1882 Philadelphia mint Morgan

[Glenn Armstrong]

Picked this up on the cheap at an auction. I'm at a loss due to the very  clean cheek and fields but the ear and hair above seem worn. The same with the reverse, chest feathers and talons vs "rest of the story."  So I guess my question is Circulation versus bag marks/damage versus weak strike versus worn dies.

[BillJones]

I believe that the coin is weakly struck in the center of both sides, which not unusual for the Morgan Dollar design. Going by the photos I would say that the piece grades MS-64. A weak strike can lower the grade as you progress up the Mint State scale.

[Just Bob]

3 hours ago, BillJones said:

A weak strike can lower the grade as you progress up the Mint State scale.

Bill, in your opinion, should strike affect the grade? Or should the grade be based on state of preservation, with the strike (and other variables)mentioned separately?

 

Sorry, Robert. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.

 

[BillJones]

Quote

Bill, in your opinion, should strike affect the grade?

The short answer is "yes" especially as you go up on the MS scale. The grading services do not provide a separate quality of strike description or number. They take it into consideration when they grade the piece.

Lets put it this way. If there were a perfectly stuck example of this coin that graded MS-67, would you like to have that coin or this one if it had virtually no marks and made MS-67 for preservation in your opinion? Virtually everyone I know would take the perfectly struck coin. 

Some issues of coins can never be graded very highly because all of them were poorly made. One such issue is the 1855-C Type II gold dollar. All of those coins were poorly struck with weak details. No matter how smooth the surfaces are none of them has ever been graded higher than MS-62.

[Pwrnapper]

On 2/7/2018 at 11:57 AM, BillJones said:

The short answer is "yes" especially as you go up on the MS scale. The grading services do not provide a separate quality of strike description or number. They take it into consideration when they grade the piece.

Lets put it this way. If there were a perfectly stuck example of this coin that graded MS-67, would you like to have that coin or this one if it had virtually no marks and made MS-67 for preservation in your opinion? Virtually everyone I know would take the perfectly struck coin. 

Some issues of coins can never be graded very highly because all of them were poorly made. One such issue is the 1855-C Type II gold dollar. All of those coins were poorly struck with weak details. No matter how smooth the surfaces are none of them has ever been graded higher than MS-62.

 

[Pwrnapper]

1855-C, exactly the gold coin Billjones mentioned, in my collect currently still in raw condition. I agree with Bill that MS-64 grade would apply due to weak strike.

[Glenn Armstrong]

On 2/7/2018 at 8:26 AM, BillJones said:

I believe that the coin is weakly struck in the center of both sides, which not unusual for the Morgan Dollar design. Going by the photos I would say that the piece grades MS-64. A weak strike can lower the grade as you progress up the Mint State scale.

Thanks, just got back from the graders and you were spot on with the 64. Thanks again, for the input and education. 

[Thomas Kurr]

wow! nice coin....

Is that your gold $5?