1889 O Morgan - Submit?

[FavoriteSon-migration]

I'm trying out a different photo strategy. Should I submit this to NGC? Based on my limited experience, and naivety regarding cleaning, dipping, altering, etc..., this looks like at least an MS64 to me.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Mark T]

This coin looks like a cleaned Au to me. No need to submit.

[L1ncolnF4n]

This coin looks like a cleaned Au to me. No need to submit.

 

+1

[BillJones]

Yes, AU and cleaned and NOT worth submition fees.

 

I don't have a picture of an MS-64 Morgan Dollar available, but here is a nice, graded MS-63.

 

[mtnstyne]

Cleaned.

 

Bill did you mean to say "not" worth submission fees?

[BillJones]

Cleaned.

 

Bill did you mean to say "not" worth submission fees?

 

Yes. My fingers don't work as well as my brain.

[newprepper]

I see a fingerprint by the num in unum, and are those the infamous hairlines across the cheek and the field to the left of?

[FavoriteSon-migration]

I have a few more Morgan's like this in some other key dates (passed down from my uncle). Based on the feedback from this one, I'm wondering if they have been cleaned also. What should I have noticed on this one that I should be looking for on the others?

[BillJones]

One of the most important skills to acquire as a grader is to learn to recognize mint luster. For most Morgan dollars, it is very easy to spot. Take a Mint State coin and swirl it under a medium strong light source, like a 100 watt bulb. You will see a wave of reflected light that travels around the surface of the piece as you swirl it. If that wave does not show or if it is broken or impaired, the coin is either not Mint State or it has been cleaned or altered. You can see it sort of in "freeze frame" in the picture of the 1878 dollar I posted.

 

If you don't have a strictly Mint State Morgan dollar, you would do well to buy a common date UNTONED (white) piece in a PCGS and NGC holder in MS-64 or better and study it. Compare that piece with the pieces you suspect have been cleaned. If you have a decent eye, you will see the difference.

 

Another thing to look for is small hairlines which often show up when you are looking for mint luster. If these lines are INTO the coin, they are the tell-tale result of cleaning. If they are raised ABOVE the surface of the coin, they are die polish marks, which are mint caused. Some people don't like die polish marks, but they are part of minting process do not affect the grade of most pieces. (Only a very high grade coin, MS-67 or more, might lose points because of them.) The way to spot these lines is to use a good 10X glass to see if they are INTO or ABOVE the surface

 

[FavoriteSon-migration]

I appreciate the information. Thanks