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How many Morgans make a set?

cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732
in U.S. Coin Forum
By my count there are 97 years/mint marks for Morgan dollars. Then you have to consider the 7/8 tailfeather varieties too. Are there any other varieties among the Morgans? Does anyone have a count for how many total are in a set? I have 50 right now and I would like to think I am about halfway there.
Paul in Pine Hill
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My ebay auctions

Comments

  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    Morgan Dollars Basic Set
    Circulation Strikes (1878-1921)
    Number of Required Coins: 97

    Morgan Dollars with Varieties
    Circulation Strikes (1878-1921)
    Number of Required Coins: 118
  • morganbarbermorganbarber Posts: 1,821 ✭✭✭
    What if one wanted one of each from the VAM book?
    I collect circulated U.S. silver
  • DeadhorseDeadhorse Posts: 3,720 ✭
    That's 118 not counting the proofs.

    I long ago gave up the idea of completing the set.
    "Lenin is certainly right. There is no subtler or more severe means of overturning the existing basis of society(destroy capitalism) than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose."
    John Marnard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1920, page 235ff
  • Skipper53Skipper53 Posts: 723
    I don't know how many years I'll be around so ,
    I'm working on a set of one Morgan from each year.
    Not bothered about Mint marks, prooflikes, tail feathers, or VAM.
    Just one high-quality coin from each year.
    I believe that's 27 coins.

    Is that a reasonable set ?
  • TONEDDOLLARSTONEDDOLLARS Posts: 2,928 ✭✭✭✭
    I am trying to put together a set of toned Morgans and the goal is 105 coins this includes varieties. AT present I need 26 coins to finish this set. In truth though I am constantly upgrading for grade and color so I'll probaly never be finishedimage
    Magic Mirrors


    Rainbow Stars
  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732



    << <i>Is that a reasonable set ? >>



    I think that is a reasonable set. I am pretty picky in the coins that I buy so they tend to be pretty expensive. It would probably take me 2 years to collect all 118 if I went for MS 64 or better.
    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I don't know how many years I'll be around so ,
    I'm working on a set of one Morgan from each year.
    Not bothered about Mint marks, prooflikes, tail feathers, or VAM.
    Just one high-quality coin from each year.
    I believe that's 27 coins.

    Is that a reasonable set ? >>



    Thats what I did. And I got at least one example of each of the different mintmarks and many toned ones.
  • jbstevenjbsteven Posts: 6,178 ✭


    << <i>It would probably take me 2 years to collect all 118 if I went for MS 64 or better. >>



    the 93s and the 84s are gonna be pricey at that level.
  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732


    << <i>the 93s and the 84s are gonna be pricey at that level. >>



    I know ... I have been watching them on Ebay and I am afraid they are out of my price range. I guess I am going to have to settle for some EF's or maybe AU's if I can find them.
    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    Cosmos, those 84-Ss have been skyrocketing lately. You might venture to buy now b-4 they really escalate. I recently purchased one in AU-53. It's semi-pl too. The field friction on the obverse hinders it from being designated PL...
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • paigowjohnnypaigowjohnny Posts: 4,257 ✭
    I'm one away from finishing the basic business strike set ( still need a nice 03-S)

    I'm not a VAM/variety guy, but for my collection I did feel like I needed the following in addition to the "regular" strike:
    79-CC Capped CC
    80/79-CC rev. 78 (GSA)
    78-P rev. 79
    79-S rev. 78
    78-P 7, 7 over 8 strong, and 8 TF varieties

    and I did want my 91-CC to be the VAM 3 spitting eagle.
  • GilbertGilbert Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭


    << <i>What if one wanted one of each from the VAM book? >>



    You would have 97+ coins just dated 1878. At last count, there are in the neighborhood of 2000+ documented Morgan dollar varieties
    Gilbert
  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    I thought there were 230 in 1878-P vams alone, not inclusive in this vam count are 78-CC, O, & S...However, I could be wrong. My VAM cat. is old....image
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 14,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you want all the Morgans PCGS currently recognizes, you'll need 123 coins. There are currently five coins PCGS attributes that are not yet in the "With Varieties" Registry set:

    1882-O/S weak
    1888-O Scarface
    1896-O Micro-O
    1899-O Micro-O
    1900-O Micro-O

    The key word here is "yet". PCGS President David Hall announced earlier this year that all varieties recognized by PCGS for which there were at least 5 coins certified, would be added to the Registry Sets sometime this year. In addition, additional varieties are also currently being considered.

    -- Dennis
    When in doubt, don't.
  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    YUP Dennis...B.J. Searles responded to my email the other day and said that D.H. would intergrate these unrecognized Morgans into the set registry's systems managerby December...Can't wait!...image
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • SDCollectorSDCollector Posts: 886 ✭✭


    << <i>Are there any other varieties among the Morgans? >>


    Just a few. image



    << <i>What if one wanted one of each from the VAM book? >>


    Gilbert beat me to the punch...there are thousands. I think I read in the Top 100 book (I don't have it in front of me) that no one has even completed a Top 100 VAM collection. But I could be wrong on that. A Complete VAM collection would be next to impossible, IMHO.

    I'm working on 2 Morgan date sets. A better date F/VF and a common date AU58/MS63 set. Each set has 27 coins, I think. I'm using the Dansco Morgan Date Set albums for each. I highly recommend that album, it's the only one I know of for a Morgan date set. It really makes your coins look attractive.

    I admire those that are putting together a complete date/mint mark set. That is a very big challenge.
    Bill
  • paigowjohnnypaigowjohnny Posts: 4,257 ✭


    << <i>I admire those that are putting together a complete date/mint mark set. That is a very big challenge >>



    Watch out...it's addictive....

    I started out buying a couple common GSA CCs....then I said I wanted to get all the CCs...then I did a date set...and it grew into wanting the whole set....and now toners...
  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    Hey Johnny, Wanna join me at my next meeting? I already belong to everything else that ends in A. Why not join C.A...Coins Anonymous...image
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • SarasotaFrankSarasotaFrank Posts: 1,625 ✭✭


    << <i>I'm one away from finishing the basic business strike set ( still need a nice 03-S) >>



    did I mention that YOU S . . .




    hould be commended for this fine piece of work? image
    "I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather did, as opposed to screaming in terror like his passengers."
  • numonebuyernumonebuyer Posts: 2,136 ✭
    Morgan Dollars Basic Set
    Morgan Dollars with Varieties

    Numonebuyer
  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732
    Another noob question here about the charts that you linked to. What dies the "weight" column stand for?

    Paul in Pine Hill
    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    Paul....Weighted is the rarity of a particular specimen in your set....image
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    Here's a more definitive answer to your query...

    For most weighted sets, the rarest coin in the set will have a weight of "10" and the most common coin will have a weight of "1." The grades are multiplied by the weights. That total is divided by the total number of coin weights. That gives the "Weighted Grade Point Average." The "Set Rating" is achieved by dividing the weighted grade sum by the total sum of the weights in the entire set. All sets are listed in order of their Set Rating. Sets are date-stamped according to the first date they are submitted for validation. In case of a tie, the set which was registered first will appear first.

    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • relayerrelayer Posts: 10,570 ✭

    You can build a Morgan MintMark set with just 5 coins: P,S,CC,O and a 1921-D
    image
    My posts viewed image times
    since 8/1/6
  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732


    << <i>You can build a Morgan MintMark set with just 5 coins: P,S,CC,O and a 1921-D >>



    My goal, although obviously a lofty one is to at least get all the CC dates then go on and collect the rest. I am somewhat loathe to buy any coin with a rating any less than MS though which means I am going to be spending a fortune for some of the key dates.
    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • Dog97Dog97 Posts: 7,874 ✭✭✭
    It takes 95 Morgs to make up a complete set. 96 if you count all the holes in a Dansco Album which includes the 95 P but the 95 P is a Proof right, so why would you include it in a biz strike set so it takes 95 coins.
    <<<What if one wanted one of each from the VAM book?>>>
    Then it would take about 10,000 of them. image
    Change that we can believe in is that change which is 90% silver.
  • dollardudedollardude Posts: 1,263
    Too many! I'm trying to complete just the basic circulation PCGS registry set, and there are 97 of these! I traded in (at a huge profit) my unnecessary varieties towards this set, e.g., 1878 7/8TF Weak, 1879-CC Capped Die, 1900-O/CC, etc.

    BTW, my friend, Mike Casper, just sold his #4 all-time greatest set, the "New York City Set"! He wouldn't tell me how much he got for it, but it would have to be in the seven figures! image
    Author of MrKelso's official cheat thread words of wisdom on 5/30/04. image
    imageimage
    Check out a Vanguard Roth IRA.
  • labloverlablover Posts: 3,716 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Consider a Carson City "CC" set. That's what I'm building. Only 13 coins...problem is a few dates are REAL PRICEYimage Still again, it's been fun working on this set. Only 5 more dates needed. If interested, you can view the set under the sig line.
    Just enjoy!!!
    "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732
    I am going for a CC set also and need only 4. I need '85, '89, '92, and '93. I have been looking at the the ones that I need and they are EXPENSIVE! There are several dates and mint marks that I have 2 or more of and I will be listing the extras on ebay just as soon as I get my new camera. Maybe then I will have enough for at least 1 more CC.
    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,917 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great question with no real clear answer unless you choose to cut off the VAMS...and why do that? The more significant VAMs are the best part of collecting Morgans

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • cosmos66cosmos66 Posts: 732
    I just did a little research and came up with this gem. Learn something new every day!



    << <i>Extensive research on the variations in the dies used to strike silver dollars was published by Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis. The term VAM comes from their initials. It centers on Morgan dollars minted by the United States from 1878 through 1921 and Peace Dollars issued from 1921 through 1935. >>



    Paul in Pine Hill
    ----------------------------------------
    My ebay auctions

  • dollardudedollardude Posts: 1,263
    The number would be in the thousands if you tried to collect every date, mintmark, and VAM! It could conceivably cost you seven figures to put together this set! image

    Some VAM collectors specialize in a particular date and mintmark. One popular VAM series is the 1878 7/8TF.

    << What if one wanted one of each from the VAM book?

    You would have 97+ coins just dated 1878. At last count, there are in the neighborhood of 2000+ documented Morgan dollar varieties. >>

    Does anyone know the exact total of all VAMs?
    Author of MrKelso's official cheat thread words of wisdom on 5/30/04. image
    imageimage
    Check out a Vanguard Roth IRA.

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