VAMs---Some top 100's to share--and some I sure could use some help with!!

DorkGirl

Before I share the pics I just want to say vamming is fun!! There was a point in my collecting that all I cared about was finding the perfect Morgan. Perfect grade, perfect toning, a neverending search for perfection. I see the threads here about toning, geez, A toning, B toning, AT, NT, everyone fighting, I hate that.

Vamming takes me away from that. I can have the worst POS, but with the right VAM it doesn't matter!! I have also found that the best investment I ever made was the Digital Blue Microscope. Without it, I wouldn't be having all this fun. I never could see most of the things I needed to see with a magnifing glass, but using the scope has taught me how to look at the coins, it has trained my eye.

Enough of my soapboxing Here's what I found this week:

A capped CC



1892-O VAM 7:



1891-P VAM 2:



1886-P VAM 1a:



1887-P VAM 12:


These must be very common, I found 6 of them.

Now some I need help on, has anyone ever seen a 1883-O with this type of doubling on the ear?




She's got a real hard clash on her with some cool details left of the clash, I can even see her nostril and lips on the reverse, plus this:


Also looks like they filed her at the mint:


Does anyone have a picture of a 1896-P VAM 19? Is this a MPD?

How about some help with a couple of 1886-P's with these nice cracks in the date:



And one last one to share cause I just think it's cool, I can't believe I have owned this coin for years and never saw this before the other day She's a 1878-S





I hope you enjoy the pics and as always, thanks in advice for any help

dwssws

Hi Becky, I'm with you since I got my microscope and got into vams I have been enjoying my collection more than ever.
Now to your questions. does your 1883 o have a dash under second 8? the new listings are showing a few varieties of doubled ears for that date. (check 0n ashmore) will continue looking at your others by the way nice pics

wam98

Cool finds Dorkgirl. I'm not able to help with your VAM's, but that is a project in my future.

Nice photos.

RVDavis

Very nice photographs. Wish I had the time to help you attribute but running out on a business trip.

Got to love the VAMing eh?

Rick

nesvt

Becky, those are great pictures. Thanks for sharing that stuff. I'm going through the updates I have. I found a picture of the 1896-P VAM 19. It shows the top round part of the 8 repeating in the denticles. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like yours. There's still a line there from something.
I really like the 86-P 1A, and 91-P 2, and the 87-P 12, and the date crack on the 86-P.

nesvt

Did you find six 1887-P VAM 12 Alligator Eyes this week? I haven't come across one yet. Top 100 list. Nice. What condition are they in?

DorkGirl

Yep, found all 6 this week, I've had them for years though. I never was able to spot this stuff before. One is AU, 5 are lower end MS and a little baggy. Four came from a lot of 6 I bought on eBay because of the rainbow toning on them. The first 2 coins I looked at were both Alligator eyes, at that point I thought something must be wrong and checked the VAM book again. It made my day.

RobJoyce1921dVAMguy

Becky,
The 1892-O Double ear is a very rare coin. While you can find 1891P double ear in very high grades, the 92-O is rarely, if ever found in MS. Your circ is a grat find. As you are seeing, the alligator eyes are quite common although a popular VAM. On the 1896, your picture looks like an MPD, but not VAM-19. VAM-19 has a circular shaped top of an 8 - in the denticles below the 8.

Regards,

Rob

ibzman350

Becky, I'm into VAMing, great pics.


Been thinking about a microscope, I thing you may have just pushed me over the edge.



Herb

MAD4MORGANS

Concerning your 1878S, not trying to be religious or anything, but there's a lot of people who go through their whole life without finding what you found on the back of one of you coins!!

And who knows...you may be right...HE might be a SHE!!

Oh yeah!! Great pics keep them coming!!

Vet

Very good Beckey nice finds . Great images to . got to get to toys are us.

JRocco

Can't help with the VAM's, but thanks for sharing those pics and opening the door (and turning the light on) on another great area of collecting. It's this same reason I have been enjoying looking at Lincoln varieties also. I can always go out and buy an expensive slab, but finding a nice variety or VAM is A REALLY GOOD FEELING.

Wolf359

Thanks for sharing. That 1892-O Doubled Ear, as Rob said, is really tough!

Rampage

Becky,

Very, VERY nice finds this week. Congratulations on them all. Also, I have yet to find an alligator eye VAM. Love the 1892-O.

jdsinva

Becky,

What's the chance of getting some images of the wing on the 1878-S (where the eagle's right wing connects to the body)? I have a pile load of 1878-S coins but that particular feature doesn't seem to stand out in my mind. Very interesting. . .

DorkGirl

Chances are very good

coinkat

Great finds. I like the 1892-o and this may be the first I have seen. Keep up the search. I like the 78-s, but I am not able to attribute that one.

jdsinva

<< <i>Chances are very good >>



Your coin has the B2f reverse which is found on the v21, not a rare variety but not one that comes along too often either. Would it be too much trouble to see an image of the E in LIBERTY?

DorkGirl

No trouble at all, I really appreciate the help. I've found that my biggest problem with identifing VAMs is focusing in on one part of the coin and not looking elsewhere.

moosesr

Hi Becky, those are really great pictures. Thanks for sharing with us. I am just getting into VAM's also and recently got one of the Qx5 Digital Blue Microscopes, but I havn't been able to get pictures as good as yours. On the 200x setting my microscope seems to only have a very short focus range and if the top of a letter is in focus the surface of the coin will be slightly out of focus. And I am also having trouble getting the lighting just right to avoid reflections. Do you have any tips or suggestions on using the Digital Blue Microscope?

Thanks,
Charlie

DorkGirl

Hey Charlie, I have never used the 200x, just 60x, I think the guys are all cutting off the extra plastic at the end of the scope to get better focus up close. I had to turn down the brightness on the light source. On the QX 3 it is a slider that looks like a dimmer switch on the right side of the computer screen. I have mine about half way. I also have to turn the coin around sometimes to take the pics, then rotate the pic with software. I'd try the lower magnification and turn down the light intensity first, I hope that will work for you. Happy hunting

jdsinva

<< <i>No trouble at all, I really appreciate the help. I've found that my biggest problem with identifing VAMs is focusing in on one part of the coin and not looking elsewhere. >>



It takes a little practice and help from others goes a long way too. I learned 1878-S from one of the best. With the 1878-S, the primary focus is usually on the wing area. The early dies were quite over polished in that area and on later dies, the wing area was reengraved. There are lots of shared dies in the 1878-S series but you'll go a long way by learning the wings first. Another area that is usful in identifying the obverses is LIBERTY. Often times there are patterns of polish lines/scratches or chips that are unique to a specific VAM. Note the chips in the E of LIBERTY. Sometimes just a single polish line or die chip can be enough to help validate a variety.

Thanks for the picture, yours is just as I thought.