Old photo anacs

[Mark Stilson]

I had always heard the older photographed anacs were pretty tight on the grades. And I have bid on some on ebay. Just never quite wanted them as much as others. But I just got thru looking at a group of morgans. Maybe 2 out of the 5 actually fit the grade. And those were close to not making it. (obverse and reverse graded ms65's on all of them.) I wish I would have had a camera, the time and allowed to take pictures. All the obverses had a lot more hits then reverse. Most would probably make 64's but one of them I would call a 63. The face was pretty bruised up. (Flat hits.) Even a couple digs, one on the cheek and another in the field by the nose. I think the main reason I bring it up was the price. A up to 2 grade premium for a holder is not worth it.

 

Now a few items to bring up which could explain it.

1. They could be different coins from original. Swapping out from a flip could have happened. But they did appear the same coin.

2. Since they are just in flips they could have been damaged after grading in the last 25+ years.

3. As with all grading there are good days and bad days for graders.

4. I really need to be less critical.

[Art]

From the ANACS-photo grades that I've looked at over the year, I'd say they were pretty accurate -- I don't do Morgans, so we're talking cents and nickels here. I was never comfortable that a coin swap wasn't an easy trick. However at the price range of coins that I'm usually involved with the cost of substitution wouldn't have been warranted. I've always felt that the old ANACS grading was right on for IHCs and Lincolns.

[Mark Stilson]

One of them was a 1885 cc. And that is a pretty decent jump between 64 and 65. Sadly that was the one I think would have been a 63 maybe a good day a 64.