Help using book to id morgan vam numbera

mids1999

I have the Comprehensive Catalogue and Encyclopedia of U.S. Morgan and Peace dollars by Van Allen and George Mallis circa 1977 on loan from the pub library but I am having trouble using it to find morgan VAM ids can you please suggest some technique to do so.

I am feeling kind of dumb here I look at the book and it is just puzzeling to me

Thanks
Mike

Spinynorman

I have the fourth edition and it has the major characteristic in parenthesis next to the die pairing. I normally look at that first to try and match what I'm seeing and then narrow it down from there. Is there a particular one you are looking for?

Dog97

Decide if the obv is I, II, III, or IV and if the rev is A, B, C, or D.
If it's I then decide if it's I1 or I2.
If it's II then cool no sub types.
If it's III decide if it's III1 or III2.
IV is easy, 1921 only and no subtypes.
A rev has subtypes of A1 & A2.
B has 2 subtypes & C has C1, C2, & C3.
D is 1921 only.
Then look at the numerials after the VAM # and find your obv & rev for example it looks like this: III210-C3a. The 10 in the III210 the a after C3 is the catalog # and you can disregard it and call it the III2-C3. Then find the descripition that matches your coin and BAM! you're a VAMmer.

mids1999

Thank you very much
I am still trying to get the number for the 1880 O I am asking about in another post

Thanks
Mike