New Morgan Error? (3 coins)

Cowbilly

Edited 'cause no replys...

The Dimples. I thought It was a bag mark untill I found two more. I dunno, what do you think? It's that dent just above the jaw.

Cowbilly

btt

nwcs

I'm not sure what they are, but they don't look exactly the same. If someone has a VAM book, they can see what it says for that date.

hughesm1

From your photos, I cannot see an exact match on the three. The top and bottom examples look similar, but not identical. Well positioned bag marks most likely.

hughesm1

I cannot find any reference to "dimples" in the VAM book for 1885 specimens (any mint)

Cowbilly

True! They aren't exactly the same.
They are in the same part of the face. The coins were in a homeade roll. Probably picked up when the mint released all those morgans in the 60's (may be right or wrong). The coins in the roll did have bag, or light scuffs as you can see. I don't know if it's mint flaw or just dents in the three coins in the same place for some reason.

Gilbert

The very last one resembles the depression the occurred in the middle of the breast fondly referred to as a "belly button" striking error, usually found on the reverse of "O" minted coins dated '85, '87, '00, '01, '02 and "P" minted '90 and '91. It is the result of a weak strike not forcing the metal into the deepest recesses of the die. Maybe the planchet thickness was off a tad.

Even though examples 1 and 2 appear elongated, I suspect they are also the result of this or similar phenomena. What is odd is that you happened upon 2 or 3 at the very same time; maybe successive strikes from the same die or same lot of planchets.

Cowbilly

Gilbert, that sounds like that could be the case. Theses are "O" minted. I think that it was probably a die issue because the dimple is actually concave. "Successive strikes from the same die or same lot of planchets" is what it looks like to me.

mrfred

Nice catch. A new 'VAM'? (How does one go about submitting a new VAM, anyway? That book has been out for quite a while. Does CONECA track these?)

Cowbilly

btt