1921 Morgan with Potmarked Surface - Curious

[SeanC57702-migration]

I was looking at a number of 1921 Morgan Dollars and found one that has a potmarked surface. Also, the word "Liberty" has very wide letters, unlike all the others I've seen. Anything unusual about this coin or just common?

Thanks.

[RGT]

Something doesn't look right about that coin. Could it be a cast counterfit?

[Oldtrader3]

Coin looks cast. Letters all look like they didn't "pull" from casting medium (sand or whatever) properly.

[BankNote1]

Either someone took an engraving tool to a 1921 Morgan or it is a cast counterfeit!!!

[Bruceswar]

If it is a cast... I got one question... WHY? its not a rare or expensive coin.... very interesting.... oh and welcome to the boards

[kryptonitecomics]

It looks like it's been whizzed or acid dipped.......strong acid would eat those little pits into the coin surface and could certainly alter the entire look of the coin.

 

I don't believe it's a cast counterfiet, but rather a genuine coin that has been messed with.

 

If you were to leave a morgan in Tarn-X overnight it would come out looking just like that coin in my opinion.

[rexcat]

I don't believe it's a cast counterfiet, but rather a genuine coin that has been messed with.

 

I'm with you on this one Shane.

 

My guess is that the coin was bead blasted, every tool & die shop I've worked in has one of these tools, their used to remove crud or create a surface finish. The softer the material being blasted, the deeper the pits you get. I have never used it on silver, but tomorrow I will bring a junk silver piece to work and give it a try, because you know…

 

I’m as curious as a cat!

[James_OldeTowne]

If it is not a cast counterfeit - which is somewhat what it looks like, then it is a coin with heavily altered surfaces. It may be extensively whizzed, or acid-etched.

 

Why would someone cast a 1921 Morgan? Remember that in 1980, silver value for these coins was $50 - and that would be closer to $150 at today's prices, counting inflation. There are actually more fake common-date Morgans around than you might think!

 

James

[braddick]

I have owned and sold three 1921 contemporary counterfeit Morgans in the last couple of years. They're made from hand crafted dies and are amazing in detail.

There's a cottage collecting force that'll drive the price of these up much past if they were genuine.

 

I believe the one photo'ed is from that grouping. The reverse would offer a couple more 'tells', especially the eagle's wings.

 

Neat, for what they are and also for what they're not.

[coin1960-migration]

It reminds me very much of the fake dollars that I saw overseas while in the military. They were very very available. I saw many with the common date of 1921. I did however pay $6 bucks for a fake 1928 for my dad!

[TomB]

I would guess it's been heavily whizzed, and therefore only worth silver bullion value. I doubt it has been acid etched as the marks on the surface don't look like what I have seen in those instances.

[rexcat]

Here pictures are the photos of my bead blasted silver coin.

 

The pitting that the beads left on the surface of the coin turned out to be much smaller than the ones on SeanC57702’s Morgan, and my half is very flat or satiny not glossy at all, so I would conclude that its surface was altered in some way other than my guess.

 

I thought that it did produce an interesting look to the half; in hand its color looks more like aluminum now.

 

Going to have to try a copper cent next.

 

[cpm9ball]

I was looking at a number of 1921 Morgan Dollars and found one that has a potmarked surface. Also, the word "Liberty" has very wide letters, unlike all the others I've seen. Anything unusual about this coin or just common?

Thanks.

 

I don't know if it is fake or not. Just by coincidence, I was going through my rolls of Sacagawea's that I purchased from the Mint, and some of the 2004's have the same characteristic. It kind of looks like a spray-painted surface would if you applied too much paint from a short distance. The entire obverse of the SAC's are like the Morgan, but the reverse is smooth and even. I'm wondering if it may have been overheated before striking.

 

Also, is that doubling on the forehead and hair above, or is it just a reflection? It also appears to have doubling on "UR" in PLURIBUS. Doubling may account for the letters in LIBERTY appearing wider.

 

Chris

[Oldtrader3]

I still say that the coin looks as though it was sand cast. This is why most of the letters and denticles are doubled. The sand either wasn't packed properly or the casting form that made the female impression did not have enough relief angle to pull from the sand properly. This caused the corners to collapse and look like doubling. The pockmarked surface is pretty typical of a sand (not an investment) casting.