Pls. help identify Morgan VAM

prooflike

TIA for nay help.

the coin in question is an 1880-O and has the following attributes that I could see:

Obv.: circular die break ccw starting at the bottom of the second 8 going going through the date coming out of the bottom of the 1, going through the stars and coming out of the E.

Rev.: circular die break going CW starting at E in states going through the wing continuing to the R in America.

The mint mark is of the micro round variety.

thanks for any help!

keets

hello jeff

keep in mind that i'm a novice with VAM's and i generally focus on only the 1878's. none of the 1880-O worded descriptions mention die breaks but there are several pictured. they all center on doubling in the date, mainly the 188. you should probably look closer for that and try to PM gilbert or dog97.

gilbert helped me when i first tried to sort these out. he's tops.

al h.

prooflike

Thanks,

I don't see any doubling on the date. It may just be that a die break is a die state rather than a die variety, although I thought VAMs included die breaks.

Jeff

Gilbert

First, generally speaking, 1880-O has numerous varieties but most are minor. Two size mintmarks were used but both are readily available and do not bring any premium.

2ndly, die cracks USUALLY are only of note, and attributed on its own merits when they create and unusual pattern like the "hangnail" or "tailbar" varieties. They usually cross thru or protrude from a design or device and give the appearance of some kind of image. Other than that, they are just considered a later die state of an already attributed variety.

That said, if not an overdate as below, it probably has no significance, unless there is something very peculiar and it is yet unattributed.

No 1880-O varieties are included in the Top 100. Vams 16, 17 & 21 ARE on the Hot50, but they are overdates BUT are sometimes very tough to identify; they are called "checkmark" overdates because that is about all of the underlying "7" (under the 2nd 8) that is visible. Look for a curved checkmark (seriph of 7) on the upper left of the upper loop of the 2nd 8. If checkmark and micro O - Vam 17; if checkmark, micro O and "alligator eye" Vam 21.