What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
Moderator: Daniel
Forum rules
Here's a link to how to post a topic with images in our community https://coinauctionshelp.com/welcome-to ... community/
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You also agree to follow these guidelines. You must agree to these rules to be a member of this forum. NO SPAM! Spam is deleted within minutes, no spam will ever be left in our community.
1. Post a front and back image of your coin with a specific question about what you’re seeing or asking about and one coin per topic.
2. Please remove coin from the holder unless it’s US or an official mint case or unless it is graded by a grading service.
3. Images should be taken by a camera or cell phone camera, we ask that members don’t use images through a microscope screen.
4. Always start your own topic, please don’t ask about your coin or post your coin in someone else’s coin topic.
5. Do not send private messages about your coin unless an Admin ask you too and the same for sending emails through the board.
6. No spam. Do not post any links to your coin or other non-coin websites.
7. Always be respectful even if something makes you upset or you don’t agree with a member. You can always get a second opinion elsewhere. If you have an issue then politely ask an admin in an PM. PM’s are for issues, technical and personal, but not for coin questions (refer to number 5 on this list). Our community is not a soap box for complaining or drama, so please refrain from doing so here.[/size]
Here's a link to how to post a topic with images in our community https://coinauctionshelp.com/welcome-to ... community/
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You also agree to follow these guidelines. You must agree to these rules to be a member of this forum. NO SPAM! Spam is deleted within minutes, no spam will ever be left in our community.
1. Post a front and back image of your coin with a specific question about what you’re seeing or asking about and one coin per topic.
2. Please remove coin from the holder unless it’s US or an official mint case or unless it is graded by a grading service.
3. Images should be taken by a camera or cell phone camera, we ask that members don’t use images through a microscope screen.
4. Always start your own topic, please don’t ask about your coin or post your coin in someone else’s coin topic.
5. Do not send private messages about your coin unless an Admin ask you too and the same for sending emails through the board.
6. No spam. Do not post any links to your coin or other non-coin websites.
7. Always be respectful even if something makes you upset or you don’t agree with a member. You can always get a second opinion elsewhere. If you have an issue then politely ask an admin in an PM. PM’s are for issues, technical and personal, but not for coin questions (refer to number 5 on this list). Our community is not a soap box for complaining or drama, so please refrain from doing so here.[/size]
- ccharin
- Coining Around
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:05 pm
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 6 times
What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
I have seen these on Morgans before and right now I have one that is a mystery. From afar it looks like someone took a sharpie marker and hit the coin with it by mistake. However, under a loop it looks like paint. I have seen these before on Morgans. I wanted to reach out to your smart and wiser coin dudes and see if you know what this is from? My imagination pictures some dude back in the day at the mint using a dirty shovel and this is a mark from a dirty shovel scraping the coin. However, under the loop I don't see damage. It is not from a wax pen either. Driving me a little crazy since this coin would look real awesome without the black scar on it. I do have this listed on Ebay if someone wants to buy it. Item number is 334304190012.
- SensibleSal66
- Coin Master
- Posts: 7794
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2020 8:06 am
- Location: Connecticut
- Has thanked: 3555 times
- Been thanked: 2322 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
Sorry. I'll pass on the whole thing. I think a bath in Pure 100% acetone will show you that's it's removeable..
Member of CONECA
" All replies are my opinion based on experience"
Casual Collector 40+ years , 10 years Error coins ( still learning).
" All replies are my opinion based on experience"
Casual Collector 40+ years , 10 years Error coins ( still learning).
- Daniel
- Administrator
- Posts: 26467
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:59 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Has thanked: 1142 times
- Been thanked: 4151 times
- Contact:
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
It's an impurity in the planchet alloy. I've seen this a few times and it can't be removed and it distracts from the eye appeal of the coin.
Purely guessing here. Personally I always thought it was a piece of saw dust struck into the coin and from the strike and years of exposure, turned black, but that is a GUESS on my part!!
Purely guessing here. Personally I always thought it was a piece of saw dust struck into the coin and from the strike and years of exposure, turned black, but that is a GUESS on my part!!
- Earle42
- Administrator
- Posts: 15918
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:18 am
- Location: OH
- Has thanked: 1371 times
- Been thanked: 4969 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
You can try PURE acetone as Sal mentioned. The acetone cannot alter the metal of the coin in any way, so it is perfectly safe to use. Just don't rub or scrub it! And after the bath, there is no reason to rinse it. The acetone will 100% evaporate form the surface leaving nothing foreign behind.
Common grading company shortcomings & resulting co$tly mi$take$ to collectors (using Kennedy No FG halves):
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8
How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8
How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?
- ccharin
- Coining Around
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:05 pm
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 6 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
Acetone did not work and I let it soak for 15 min per the 100% acetone instructions. I also tried alcohol to make sure it was not sharpie. It has tints of brown around the mark and under a scope it looks like paint. Thank you for your fast replies. I appreciate the help.
- Daniel
- Administrator
- Posts: 26467
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:59 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Has thanked: 1142 times
- Been thanked: 4151 times
- Contact:
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
I literally handle Morgans with these marks weekly, graded and ungraded. I've examined them under the scope, tried to remove them in the past, so I knew it would not come off. It can't it's a planchet impurity. It is always going to look like this. I don't know why my answer was ignored here.
- Paul
- Master Die Variety Examiner
- Posts: 19036
- Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 9:19 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Has thanked: 905 times
- Been thanked: 3311 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
"I don't know why my answer was ignored here."
....... I do
....... I do
- Earle42
- Administrator
- Posts: 15918
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:18 am
- Location: OH
- Has thanked: 1371 times
- Been thanked: 4969 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
When I loaded this post, yours was not yet there Daniel. My habit is to load many "Unread post" tabs at a time and then work my way down through them. Had I seen yours, I would not have put up my acetone note. The only one showing at the time was Sal's.I don't know why my answer was ignored here.
Common grading company shortcomings & resulting co$tly mi$take$ to collectors (using Kennedy No FG halves):
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8
How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?
https://tinyurl.com/y7rksxu8
How much squash would a sasquatch squash if a sasquatch would squash squash?
- ccharin
- Coining Around
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:05 pm
- Has thanked: 5 times
- Been thanked: 6 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
Coin sold for $130.00 on Ebay 2/1/22. Thank you for your help guys. On to the next one. You guys are amazing and I really appreciate the massive brain power in this community that Daniel and others have created.
- josephcolorado
- Coinasieur
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:20 pm
- Has thanked: 99 times
- Been thanked: 41 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
Would a coin like this grade, do you think? I would think so if the "blemish" is part of the planchet/minting process, even though it's an impurity, yes?Daniel wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:32 am I literally handle Morgans with these marks weekly, graded and ungraded. I've examined them under the scope, tried to remove them in the past, so I knew it would not come off. It can't it's a planchet impurity. It is always going to look like this. I don't know why my answer was ignored here.
Master of Business Administration
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
- Daniel
- Administrator
- Posts: 26467
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:59 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Has thanked: 1142 times
- Been thanked: 4151 times
- Contact:
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
I can't predict grades looking at images, you can't be sure what the grading companies will do.
- josephcolorado
- Coinasieur
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:20 pm
- Has thanked: 99 times
- Been thanked: 41 times
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
I need to be more mindful of what I am asking. For that, I apologize. I will work on being more clear.
What I am trying to ask is: not this particular coin...the subject of impurities in the planchet, in general. Have you ever seen how visible impurities in the planchet are typically handled by grading companies? From what I understand, damage outside the mint can warrant a "details" grade. But what about inside the mint? Impurities in the planchet wouldn't be considered damage, as they occured inside the mint (or where ever the planchets were manufactured). Am I thinking straight about this subject of impurities in the coin itself during minting? Thanks.
Master of Business Administration
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
- Daniel
- Administrator
- Posts: 26467
- Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:59 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Has thanked: 1142 times
- Been thanked: 4151 times
- Contact:
Re: What is this Black mark on my 1879-S Morgan?
It's not considered damaged and depends on how distracting this would be to know if the grade would be effected.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 2 Replies
- 2323 Views
-
Last post by Daniel
-
- 11 Replies
- 5065 Views
-
Last post by ririrenne
-
- 5 Replies
- 674 Views
-
Last post by Earle42
-
- 13 Replies
- 1319 Views
-
Last post by Coin Mule
-
- 3 Replies
- 688 Views
-
Last post by royalphoenix81
-
- 4 Replies
- 2623 Views
-
Last post by Daniel
-
- 5 Replies
- 566 Views
-
Last post by Paul
-
- 8 Replies
- 963 Views
-
Last post by Daniel
-
- 5 Replies
- 1708 Views
-
Last post by Daniel
-
- 10 Replies
- 831 Views
-
Last post by silviosi