1883 cc morgan dollar! Toning...

[Martybc3]

Bought this coin on eBay and didn't really notice the toning on the obverse has two distinct lines you can really see in low light but when bright it's in bright light it's goldish. I'm new to collecting what you guys think is this bad toning? The lines almost look black when not in light. It's hard to tell in the pictures. It's in a gsa holder. [/img]

[Raisethis2]

The coin looks to be pretty high grade. The reverse looks wonderful and the obverse pictures, while pretty difficult to read, suggest MS 64 at least.

 

The toning looks like textile toning with the little dots.

 

NGC grades these in the government packaging. This one might be worth the trip some day but I'd like to see better pictures before making that recommendation.

[Martybc3]

Thanks for the reply! Any info help! Yea I wish I had a good camera I had to use my iPhone. Yea the reverse is very nice maybe just a few nicks around the lettering. I will probably get it graded eventually.

[MarkFeld]

As pictured, the coin looks unattractive to me, (possibly environmentally damaged) and approximately of MS63 quality. The fact that the reverse is nicer than the obverse is not unexpected and won't add to the overall grade.

[Martybc3]

I did notice that it says Silver dollar not uncirculated. I wonder if those tone lines were there when the coin was boxed. Does environment damage affect the value of the coin? How would it get damage in a case? Is air or something getting in there? Is that what made those lines? I paid 180$ for it , is that bad? I'm a new collector so I'm new to this stuff. Thanks

[BillJones]

The GSA Morgan dollars like this one were the first encapsulated, graded coins. From what I have read the government hired a group of college students to review the coins and grade them. Their crash grading course taught them that coins with too many marks and toning were not "uncirculated," and pieces with bright white surfaces were "uncirculated." When the coins were put in the GSA holders, the "uncirculated" coins were marked as such on the holder, and the lower grade pieces had a blank space where the "uncirculated" label was on the better pieces.

 

You coin is one of the pieces that the government sold without "uncirculated" on it. Some of those coin were really Mint State, but your piece does have some unattractive toning streaks on the obverse that might be environmental damage. As others have said the fact that the reverse is nice does not raise the grade.

 

It all depends upon what you paid. A Carson City dollar is listed in the Coin Dealer Newsletter (Gray Sheet) at $80 in the lowest grade, which is VG. Your coin is better that that, but until you get to Mint State, the price does not go up that much. For example in Almost Uncirculated, which a much nicer grade than VG, the coin is priced at $120. The prices jump to the $190 to $200 range in the lower levels of Mint State.

 

[AHFreak]

I did notice that it says Silver dollar not uncirculated. I wonder if those tone lines were there when the coin was boxed. Does environment damage affect the value of the coin? How would it get damage in a case? Is air or something getting in there? Is that what made those lines? I paid 180$ for it , is that bad? I'm a new collector so I'm new to this stuff. Thanks

 

First of all, I am relatively "new" to coins as well.

Here's the thing, you bought the coin for a reason right? What was that reason? what are your goals/objectives pertaining to coins? Only you can answer those questions. If you bought the coin because you are totally fascinated by CC Morgans, then you did alright IMO. (I was very awe-struck about CC's when I first started-I still am. There is something about those CC's). Some collectors have this fantasy that they are going to jump in blind and start making a bunch of money... if you bought that coin to make money on it... chances are you did not do alright.

 

Point is, my advice would be to avoid that temptation of looking outside/elsewhere for the validation on your purchases, or coin-related decisions.... look within cause someone elses opinions aren't suiting your needs/wants/goals/etc... Now, that doesn't mean go out and ignore all the advice you will get, and buy recklessly and ignorantly and so on.... Be smart, move slowly, study/read/research/learn/ask questions and don't buy anyting until you have trained your eye a little, or found a dealer you can truly trust to not do you wrong (many many will take advantage... there are some who are honest and who have top notch integrity-find them)

 

 

As far as your coin, if it is a problem-free UNC, its 63 or less IMO-like the others who have chimed in. (if that is the case, you wont make a killing, but you didn't get taken either). There is a chance that it is a high AU, or that there is some sort of environmental damage on the surface... those are usually the coins that dealers want to quickly pass off to the newbies, so there is that chance. Oh, and also, if it is a "problem coin" of any sort (that would include environmental damage) than it is certainly worth considerable less than a "problem free" specimen. For one of us to tell you specifically whats up going on with it, and what it means value-wise, we would need to see it in hand, more than likely.

 

 

***TRAIN YOUR EYE BEFORE YOU BUY***** learn how to discern between problem coins, and problem free coins..... It can be done, in a relatively short amount of time, and without costing any money.. Although there are also some educational resources out there that do cost money... and I would highly recommend those as well.. I believe they will pay a return that is beyond measure over the course of any significant amount of time buying coins...

 

 

 

Good luck, sorry its so long winded... I have a bad habit of doing that..

[jpcienkus]

I did notice that it says Silver dollar not uncirculated. I wonder if those tone lines were there when the coin was boxed. Does environment damage affect the value of the coin? How would it get damage in a case? Is air or something getting in there? Is that what made those lines? I paid 180$ for it , is that bad? I'm a new collector so I'm new to this stuff. Thanks

 

First of all, I am relatively "new" to coins as well.

Here's the thing, you bought the coin for a reason right? What was that reason? what are your goals/objectives pertaining to coins? Only you can answer those questions. If you bought the coin because you are totally fascinated by CC Morgans, then you did alright IMO. (I was very awe-struck about CC's when I first started-I still am. There is something about those CC's). Some collectors have this fantasy that they are going to jump in blind and start making a bunch of money... if you bought that coin to make money on it... chances are you did not do alright.

 

Point is, my advice would be to avoid that temptation of looking outside/elsewhere for the validation on your purchases, or coin-related decisions.... look within cause someone elses opinions aren't suiting your needs/wants/goals/etc... Now, that doesn't mean go out and ignore all the advice you will get, and buy recklessly and ignorantly and so on.... Be smart, move slowly, study/read/research/learn/ask questions and don't buy anyting until you have trained your eye a little, or found a dealer you can truly trust to not do you wrong (many many will take advantage... there are some who are honest and who have top notch integrity-find them)

 

 

As far as your coin, if it is a problem-free UNC, its 63 or less IMO-like the others who have chimed in. (if that is the case, you wont make a killing, but you didn't get taken either). There is a chance that it is a high AU, or that there is some sort of environmental damage on the surface... those are usually the coins that dealers want to quickly pass off to the newbies, so there is that chance. Oh, and also, if it is a "problem coin" of any sort (that would include environmental damage) than it is certainly worth considerable less than a "problem free" specimen. For one of us to tell you specifically whats up going on with it, and what it means value-wise, we would need to see it in hand, more than likely.

 

 

***TRAIN YOUR EYE BEFORE YOU BUY***** learn how to discern between problem coins, and problem free coins..... It can be done, in a relatively short amount of time, and without costing any money.. Although there are also some educational resources out there that do cost money... and I would highly recommend those as well.. I believe they will pay a return that is beyond measure over the course of any significant amount of time buying coins...

 

 

 

Good luck, sorry its so long winded... I have a bad habit of doing that..

 

IMO, this post has a lots of good advice.