1878-CC GSA Morgan

[tallguybry]

Good Evening Everyone,

 

First off, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Bryan and I hail from the beautiful state of SC.

 

I'd like to share a coin I acquired on eBay last night. She's an 1878-CC GSA Morgan. Shall we have some fun?

 

1. MS/PL/DPL?

2. Grade?

 

Here are the pics:

Obverse

 

Reverse

 

At a distance

 

I'll be submitting her to NGC for grading soon. (Along with some other "goodies")

 

Thanks in advance!

Bryan

[noow]

Welcome to the boards!

 

I'll grade the coin MS62PL DETAILS - reverse cleaned (hairlines above eagle) so it's worth maybe $300-350. If the seller didn't mention the cleaning to you I would return it.

[BillJones]

The coin is probably P-L, but you can't nail that down from the pictures. The head and other features appear to be frosted against fields.

 

The grade is in the MS-62 to 63 range. The grading services are sometimes easier on CC dollars so I would grade it MS-63.

 

The reverse has not been cleaned, and there is no need to return the coin. What you see in the photo are die polish marks. Those marks are raised on the surface of the coin, not INTO the surface of the coin. The die polish marks are consistent with the P-L look of the coin. Soon after a die is placed into service after polishing, the coins produced from it can be P-L and those marks will show. As the die strikes more and more coins, the P-L die surface and the die polish marks fade, leaving the usual frosted mint bloom.

 

[noow]

The coin is probably P-L, but you can't nail that down from the pictures. The head and other features appear to be frosted against fields.

 

The grade is in the MS-62 to 63 range. The grading services are sometimes easier on CC dollars so I would grade it MS-63.

 

The reverse has not been cleaned, and there is no need to return the coin. What you see in the photo are die polish marks. Those marks are raised on the surface of the coin, not INTO the surface of the coin. The die polish marks are consistent with the P-L look of the coin. Soon after a die is placed into service after polishing, the coins produced from it can be P-L and those marks will show. As the die strikes more and more coins, the P-L die surface and the die polish marks fade, leaving the usual frosted mint bloom.

Ok

[C.I.]

Welcome Bryan

 

The bag marks seen are what one come to find with those 78 GSA's. Am thinking this has a shot at MS63PL (although quite a bit of chatter in the field). Looks to be a Vam2 with the dots in the CC. This is a long nock (middle arrow feather on reverse longer). That is a plus..

 

Although they may look like hairline, being a GSA, I think not. Either coin to coin rub or planchet striations. I doubt the GSA took the time to clean any coins. Good looking coin!

 

Chet

[BillJones]

Although they may look like hairline, being a GSA, I think not. Either coin to coin rub or planchet striations. I doubt the GSA took the time to clean any coins. Good looking coin!

 

 

Yes, I agree. This coin probably spent a century in a bag in one or more U.S. Government vaults. Nobody cut open the bag to clean any of the coins!

[tallguybry]

Hey Everybody,

 

Thanks for the welcome!

 

This is fun. Now, I know that pictures are just that, pictures. I'll take some more of her before I send her out for grading

 

I'm wondering, what makes a coin DPL instead of PL?

 

Thanks,

Bryan

 

 

[cpm9ball]

I realize that the grading services tend to be a little lenient on GSA CC's, but this would be a stretch for me. There are just too many nicks and dings on her face, hair, cap, eagle's breast & wings and in both obverse and reverse fields. It looks like she was in a sumo wrestling match with a 450-lb porcupine.

 

MS61/62

 

Chris

[BillJones]

I realize that the grading services tend to be a little lenient on GSA CC's, but this would be a stretch for me. There are just too many nicks and dings on her face, hair, cap, eagle's breast & wings and in both obverse and reverse fields. It looks like she was in a sumo wrestling match with a 450-lb porcupine.

 

MS61/62

 

Chris

 

The coin might go into an MS-62 holder, but you won't find that coin in an MS-61 holder. Morgan dollars in those grades either look like hell , or they are out and out sliders with somewhat smooth surfaces.

 

You also need to rememeber than larger than life pictures can make the coin look worse than it is.

[Kamillion]

ms63 PL

[$ilverHawk]

MS62, due to hits on devices and fields.

 

Carl

[mtnstyne]

I can't see this one going higher than MS62 but I am not a grader either. When I first opened the thread I kind of "cringed" with all the marks on the coin. I would say this is one of the few that get graded MS61

[Walkerfan]

MS 62--no PL.

[James_OldeTowne]

Welcome to our friendly little neighborhood!

 

For me, the coin grades MS-61 PL.

[cpm9ball]

I realize that the grading services tend to be a little lenient on GSA CC's, but this would be a stretch for me. There are just too many nicks and dings on her face, hair, cap, eagle's breast & wings and in both obverse and reverse fields. It looks like she was in a sumo wrestling match with a 450-lb porcupine.

 

MS61/62

 

Chris

 

The coin might go into an MS-62 holder, but you won't find that coin in an MS-61 holder. Morgan dollars in those grades either look like hell , or they are out and out sliders with somewhat smooth surfaces.

 

You also need to rememeber than larger than life pictures can make the coin look worse than it is.

 

I took into consideration that photos tend to magnify distracting marks, but I have a (non-GSA) 78-CC in an NGC MS61 that looks better than this one. If this one grades higher than MS62, maybe I should submit mine for review.

 

Chris

[Mokiechan]

MS63 but no CAC sticker on this one.

[BillJones]

I took into consideration that photos tend to magnify distracting marks, but I have a (non-GSA) 78-CC in an NGC MS61 that looks better than this one. If this one grades higher than MS62, maybe I should submit mine for review.

 

 

I have not shopped for CC Morgan dollars since I retired as a dealer. Back when I was a dealer the grading for them was all over the place with being a bit loose the norm. Maybe the services have tightened up since than. If that is so, then this piece would get no more than an MS-62.

 

Still MS-61 is often a pretty tacky coin unless you are talking about something that is rare. Then it seems to me the services get a bit tighter. Some coins that are graded MS-61 should be called MS-60, if they really are banged up but Mint State. The trouble is the services rarely use the MS-60 grade.

[CHABSENTIA]

Welcome to the boards!

 

I'll grade the coin MS62PL DETAILS - reverse cleaned (hairlines above eagle) so it's worth maybe $300-350. If the seller didn't mention the cleaning to you I would return it. [/quote

 

It is a CC and many will desire it for that reason. I have to agree that the reverse above the Eagle looks like it has been cleaned and it looks to be a harsh cleaning.

 

So MS61 Details.

[cpm9ball]

Welcome to the boards!

 

I'll grade the coin MS62PL DETAILS - reverse cleaned (hairlines above eagle) so it's worth maybe $300-350. If the seller didn't mention the cleaning to you I would return it. [/quote

 

It is a CC and many will desire it for that reason. I have to agree that the reverse above the Eagle looks like it has been cleaned and it looks to be a harsh cleaning.

 

So MS61 Details.

 

Noow was in error. Those are polishing marks left on the die. If you could look at them real closely, you would see that they are raised. I have a number of Morgans, particularly DMPL's, that have these polishing marks.

 

Chris