Ronsama Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I have an 1881 Morgan silver dollar I want O graded but I can't figure out what grading tear to put it on. The economy tear won't except coin over 300$ and the standerd wants 40 $ pluse ten so 50 but I don't need a ten day turn around. Guys I don't have deep pockets. What do I do GoldFinger1969 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post EagleRJO Posted January 10 Popular Post Share Posted January 10 On 1/10/2024 at 5:46 PM, Ronsama said: I don't have deep pockets Then why spend money on grading? On 1/10/2024 at 5:46 PM, Ronsama said: I have an 1881 Morgan silver dollar I want graded If you post focused cropped pics of both sides you could get some better feedback. But unless it has a CC mintmark and is in decent condition it likely wouldn't be worth very much or make sense to submit the coin. Ronsama, GoldFinger1969 and Sandon 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P M Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) If your coin is a common 1881 it may only be worth $50 so you would be losing money to grade it. If it is something special like a gift from someone then that is different there is no price for that. Edited January 11 by J P M Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 You are encountering difficulties because you are confusing grading a coin with submitting the coin to a third-party grading service. The submission forms are based upon the assumption that you have adequate knowledge of how to grade and otherwise evaluate this coin yourself to select an appropriate grading tier and estimate the coin's market value. Without this knowledge, you would in all probability spend more on your submission than the coin is worth. The submission of coins to third-party grading services is generally not appropriate for new or casual collectors or for non-collectors. If you are not interested in becoming a collector but happen to own this coin and want an idea of its approximate grade and what it is currently worth, you may, as suggested, post clear, cropped photos of each side of here. You may also get an idea of the coin's grade by comparing it to the photos on PCGS Photograde at https://www.pcgs.com/photograde#/Morgan/Grades. (Impairments such as scratches, damage, and "cleaning" are also pertinent to determining a coin's grading description and value.) You could also show the coin to dealers at shops or coin shows in your area. Morgan dollars dated 1881 were made at four different mints. Unless your coin was minted at Carson City ("CC" mint mark on the reverse or "tails" side of the coin beneath the center of the wreath and above the "DO" of "DOLLAR"), it would only be worth enough to justify the cost of third-party grading if it is likely to receive a grade well into the uncirculated range (MS 64 or higher). If you are interested in collecting U.S. coins, you must learn grading and other pertinent topics. We can lead you to the appropriate resources. All you need to do is ask. Ronsama and GoldFinger1969 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob’s Coins Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) I’m new and don’t have much to add but I will say…. Read all the fine print on the forms. Lots of info on how they want them packaged and how to fill out the forms. Read bullet 6. If you choose the wrong tier it may delay things and you will get charged. This is just a small snip of all the terms conditions etc… +1 on what others said Edited January 11 by Rob75B11 Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VKurtB Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Know coins (well) before you get all fired up to send them in for 3rd party grading. Too many beginners are sending coins in that make ZERO SENSE being submitted for third party grading. Ronsama and GoldFinger1969 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) It would be MUCH cheaper for you to post clear, cropped photos of both sides of the coin in question and put them here in this thread. Then we could give an objective OPINION on the coin's grade before you even think about making any attempt to send it to a grading service. I would also avail yourself of the advice here and utilize print and online resources to get familiar with coins in general, and their subjective grading conditions before you even think about submitting any coins to a grading service. For your coin in the absence of photos here, you could get yourself a book titled ANA Grading Standards for US Coins, 7th edition, and match your coin to the condition of the coin found in the pages for Morgan dollars. This book is much cheaper than sending the coin in and will be a useful lifetime resource you can use well into the future. Edited January 11 by powermad5000 GoldFinger1969 and Ronsama 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Thank you all for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 On 1/10/2024 at 5:27 PM, EagleRJO said: Then why spend money on grading? If you post focused cropped pics of both sides you could get some better feedback. But unless it has a CC mintmark and is in decent condition it likely wouldn't be worth very much or make sense to submit the coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 What do you think? Looks brand new to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinbuf Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) On 1/11/2024 at 7:11 AM, Ronsama said: What do you think? Looks brand new to me. I'm sorry but your coin looks nothing like an as new mint state 1881-O Morgan dollar looks like. Your coin has seen some circulation and/or mishandling in its past and would grade either low AU and possibly cleaned and is worth $30-$40 far less than the grading fees. On the positive side by posting this before you attempted to have it graded you have saved yourself the fees and the anguish of getting the bad news on the grade later. Edited January 11 by Coinbuf Ronsama and EagleRJO 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 1/11/2024 at 9:11 AM, Ronsama said: What do you think? Looks brand new to me. Your Morgan dollar is an 1881-O, struck at the New Orleans mint and only of sufficient value to even consider submitting to a grading service if it grades MS 64 (NGC Price Guide value $250) or higher. Based on your photos, your coin appears to have About Uncirculated details and a "washed out" appearance with some hairline scratches, suggesting that it has been improperly "cleaned" and, therefore, might only receive an adjectival "Details" grade. Its retail (dealer sell) value is probably in the $35 to $50 range, far less than what it would cost for you to submit. I recommend that you store it in a hard plastic holder or capsule that is obtainable at most coin shops or coin shows or online for no more than a few dollars to preserve it in its existing condition. By way of comparison, here are photos of an 1881 (Philadelphia mint, no mint mark) Morgan dollar that NGC graded MS 63. Note the coin's full details and full "cartwheel" luster. I bought this coin in its NGC holder some years ago. I would not submit it today to try for this grade. Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VKurtB Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 1/11/2024 at 8:09 AM, Ronsama said: Far too many “chatter marks” for it to achieve a high grade. Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P M Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) On 1/11/2024 at 11:49 AM, VKurtB said: Far too many “chatter marks” for it to achieve a high grade. I agree it looks Au with some rim marks. Edited January 11 by J P M Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 On 1/11/2024 at 9:40 AM, Sandon said: Your Morgan dollar is an 1881-O, struck at the New Orleans mint and only of sufficient value to even consider submitting to a grading service if it grades MS 64 (NGC Price Guide value $250) or higher. Based on your photos, your coin appears to have About Uncirculated details and a "washed out" appearance with some hairline scratches, suggesting that it has been improperly "cleaned" and, therefore, might only receive an adjectival "Details" grade. Its retail (dealer sell) value is probably in the $35 to $50 range, far less than what it would cost for you to submit. I recommend that you store it in a hard plastic holder or capsule that is obtainable at most coin shops or coin shows or online for no more than a few dollars to preserve it in its existing condition. By way of comparison, here are photos of an 1881 (Philadelphia mint, no mint mark) Morgan dollar that NGC graded MS 63. Note the coin's full details and full "cartwheel" luster. I bought this coin in its NGC holder some years ago. I would not submit it today to try for this grade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Thank you for your help and support GoldFinger1969 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Thank you for the photos. While the New Orleans mint Morgans were known as noted in the book titled Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars by Leroy C. Van Allen & A. George Mallis (p.131) as having weak details in the center of the coin, this factor is not the overall factor in the grade of your coin. Your coin appears to look like it is "new" because it was cleaned at some point in its existence and borderlines on improperly cleaned as the surface looks somewhat "grainy" and there are some visible hairlines on both sides. Details wise it is what we would refer to as an AU slider which means depending on who is doing the grading raw it could "slide" into a low MS. In this case, though, I would think that a serious TPG grading would limit this coin to AU, and a details grade for the cleaning. It has quite a bit of circulation marks which you can note the differences in the photo I provide below of the obverse of an 1881 P that I own which is graded as MS 66+. Being your coin is also more common of the Morgans with a mintage number of 5,708,000 it is not one of the more sought after lower mintage or key dates. With the impairments on this coin, I would think a dealer would offer you $30-40 for it. It is definitely not worth the costs of third party grading. Ronsama 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleRJO Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 No, that's not worth submitting as Sandon noted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronsama Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 On 1/11/2024 at 1:58 PM, powermad5000 said: Thank you for the photos. While the New Orleans mint Morgans were known as noted in the book titled Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace Dollars by Leroy C. Van Allen & A. George Mallis (p.131) as having weak details in the center of the coin, this factor is not the overall factor in the grade of your coin. Your coin appears to look like it is "new" because it was cleaned at some point in its existence and borderlines on improperly cleaned as the surface looks somewhat "grainy" and there are some visible hairlines on both sides. Details wise it is what we would refer to as an AU slider which means depending on who is doing the grading raw it could "slide" into a low MS. In this case, though, I would think that a serious TPG grading would limit this coin to AU, and a details grade for the cleaning. It has quite a bit of circulation marks which you can note the differences in the photo I provide below of the obverse of an 1881 P that I own which is graded as MS 66+. Being your coin is also more common of the Morgans with a mintage number of 5,708,000 it is not one of the more sought after lower mintage or key dates. With the impairments on this coin, I would think a dealer would offer you $30-40 for it. It is definitely not worth the costs of third party grading. Thank you🧐 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
