On a Morgan dollar, wear always shows up in the same places first. Check them in order and you can grade one in 30 seconds.
Obverse: start at the ear
- Hair above Liberty’s ear — strand separation flattens into a smooth patch first.
- Cotton bolls and wheat — high-relief detail softens next.
- Cheek — watch for luster breaking on the flat of the cheek.
- Coronet and cap — use as confirmation, not the first read.
Reverse: start at the breast
- Eagle’s breast feathers — the first place wear lands.
- Wreath bow — check the knot and ribbon ends.
- Neck and wing tips — secondary confirmation points.
- Rim and denticles — finish here; soft denticles mean real circulation.
The 30-second scan
Ear hair → cheek → breast → bow → rim. Same order every time, and your grades start agreeing with the slabs.
A photograph can inform a decision, but it cannot authenticate or certify a coin.