cowbaby

Thanks, CoinBuf for that explanation. It certainly clears it up. I just knew I had read about 75% ngc for something. I didn't know about cash awards and plaques either so it makes sense. That's really nice. I might actually have a shot at something un-major someday., but boy its not going to be anytime soon with this covid stuff really cutting into me get a long.

I thought I read somewhere that only sets comprised of 75% NGC coins are eligible for awards? If true, you may keep winning. I don't have to worry too much about it myself as I think the sets I collect have a few billionaires around. Plus, a few of the coins in them are so hard to find reasonable in any holder,making some of these sets a pretty daunting task at today's PM prices. Much less all certain kind is almost impossibly hard without having to send them in for re-branding and hope they sill make the grade. I just don't worry about it as apparently a few dealers have listed about 100 sets of other people they know in my categories as to make the registry just a fun toy for me. I will never win an award if the 75% NGC rule is in fact true but, I enjoy it just the same. Also the world coins only allow NGC so I don;t even bother listing stuff there. Just too hard to compose a decent set in a single type holder for what I like to collect. I am grateful that they did start allowing that other brand in the US sets personally so I could at least play with it. Kinda gives you some incentive and keeps the collecting juices flowing that way. Overall good for the graded coin industry as a whole I think, JMHO. Hope you keep winning your set.

I have used Park Avenue Numismatics is in NY Also coin exchange NY but I they are affiliated with Bullion Exchange also in NY somehow.

Some of the more unscrupulous have been known to grease a coin with various substances to give it that extra pop before it was ever sent would be my guess. I have came across that in gold before but never modern stuff.

'Maybe there remains a shred of honest, accurate grading for some of the more common gold coins? If the least marked-up piece is accurately graded MS-65, then so be it.' That is YOUR opinion which you are certainly entitled to. I just don't happen to share it. To me it has more to do with what a grader thinks of the coin overall. Of course I think they try to give an honest assessment, its just honesty has less to do with it imo. As I said, some pieces were taken directly by the mint people straight from the dies. What this implies to me is certain coins never had even close to a good strike and the designers did not know what they were doing because after around 66 the marks are pretty much supposed to go away. Believe what you want. A far as grading, I have looked at them my whole life and quite frankly they are all over the map at times. The grade, Its just an opinion. But I do believe that they try to do their best with the skills that the grader has and the tools available to him. I know the real reason why..But for the sake of argument I won't go into it.. But I do agree that if the best coin only grades 65 so be it. I'm out. Everyone have a great day and hope you find that special one today.

Same thing with 10 Indians Us gold. Seems you could count on your hands ones that hit even 68 only one 69 that I know of and never been a 70. I know for a fact quite a few of them were saved by people at the mint straight off the dies. It seems they are just ridiculous tough on gold coins as the small difference in grade sometimes represents tens of thousands. Afraid your going to make a fortune maybe. But they seem to want to compensate this cramming all the coins in the middle by giving coins all manner of pluses, stars, stickers and PQ smiley faces than dare give you a bump. There are 10 grades which is plenty. Either it makes the next grade or it don't in my mind. But I have seen Silver dollars hit 68-9 regularly with small imperfections. I could almost guarantee you I could reach in my pocket right now and send in a Jefferson nickel and get a 68-69. A gold coin on the other hand they expect it to never even bump into another coin in a bag. Its just the way it is, you got about 7 MS grades to strive for and 1 coin sitting in a Kings collection or Museum. Which may have more to do with it than we care to admit.

I have no idea what possesses people sometimes. I just look at the bright side. Every day somewhere in the world some insufficiently_thoughtful_person is wire brushing a coin, givin it the dippity do, clamping it into jewelry or some cornbread is soldering it into a belt buckle or saddle concho. Not to mention the some of the great melts that happen occasionally. This only makes the ones we try to save that much more valuable and rare. Amd when they get to the age of a flowing hair dollar how many are around then? I just save them for my children and if I can ever get the ditzy out of them before then maybe they will have something worthwhile in their lifetime.

I would say the coin has been whizzed (improperly cleaned). The mint luster looks to be about gone. Its kind of a shame too because the coin looks to be about a higher AU otherwise. I say that without seeing the chest feathers on the high spot in the back to make sure both sides are about the same. Morgans are popular though and it should be no problem getting a couple of bucks over spot for one in an otherwise decent shape. Morgan Dollar have a funny distinction of being immensely popular after they LEFT circulation. People didn't like them and thought they were bulky and nicknamed them cartwheels. Then Vegas casinos started using them for poker chips and the rest is history. Now people love them as do I, I think they are a beautiful coin. Must have been awesome to slap one of those bad boys on a bar to order a shot of red eye and tell the bartender to leave the bottle. I have sold bunches for a little over melt in worse shape than that. The mint mark is on the reverse which I also can't see if it has one but I think that year is pretty common so no added bonus there. I personally would not take less than 25 dollars for any Morgan other than a cull. To easy to sell, But that's just me. JMHO your results may vary..

I love some of the old Canadian coins like the ones with the mackerel, bobcat, caribou, and such. One of my favorite coins of all time are those trapper dollars with the two guys peddling a canoe. I got a dozen of those in BU still in the mint tube somewhere in ye olde pirate chest. i never did have them slabbed though. I think the date was more common was the reason. Still a beautiful coin though. I have a few coins each of the animal series from the 60s but they are just nice type coins. I think I have some maple leaf Wolf and antelope in bullion somewhere. I have a lot of stuff I forget about sometimes until someone posts something. Beautiful coin by the way. I guess when the queen turns out like a cameo or PL it would be one to hold on to. I don't know, I just don't keep up with values sometimes.

I run across the same thing. I guess my opinion on what looks bad is different than some. Bad or lots of scratches on the cheeks and face, a hairlipped indian from a hard bagmark, deep clunkers in the clean part of the fields. I have been running across a lot of PCGS indian eagles in the lower ms grades ie" 61-62-63 that look like someone took a hammer and screwdriver to them. At 64 it straightens out somewhat. At least by my eyes. I even seen a 1908s that was graded 65 and the eagle was almost missing an entire foot. There is only 56k of those ever made so maybe they have to be a little more lenient that year I guess. Who knows. It all subjective anyway. I have a 32 in ms65 that I guess the guy must have been in a bad mood that day. I do know one thing I'm not paying any premium for any supposed other brand of plastic as I don't see a reason to warrant that yet. That is one reason I joined here. Seems more consistent across all the grades for the most part for what I collect, even if I don't agree or they give the coin all she's got. I don't know, maybe it's just me. But I'm kinda funny like that.