[Dermott]

A good place to start is the VAM (Named after Leroy Van Allen & A. George Mallis) book series (The main encyclopedia and the mini-books (Top 100, Hot 50, etc)).

 

They detail the varieties within the series (which there are many) and show the key diagnostics for them.

 

Die cracks especially around the starts, legends, and date are very common in the Morgan series and are one of the features to look for when trying to identify what variety a Morgan may be.

 

The Morgan series is a huge series full of repunched mintmarks, dates, and doubled dies.