really cool toned morgan! NEW PICTURES!

darktone

I hope these pictures don't dissapoint you too much but stick around for the follow up pictures after you give your opinion and you won't be dissapointed. mike

tsacch

could be a nice coin in the right light. 63

LucyBop

You ever think that maybe a famous person fingerprinted that coin... like ELVIS PRESLEY!??????

K6AZ

Where's Dog when you need him? I'm sure he would have something to say about those prints.

Gilbert

darktone,

that looks like one of my favorite varieties. Those fingerprints are soooo distracting I can't really fathom a guess at the grade. It does look really weak around the ear though; or is it the detail of your scan/pic. Can't see any hits either.

gemtone65

I seem to recall a recent coin like this, perhaps this very one, being offered by Teletrade.

Hadleydog

Toning looks OK, but the fingerprints...........

K6AZ

One thing I would mention is that it appears you took the pictures straight on. I know that type of toning and have several like it, and to get decent pictures you have to shoot it at an angle. Still, those prints stick out like a sore thumb. Wonder if NCS could do anything to them without removing the nice toning.

BAJJERFAN

I would grade that FP69 with all those prints. Best thing to do with that is throw it across the Potomac River and hope it doesn't make it.

darktone

For those that said it would look nice tilted in the light they are right. I showed this coin about a year ago and I thought some new members would like to see it. I actually bought this on ebay a little over a year ago when someone started a thread on this forum about how ugly it was- the ebay auction used pictures like my pictures at the start of this thread and I decided PCGS had to have seen something in it to grade it ms64 and I was right. The fingerprints are really not that distracting when viewded at an angle and the cool toning more than makes up fot it. Sorry about the reflection in the new pictures but I found it impossible to photograph the toning without it. mike

coinkat

I like it Darktone. Which VAM is it? If it is a better one, Teletrade usually says so.

darktone

coinkat- I did not get it from teletrade. mike

coinkat

Darktone:

Sorry I confused Teletrade with ebay. I still like the coin. Did you ever check to see if it was a better VAM?

darktone

coinkat, no I have never checked to see if it was better vam. Can you help me identify it? thanks mike

coinkat

pm sent

RYK

Mike, your pictures never disappoint...but I thought you were a gold guy!

Gilbert

Coinkat,

What's with the PM. I want to see/hear you VAM it. I'm also curious, and would take a shot at attributing it, if I could see it a little better.

darktone

Gilbert, let know what part you want a close up of and I'll get a picture right away. mike

coinkat

Gilbert:

I sent a PM Darktone because I was planning to sent him a short list of those 1878 7T VAMS that are the most sought after. PCGS may or may not recognize all of them. As you point out, it is difficult to make an accurate attribution based on the pictures primarily due to toning.

First, if it were one of the of 7TF over 8TF (or similar variety VAMs 32-45 or so... I don't have the Mallis VanAllen book handy, so it could be off alittle) it would be designated by PCGS. Obviously VAM 44 is rare and the most sought after VAM. The obvervse has triple blossoms and the reverse has doubled legs with a 7 over 8TF. VAM 70 features obverse doubling that is clear among the letters RIB above the portrait. VAM 115 features triple blossoms but it is paired with a different reverse than VAM44 and the doubling is not as pronounced. It is highly unlikely that Darktone's coin would be VAM 115 because it is very rare in MS.

There is also a triple star 1878 7TF and a triple "R" (obverse)...I can't remember the VAM numbers for these, but at least it gives you a start in terms of what to look for...good luck. There are some others, but this has to end sometime tonight. VAMs are truly the final frontier for Morgan Dollars.

Gilbert

Darktone,

I may be able to work from a description. Does the #4 star on the right have a broken tip? Is the LIBERTY headband doubled or is the L partially "polished" away? What about her nostril; complete, polished or doubled? Any significant doubling in the date? What about the center arrow nock; long or short? Any disconnected leaves in the olive branch? Significant doubling on the motto?

Anyway, the most significant '78 Rev of '78 are the B1 "long nock" reverse, although some of the others are still desirable varieties to collect. The 1878 varieties are quite extensive and usually require inspection of the coin, but a large and clear image may be just as useful, but you will have to lose that center reflection.

vamit

Hi,
I am new to these boards but this is an area that I specialize in. I can tell you with 99% certainy that it is a VAM 131. I figured this was a good thread to throw a comment in.

DCAMFranklin

Some really great colors on that coin, Mike! Thanks for the additional set of pictures. I bet you were able to get a great deal on the coin if the seller used pictures like your first set. Congratulations!

wingedliberty

Mike:
Very beautiful coin. The updated photo really brings out the greens.


Brian.

darktone

coinkat- thanks for all the info! but my coin does not appear to be any of the varieties you listed but this is coming from the eyes of a non vam collector.

Gilbert- I will have to answer no to all your questions except the nostril looks like a normal full strike and I am not sure how to judge the length of the arrow nock? but I do have a picture that I already had taken that I will post.

RYK- I stray from gold once in a while.

vamit- welcome to the forum! vam 131 ? is this the one that is worth $$$$